Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-04-29
Is STILL A MYSTERY
Murder OF Frank Lovelleur al
Newton Puzzles the Jasper
County Officers.
Two stepsons Who We're Arrest.
ID Have Been Released.
Several Theories.
Body Gives Evidence OF Mutila-
ton Before Being Burned.
Coroner Investigating.

SeSSiolI ol tHe coroner jury yeSleTuuy
the three men who composed the same
We're still unable to ascertain now
Frank Laveileur came to his death. a
score of witnesses were examined and
q large part of the time taken up in the
examination of Henry Myers, one OF
Lavelleur's sons-in-law, who was ar
rested Sunday evening and placed in a
different cell than that of Herman, his
different cell than that Herman, his
brother, occupied, who is also suspect
ed of the murder One development
yesterday almost proves the suspicion
that the man was murdered. 1t is tina;
a quantity OF blood was found where
would not have been there had death
been caused by suffocaton from the
smoke. 1t seems to be the general
opinion that Lavelleur was first MUIR
dered by being struck on the head,
probably with an ak, and his body
placed in the shed-like barn, after
which timbers We're thrown around the
body and the barn set on fire. This
theory is founded on the fact of the
hole in the back of the mans head and
the large amount of Goals where the
body was found. How the legs and
arms were severed from the body can
not be accounted for unless it was that
they were cut off after the man was
killed. If this is true one of the most
diabolical crimes in the history of the
G n ia hac tod n hn inv
will use every effort to bring the guilty
of the case point to foul play. The rel
atives say that Lavelleur ate dinner
with them and shortly after the meal
the barn was discovered to be on fire,
which Herman, the 14-year- old step
son, now admits he set fire to. They
tell that the old man went into the barn
to remove a buggy, the shafts of which
We're in easy reach of the open door.
making the removal of the buggy easy
without going into the barn. They say
that when he went into the barn
that was the last seen of him,
Neighborssay that the family had
been quarreling and Lavelleur had just
recently returned from Des Moines,
where he had been for some time, it
being generally supposed that he had
ceased to live with his wife, with whom
he did not get along well. The step
old, and Gus and Henry, deny any
of the affair other than that
stated, altho according to report Her
man has told the jury enough to impli-
cate party with the crime. Henry and
Herman were released from custody
late this afternoon and other arrests
will be made. Mr.. Lavelleur has not as
yet been before the jury, but will ap-
pear today, she having yesterday at
tended the funeral which occurred at
Greencastle. 1t is expected that her
testimony will be important and that
by tonight the jury can arrive at a YER
dict. There seems to be no doubt in the
minds of any one but that Lavelleur
was first murdered and then the body
placed in the barn and burned, but if
he was first killed 1t can not be ascer-
tanned from an examination of the
lungs of the body. as the remains were
so completely consumed that 1t was
impossible to tell that they We're those
of a human being. This fact also seems
conclusive to the minds OF some that
the man was murdered, for the small
shed-like structure of barn certainly
could not produce sufficient heat in 1t
self to consume the body so completely.
1t would have been very easy to have
escaped from the barn had entrance
been made and it was impossible for
ANYTHING to have fallen and struck the
man on the head, as the barn was but
a one-story affair. Who is guilty or
the crime seems to be the mystery hard
to solve and until the jury is thru with
the case nothing definite Will be known
as no statements have been given out
and the officers are making arrests as
quietly as possible.
Layelleur was over 60 years of age,
and truck farmer. He
came to this county in an early date.
settling near Mingo, and had been mar
ried number of times. He and nv last
wife did not get along we'll and there
had been number of separations, ana
according to the neghbors We're con-
stantly quarreling. He had some
and small harness store, but
this is not thought to have been mo-
tive for his disposal. Mrs. Lavelleur
told friends Saturday last that she
would not have the old man around;
that he had to go away and leave them
alone and that they would not be both
cred with him. When asked during the
fire as to her husbands whereabouts
she seemed unconcerned and finally
suggested that he might be in the barn
and that she was afraid he might not
get out. Mrs Lavelleur's actions during
the fire excited suspicion, as she
seemed unconcerned as to her hus-
bands whereabouts. After the body
had been removed to the undertaking
establishment of Baum & Mclaughlin
and she was told a hole had been found
in the back of the mans head, she
tainted. She told the officers that the
last she saw of her husband was when
he went into the barn to pull out the
buggy, but during the fire she did not
seem to know where the husband was.
The Myers family does not bear the
best reputation and her husband was
killed by man named Swartz d few
with a neighbor in which Mrs. Myers
took part. Swartz was cleared on the
ground of self defense.
The Lavelleur home is about a mile
and a half northeast of the business
part of Newton and the home stands
some distance from the nearest house
The barn was beyond saving when
neighbors arrived and knowing Lavei-
leur was at home were surprised to find
that he was not fighting the fire. He
was last seen alive going into the house
for dinner and it is believed that tho
quarrel which led to his death was