Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1902-09-12
FOR PETERSON MURDER
PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF
TOM LEWIS At DIES MONIES.

/ "" ee"b0 ~ S@S "SVS.S
clreumstantlal Evidence Upon Which
tho State Hopes to Secure Con-
vietion.
Des Moines, Sept. l0.--Thomaa
Lewis was placed on trial in Justice
Aylesworth's court yesterday after.
noon to determine whether there js
sufficient evidence to justify the mag.
istrate in binding him over to the
grand jury on the charge OF murder
ing Lena Peterson on the night CT
April 10.
A dozen witnesses were examined
by the state and two or three new
facts were established. One of these
was that Lewis had said that he and
two other men we1e on the road on
which the Peterson children were
killed a. 9:15 O'clock of the night vi
the murder. Another was that DR.. j.
w. Beck. from an examination male
of Lena Peterson. believed that her
condition might possibly have been
due to an incomplete assault that
night, but not necessarily so.
Evidence was also introduced tend
ing to show that certain foot prints
led from the scene Of the crime in a
southwestern direction. The state
stated that it proposed to connect
Lewis with these footsteps by testi
mony to be introduced subsequently,.
The defendants attorney did not
cross-examine the witnesses to any
extent. 1t appeared, however, that
the defense expected to deny that
Lewis was in the vicinity Of the scene
of the murder after 8 o'clock of the
night it was committed; that the mIr
der must have been committed after
9:45 o'clock, and that the prosecu-
ton has been instigated by men VINO
expect to participate in the reward.
Des Moines, Sept. lin the Lewis
hearing yesterday Gordon BowlDy
testified that he had found human foot
tracks leading from the scene of the
murder Of the Peterson children to d
fence in the rear of the houses Oc.
cupied by the Lewis families west Of
the home of the parents of the boy
| and girl. He testified that the tracks
at first were eleven feet and two
inches apart. He said they "averag
ed" that. An expert foot racer was
asked about this last night. Nine
feet IS an extraordinary stride for a
ten-second runner" said the athlete.
Eleven feet is unheard Of" Lewis
is not to exceed feet inches in
height
| Bowlby also testified that he had
found half Of the brace which he had
been told had been taken from
pump on one of the places adjoining
The Lewis homes. He found it about
fifty feet northwest of the spot where
the foot prints of the two men who
had walked southwest past the High
and Park college from the scene OF
The murder were lost, and mile and
! half from the scene of the crime.
Bowlby is real estate man who has
Spent the last three months investigat-
Ing the Peterson mystery. He claims
that he discovered the foot prints lead.
ing toward the Lewis homes the day
following the murder, and had offered
to show them to a detective. He said
the detective had not viewed them,
and he, Bowlby, was the only man VINO
ever, saw them. Detective Hardin eX.
amined the ground described, but
thought it impossible to discover
tracks on the field.
Des Moines, Sept. 12.-Thornas
Lewis accused of the murder of Lena
Peterson, was discharged by Justice
| Aylesworth yesterday afternoon. The
| court announced that evidence against
the young man was not such as to war
rant binding him over to the grand
jury. &,
Lewis went on the stand In his own
behalf, and his mother and sister sup
ported his statement that he was in
bed before 8:35 o'clock of the night
of the murder. The state had proved
that the murder was committed about
0:15 o'clock.
Detectives Brothers and McNutt dis
puted the testimony given by Gordon
Bowlby to the effect that there were
tracks leading in semicircle from the
scene Of the murder to the rear ct
the Lewis houses.
Justice AyleswOrth overruled the
motion of the attorney for the defend
ant to dismiss the case when the pros
ecution had rested. He wished to hear
the evidence as to the whereabouts
of the defendant the night of the muir
der and as to the tracks said to lead
toward his home.
Lewis and his family were highly
elated by the decision Of the court,
and went home together to have a
jubilee. Thomas Lewis himself was
relieved because he has been the
victim of gossip ever since the murder
on account of the circumstances to
which the state witnesses testified. He
regards this preliminary as the end OF
the proceedings against him.
The city authorities are much dis
appointed over the case because it re-
vealed not scintilla of evidence IN
addition to that long ago secured by
them. They had hoped, at least, to
acquire some information that would
be helpful in the further investigation
of the case from the testimony ELECTED
at the Lewis hearing.
SOMETHING FOR. YOUR GRAND.
aL CHILDREN.
What is ,pleasanter than saying this
beautiful high post bed, or handsome
old chest of drawers. or this lovely
quaint sofa was mothers? Chase 4
West, 712 Walnut street, Des MoineS,
have the finest and largest stock in
carry many colonial and antique styles
Freight is prepaid.
JASPER PIONEER is KILLED.
A. Hand, Prominent Farmer Near
Newton, Dies After Runaway.
Newton, Sept. 11.-Arthur Hand. an
old and respected resident of this
county and of Clear Creek township,
was killed in runaway accident. Mr..
| Hand was doing some hauling when
a storm came up and fash of light
| ming frightened his team, causing
them to runaway, throwing him from