Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-04-28
KILLED THEN BURNED
Frank Lauvelleur's Charred Re.
mains Found iii Ruins OF a
Burned Barn.
Two Stepsons. Herman and Hen.
ry Myers, Arrested-.Wife
Also Suspected.
Crime Occurred in the Outskirts
of Newton..Coroner In.
vestigating.
Special to Times-Republican.


Newton, April 2S.--Frank Laveuller
a well-to-do truck farmer residing
near the the northeast edge of this
city, was burned to death while at
tempting to save a buggy from a burn
ing barn on his place. Laveuller's
farm and residence is out of the fire
district, and when his barn was dis
covered to be on fire it was beyond
saving, and he was removing the con-
had returned to bring out buggy.
He failed to reappear, and 1t is sup
posed he was overcome by smoke, and
when his BODY was recovered some
time after 1t was Il charred mass of
flesh. both arms and legs being burned
off. and the body so badly burned that
1t was beyond recognition. The
charred remains were removed to
Baum & McLaughlin's undertaking es-
Establishment, where the coroner took
the body. Lauvelleur was an old res
ident Of the county and a Frenchmen,
settling near Mingo in an early day.
He was well known for his many odd
traits Of character and has been mar
rfed q. number Of times. He was 81
years old and leaves a wife, formerly
a Mrs. Myers. For some time he was
in the harness business here and had
a small harness store at the time of
death. He owned quite a little prop
erty in north Newton and leaves a
family.
Later-The theory that Lavelleur was
overcome by smoke has been dispslled
by an examination of the remains. 1t
was found his skull was crushed by
some blunt instrument His two STEP
sons. Herman and Henry Myers have
been arrested charged with murder.
and the old mans wife will be arrested
this afternoon on the charge of COM
plicity in the crime. The murder is be-
lieved to be the outgrowth of family
quarrel. 1t is believed now that Lavei-
leur was murdered, the remains placed
in the barn, which was set on fire to
cover UP the crime. Herman Myers
admits having set the barn on fire. The
stepsons do not tell a straight story.
The family is known to have qusrreled
and the Myers have bad
Herman Myers, the murdered mans
stepson, told the jury that he had a
bonfire near the barn and that the
barn had caught fire from that. He
also said that he had gone into the
barn after having partly extinguished
the flames. to take out horse, and
that he was unaware that Lavelleur
was within.
Young Myers is very ignorant lad.
without education, and altho they have
no direct evidence against him strong
effort will be made to show that he is
guilty Of the murder. Herman's g.
year-old brother told the officers that
Herman had set fire to the barn and
that Lavelleur was home at dinneG. The
fire occurred about o'clock. Lou
Lavelleur, son of the dead man. is
here and will tomorrow take the re-
mians to Mingo for burial. He says
that his father and stepmother did not
get along very WE'LL and that they were
constantly having trouble. The coro-
ners jury adjourned until today, when
the case will be investigated further.
Flow the old man came to his death Is
a deep mystery. Whether or not it is a
murder can not he fully determined I'M
til the case is carefully investigated.
The boy seemed greatly excited while
before the jury and 1t seemed very
hard for him to explain just how 1t all
happened. It was for this reason he
was placed in Jail. He was before the
Jury two and one half hours and at
first denied everything. He could not
tell how his stepfather came to be in
thu, barn, altho he admitted he was
home at noon. half an hour before the
FIRE. The then told the jury that Lavel-
leur had gone into the barn to get out
the buggy. and afterwards told them
that he did not know he was about the
place at the time Of the fire. He finally
admitted that fire he had set spread
to the barn.