Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-05-05
SAW LAV[[L[UR Killed
Sensational Development in the
Investigation OF Coroner's
Jury at Newton.
Woman Named SalGren Claims
to Have Seen the Murder
Committed.
Accuses Mrs. Lavelleur With
Having Slain Old Man
With an AK.
Special to Times-Republican.

Newton, May 5.-After celebrating
for four days the coroner's jury in the
Lavelleur murder case returned a YER
dict that Lavelleur was feloniously
murdered and killed at his late resi-
dence in Newton, Jasper county, Iowa,
by a person or persons to the jury UNI
known. This verdict was signed I'M
willingly by only two members of tho
three of the coroner's jury and was
reached only by the coroner stating
that the jury would be discharged I'M
less a verdict was reached, which was
returned late Saturday evening. There
the evidence given Saturday and for
this reason the third member of the
Jury refused to sign the verdict, be-
lleving from the evidence introduced
that Mrs. Lavelleur killed her husband
by striking him twice with an ak and
also being guilty of the crime of arson
in having poured coal oil on the body
and setting fire to the barn. After
Tuesdays adjournment of the jury a
detective, Eli Hardin, was u to
work on the case and has found some
very important evidence. 1t was found
that a Mrs. Susan Langreen was a WISH
tor at the Lavelleur home on the day of
the tragedy and after two hours of
questioning on the stand old the jury
in the presence of her friend, Mrs. La
velleur, that Mrs. Lavelleur had quar-
relied with her husband before dinner
because the husband had objected to
the calls upon his wife of a painter
named Benjamin: that the quarrel con-
tinued at the dinner table and that Mr..
Lavelleur had left the house after dim
ner to work in the garden and that his
wife followed him out. Shortly after.
so Mrs. Langreen testifies, n discov-
cred the barn to be on fire and standing
in the doorway of the house saw MRS.
Lavelleur strike her husband with an
AK, driving it twice into the skull. La
velleur cried: "For Gods sake, Susan.
cnlne and help me-" and fell backwards.
She said she was too excited to go to
the barn and assistance was useless. as
the barn was ablaze. She also testified
that after Mrs. Lavelleur struck her
husband she poured coal oil over the
body and left it to burn. When this
statement was given the jury in the
of Mrs. Lavelleur a scene be-
the two women followed, each
.contending for the truth of their story,
and Mrs. Lavelleur denying n knowl-
eage of the crime and saying that even
If she had to hang she would maintain
her innocence to the last. Herman. the
.l4-year-old stepson, was also recalled
before the jury and gave some new evil
dence in which he substantiated Mrs.
I.angreen's testimony in part. He tes-
tilted that when he discovered the barn
tc be on fire that he Went into the same
to get out his dog: that his step-father
went to the door to pull out the buggy
and that his mother followed the old
man in; the fire had just started and
the old mar was probably expecting to
the buggy out SO hat he could get
at the fire. That when he came out of
the barn he ook the dog to the house
when he returned the shed was
ablaze and he heard groans and that he
saw his mother going towards the
house and that neighbors h< arrived
that time and the absence of the ia
Their was not noticed until inquiry
was made.
1t has seemed to be a very hard mat
ter to get at the truth of the case, as
some of the same witnesses have told
at least three different stories and 1T is
only after several ours of sweating
in each instance that what is thought
to be the truth was brought forth.
Thomas Killduff. the member of the
jury who refused to Join in the verdict,
is strongly of the opinion that Mrs. La
yelleur is guilty of the murder of her
husband and that the story told Satur-
day by Mrs. Langreen is the truth. FOL
this reason he refuses to return a YER
dict in which the blame is not placed.
but L. A. Wells and Jesse Miller, the
ether two members, rather bought the
credibility of Mrs. Langreen's testimo-
ny until made certain by further proof.
For reasons known only to the officers
Mrs. Lavelleur was not arrested yester-
day, but was let go under surveillance
Her sons are also at liberty.
Felix Benjamin. the painter. testified
Saturday that he called at the Lavel-
leur home in the morning stayed
about ten minutes. That he called to
see the old man about some painting,
and that when he went away he went
to the home of d. Goodhue, returning
from there to the Lavelleur home about
6fteen minutes to ~ o'clock. When
asked if Lavelleur was in the garden
shading at that time he testified that
he was not. This is a point at vari-
ance with the, whole testimony of Mrs.
Lavelleur and her son the Myers boys.
Benjamin left the place before the fire
and a he knew nothing Of the quar-
rel if there was one.
Henry Myers, another step son OF
Lavelleur's old the same story as be-
fore denying any knowledge OF a crime
and telling again the circumstances be-
fore, after and during the fire. Her
man, his youngest brother says Henry
followed the old man in the barn but
this Henry denies saying the smoke
was so thick hat it was impossible
for Herman to have seen him enter.
1t will be remembered that Herman the
youngest boy stated on the third day OF
the c]oroner's investigation that he a
set fire to the BARN. 1t is now believed
that he was made to do this by the
mother.
Mrs. Lavelleur, who is usually called
and best known as Mrs. Myers was seen
and she talked freely of the charge
against her of murder. She admits that
she lie not get along well with Lavell-
eur and hat she had told him that he
could not stay at the house but posi-
lively denies any knowledge of how or
by what beans her husband came to his
death and seems much grieved that the
accusation should be placed against her.
mo. OF courSe I did not like him and l