Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-08-18
TRAGEDY IN WOODS
Mrs. Jesse Tuman FouIly Muir
dered and Husband Left
for Dead.
ALTERS HEAD CRUSHED IN
woman's Nude Body Terribly MutiI-
-Muscatine
Horror.


murder in the history of Muscatine
county came to light Saturday, the
discovery of the heinous crime being
accidentally made by boys who were
gathering grapes in the Sherfey
woods about five miles northeast of
the city. The unknown assassin's
victims were Jesse Tuman, clam
shelter, who had his skull crushed
and was lying unconscious on cot
i'm his humble two-room shanty in the
woods, and his wife, whose almost
nude body was found up the hillside
about $50 feet from the house.
Everything indicates that the as
sassin visited the house, which stands
in deep ravine in the dense woods,
in the dead of night for the purpose
of robbery, and the occupants awak-
ening a fearful struggle ensued, as
the walls and floor are covered with
blood. Ii is thought that Mrs. Tu-
man sought safety in flight after the
husband was stricken down, and be-
ing pursued by the robber at the top
of the neighboring hill, was beaten
to death, for the reason that dead
men and dead women tell no tales.
Humans is suspected of having done
the dastardly deed and is now miss
ing. Tuman, who was taken TO
Muscatine, will be operated on at the
Hershey hospital. and if he RECEIVERS
may be able to reveal the name of
the slayer and the details of this re
voting atrocity.
4 CHASTITY Discovery
The first intimation had of the
murder was when two boys named
Judson, half brothers of Tuman, dis
covered his bruised and battered
form in his cabin. The boys had
gone up the river for the purpose of
gathering grapes, and being in the
neighbOrhood of their relatives
home, concluded to make them
call On entering the house the first
thing. that greeted their sight was
the PROSTATE form of Tuman lying
on cot with blood oozing from the
wounds in his head, and unable to
speak. They Immediately left the
premises and went over the hills to
the home of Fred Holtz and notified
him of their discovery. Mr.. Holtz
notified his ncighbors, a party of
whom made visit to the scene of
the double tragedy.
Desperate struggle.
On entering the house Tuman was
found lying on Il cot unconscious, the.
only clothing he had on being his
shirt. He was suffering from several
wounds on the head which appeared
to have been made with heavy club
or some blunt instrument. His lower
Jaw was also broken. 1ney entered
the sleeping apartment of the house
and were confronted by Il most awful
scene, which plainly showed that a
desperate battle for life had taken
place. Tables. chairs, bedding and
everything in the room had been up
turned, while on the floor was large
pool of blood, near the bed, the mat
tress was on the floor, and this, with
both pillows, was also covered with
blood stains. Blood stains were on
the walls. and in several places this
was mixed with hair. The curtain of
the room was torn from its fasten-
ing. In fact, the appearance of the
place is beyond description. Mr..
Holtz returned to his home and tele-
phoned for a physician, and also no.
tilted Sheriff Stuart and Coroner
Norton.
Double Tragedy.
Mrs. Tuman was missing from the
Il. lr~fr