Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-05-21
People of West Liberty Think
Arthur Meade's Slayer Is
Raving Maniac
SPECTRE OF CRIME PuRsUEs HIM
The Stranger Who Called at Hitchcock
Farm House and Demanded Bread
and Sheet Acted Like an Insane
Person-Excitement at West Liberty
Intensified.
Special to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican
Muscatine, May 21.-The people OF
West Liberty believe that the stranger
who nearly frightened TO death Mrs
Ed Hitchcock Monday afternoon, is the
man who murdered Arthur Meade, and
who, worrying over his terrible act,
has become a raving maniac.
His actions at the home of Mrs.
Hitchcock We're not those of sane
man, it is believed. He talked. walked
and acted like one who believed him
self pursued, and yet when he APP
peared in the doorway before the
frightened farmers wife, he gave his
commands in the same fearless, mat
ter of fact way that characterized his
work on the night of the murder.
The West Liberty people who have
evolved the theory that the stranger
is the murderer, give plausible explain
ations for their belief
First the man wanted something to
eat. they reason, and he wanted it SO
badly that he made repeated threats
of what he would do in case he didn't
get it. There are innumerable places
in that nefghborhood where the man
could have concealed himself by de-
nying himself bread or water. But
finally, unable to withstand his crav
ings longer, he came out in the open,
and demanded the things he wanted.
1t is in regard to this point that peo-
yniA rhn avsa cIn "a f1A
maintain that the smooth individual
would never have been so indiscreet.
To this the answer is made that none
but a crazy person would have acted in
such a suspicious manner. There has
been no person in the vicinity of West
Liberty during the past four or five
days who has not been acquainted with
the facts Of the tragedy, and no sane
person would have dared to place
himself in this position!
What did the stranger want with
sheet? Was this demand simply one
Of the inexplaina5le acts of man
a mind, or did he, in his dis
torted Imagination associate a sheet
with the laprobe which he had stolen
and from which he had made mask
for use on the night of the murder?
This is the pua.Zler of the entire pro-
ceed.ngs.
Altho n week has elapsed since
the deed was committed, excitement
around the little burg has hardly
waned perceptibly, and the people are
ready to grasp for anything that as
surnes anything like the proportions of
\ clue.
As stated, many of them believe
that the man who made the bold play
1T the Hitchcock home is the muir
ierer From whence he came, and
he went, is a mystery, and
The mysterious part of it only intensi
ties the belief that he knows something
about the crime,
Sheriff Stuart believes that there
are, grounds for the belief that the
strange-acting man is the murderer,
bur as TO his own idea on the matter,
ne does not commit himself
In regard to another person who has
oeen accused OF the murder Sheriff
Stuart says that he believes there are
40 grounds for the accusation.
Marshal w. r. Rice and Deputy
Jarnes McElravy also expressed them
selves in regard to the charges that
lave come from certain quarters
against a man seen here last week, and
neither of them are ready to state that
he man referred to is the man wanted.