The Oskaloosa herald., 1904-01-14
KUHN CASE RECALLED
Keokuk County Has Another Sensa-
tiOnal Affair.

Sigourney, Jan. IL. KeokuK coun
ty has on her hands another case
similar to the celebrated Kuhn case,
only this one mai develop great
double murder. The grand jury in
its recent session brought an indIct-
ment against Mrs. Belle Lewis, Of
Butler, charging her with numbering
her husband, w. F. Lewis, by giving
him laudanum on or about Oct. 10 OF
last year. 1t seems that Mr.. Lewis
had not been feeling very well and
on that particular day, was taking
medicine. He was not very sick,
being able to be out and do some
chores. He retired early and it is
claimed his wife prepared his medi-
cine and his little daughter gave it
to him. The next morning he was
found dead in bed People all look
ed upon the case as one of heart
disease, but one or two succeeded in
having Coroner Adams called A
jury was impaneled and after much
deliberation returned the verdict
that death, so far as they were able
to tell, came from natural causes.
However there we're still those who
doubted, and there also being some
strange stories in the air that Mrs.
Lewis and certain widower were on
more than terms of ordinary friend
ship and that she had purchased
laudanum the day before, the coroner
consented to having the stomach of
the dead man removed and sent to
Des Moines for analysis. The anaiy
sis showed that the deceased came
to his death by an over dose Of
laudanum. The matter was them
brought before the grand jury with
the result that Mrs. Lewis was i'm
dicted. After this indictment other
stories became rife, that the above
mentioned widower's wife had died
very suddenly, about a year before,
while preparing the MONDAY meal,
and we understand that investiga-
tions are now on foot that may result
not only in the Indictment of said
,widower for the murder of his wife,
but to also couple him with Mrs.
Lewis in the murder of w. r. Lewis.
The case promises to be a sensational
one to say the least and will attract
as much, or perhaps more, attention
as that of Sarah Kuhn.
Mrs. Kuhn Asks Pardon.
Des Moines, Jan. f2-Of all the
applications for pardons which the
legislature will have to deal with that
of Mrs. Sarah Kuhn of Keokuk coun-
ty promises to develop the greatest
interest and legislators talked con-
siderably about the lobbies of the
hotels yesterday Many appeared
to espouse the young woman's cause
ande were comparing it with the fam
GUS Maybrick case in England, which
has attracted world wide attention
for the past fifteen years.
Representative George w. Koontz
of Johnson county, in discussing the
case last night, said: while al
ways stand open to conviction in any
argument, it appears to me that the
woman has been wronged. fol-
lowed the case very closely at the
time of the trial and the evidence in
troduced, to my mind, was not sufi-
cient to warrant the punishment she
received.
II feel that it is another Maybrick
case over again. 1t may be that the
4 evidence to be introduced before the
I legislature will furnish new grounds
but think the plaintiffs used every
mite of evidence they could secure
when the case was tried in the lower
courts. | am in sympathy with the
movement"
During the discussion, one of the
legislators recalled the famous dis
senting opinion when the supreme
I court affirmed the decision Of the low
er court in the case. Judge Weaver's
/ opinion was one of the most caustic
/ dissenting opinions ever rendered in
/ Iowa. In it he quoted many of the
! points and went on to say that talk
ing the case as basis, it would be
1 necessary for a person to prove him
| self innocent of crime rather than
/ for the plaintiff to prove him guilty.
This opinion will undoubtedly be
| freely used when the case is present
/ ed to the legislature.
/ Representative ]. G. Flenniken, Of
Clayton county, who gained consid-
cradle notoriety two years ago by his
opposition to the pardon of Wesley
Elkins, is said to be opposed to the
pardon of Mrs. Kuhn. Last night he
maintained deep silence while air
others in the group in the Savery
lobby were expressing opinions re-
garding the case and some Of them