Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-02-20
BODY OF v. I. LEWIS
TAKEN FROM GRAVE
The Head Will Be Used In Evidence In
The Murder Case Now On Trial At
Sigourney.
THE EVIDENCE IS STILL ACCUlIULATINC
WITNESSES SWEAR THAT MANK MEETINGS WITH
IRA eLAssFoRD AND TELL ACTIONS MMEDL
ATELY AFTER THE DEATH OF HER HUSBAND
MANY WOMEN ATTEND TRIAL.
THE EVIDENCE IS STILL ACCUMULATINC

| Oskaloosa, Feb IS. - Especially =
The body of William F. Lewis, who is
said to have been murdered by his
wife, Mrs. Belle Lewis, last fall, was
this morning exhumed in the ceme-
terry at Fremont and the head will be
taken to Sigourney to be used as evil
dence in the trial of Mrs. Lewis on the
charge of murder
1t is thought the defense is to use
the head in supporting its theory that
Mr.. Lewis was, up to the time of his
death. suffering from an abcess be-
hind the ear, which could have been
the cause of his death. The charge
is that Mrs. Lewis administered laud-
anum to her husband when she gave
him medicine and that the poison
caused his death.
Sigourney, Feb. is. Especial -
Women crowded the temporary court
room almost to suffocation yesterday,
and today to hear the evidence in the
case against Mrs. Belle Lewis, charg-
ed with the murder of her husband.
Witnesses swore that they had seen
Mrs. Lewis and Ira Glassford, a home
less farm hand, together on several
occasions and that they had seen
Mrs Lewis meet Glassford at points
nearly quarter of a mile distant from
the Lewis home. The trend of all the
evidence given yesterday afternoon
and evening and this morning was
toward substantiating the theory of
the prosecution that Mrs. Lewis
and Ira Glassford were unduly init
mate and that the woman planned
and carried out the murder of her
husband in order that she might be
free to marry Glassford, who is a
widower.
Mrs. Lewis Is Composed.
While the state is piling up an ap.
parently insurmountable wall of evil
dence between Mrs. Lewis and the
liberty she Graves the woman sits with
her lawyers and seems to be among
the most composed people in the court
room. A few times since the trial be-
gan, notably when the death of her
husband was referred to, the woman
has shed tears, but aside from these
few times she has quietly consulted
with her attorneys and watched the
witnesses through half closed eyes, ap-
parently thoroughly convinced that she
will regain her freedom.
Evidence Is CircumstantaI.
The evidence against Mrs. Lewis is,
of course, entirely circumstantial, and
great deal depends upon the jury's
judgment of the relative value of the
testimony of the witnesses. For the
present, of course, the testimony is all
against the Ottumwa woman but the
defense promises to spring surprise
when the time comes, and interest in
the case is constantly increasing.
Attendance is Large.
The attendance at the trial is unus-
ually large, and not since the trial Of
Sarah Kuhn on the same charge has so
much interest been taken in case in
the Keolluk county court Women are
especially nun erous among the audi
tors at the trial.
The Evidence.
The evidence given for the state yes
| terday afternoon and thus far today
| follows:
Removed the Stomach.
DR.. ]. e. Morgan, of Fremont, testi-
| fled that he was at Lewis house about
| 1 o'clock the morning of October 12,
and again about 2 o'clock in the after
noon. On his second visit and during
the coroner's inquest he removed the
stomach and it's contents from the
body of VIM. Lewis, put 1t in fruit
! jar, took it home with him, there he
poured alcohol on it, put the jar in
box and the box in trunk, locked the
trunk, and kept it there till he deliv-
cred it to John Baty about January 1.
DR.. Morgan said there was no change
made in the stomach or it's contents
while it was in his possession.
The Contents Analysed.
| John Baty, sheriff of Keokuk county
testified that he received a package
containing the stomach of VIM. Lewis
from DR.. Morgan on December -, then
sent it to SIR. Macy, of Highland
Park college, Des Moines. He said
there had been no change made in the
package or the contents from the time
he received it till it was sent to Mr..
Macy.
Glassford Brought into Case.
Will Helm, who lived little over
a quarter of mile from Lewis house,
testified as follows: 81 know Ira
Glassford. He was working for my
father last summer. l have seen him
with Mrs. Lewis. One evening last
August the four children came to our
house to stay all night. Mr.. Lewis
was working for me that day. About
shutdown | saw Mrs. Lewis and Glass.
ford get into Glassford's buggy and
drive south to the corner, then they
turned east. One Sunday before this
met them at about or 6 o'clock
about half mile east of Lewis house
in Glassford's buggy. Saw them leave
home several times-so many times I
cannot tell about them all. saw
Glassford there several times in the
evening while Mr.. Lewis was visiting
his brother.
"Saw Mrs. Lewis in the morning of