Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-07-22
Old Soldier From Des Moines
Discovered In Timber South
east Of City
LONG EXPOSURE; PROVED FATAL
Had Wandered Seven Miles and Hid
den Himself in Dense Underground
and Weeds-Diseovery Was Purely
Observation-Disclosures Had Read in T.
r. Of tho Case and Informs Home.


ment and water, George c. Durham, Of
Des Moines, was discovered by Walter
Thompson, a farmer, in his timber
seven miles southeast of the city, late
Friday afternoon. The man was taken
from the woods to the nearby home Of
e. II. Hilsabeck, who, fortunately, hal
read of Dunham's disappearance in the
Times Republican. Mr.. Hilsabeck i'm
mediately notified Commandant Hor-
ton by phone, telling Him that he
thought the man must be Durham
The commandant, accompanied by In
speeding Officer Reed and, Assistan!
Surgeon Hacker, left in an. ambulance
for the Hilsabeck home, and reached
the city at IL o'clock Friday night.
Durham was unconscious when found
and died without regaining conscious
ness, at 10:45 this forenoon.
Farmers living rear the Hilsabeck
posely tried to find place to secrete
himself, he could not have discovered
better place in the entire county
than he selected. The woods are very
dense, and the ground covered with a
thick underground Of shrubbery, brush
and weeds. Dunharn had almost COM
pletely hidden himself from view, get
ting in little ravine and making a
bed of weeds and brush, which he had
also covered over him. Mr.. Thompson
says he does not know why he hap
pened to- be in that part of the timber
for as a usual thing he would not visit
that particular spot once a year.
Mr. Thompson lives about mile
south Of the Hilsabeck home, and upon
finding Durham, and seeing that he
was still alive, FASTENED to the Hilsa-
beck home for assistance. Mr.. Hilsa-
beck directed that the man be taken
to his home, which was ethe nearer
house, where he was given the best
room and every comfort possible. Some
warm milk was forced down his throat
but there were no signs of restoring
consciousness. Upon the arrival of AS
sistant Surgeon Hacker a hypoderm-
ic was administered, and everything
possible was done in an effort to re-
store consciousness.
Durham Was Insane.
That Durham was insane when he
left the Home there is no doubt. Frank
Hooven, a farmer who lives beyond the
Hilsaibeck home, overlook Dunham at
a point about four miles southeast of
the city, Tuesday afternoon between 4
and o'clock. Seeing, that the man was
old and feeble, HotWen stopped his
team and asked him II he did not
wish to ride. Durham replied that he
would, and got into the wagon. Hoov-
en- noticed that his .alk was rambling,
especially when he spoke of how bad
ly the corn was damaged by reason OF
the cattle getting in the fields. Dun
ham told Hooven his name and said ne
lived to the east, little farther up
the roal. He said that the house
could not be seen for the trees. When
a point opposite where the old man
said he lived was reached, Hoover
stopped his horses and allowed the
old man to alight. He wandered off
thru the woods, and. probably kept on
tramping until he reached the place
where his almost lifeless body was
found Friday afternoon.
Was Insane When He Came.
Deputy Sheriff Temple, Of Polk
county, who is O son-in-law Of Dun
ham, and brought the man to the
Home last Tuesday, informed Com
1nandant Horton Thursday that he be-
lieved his father-in-l law was insane
when he brought him here. He had
not been before, Mr.. Temple stated,
and his wife had never had any
trouble with him, further than that
which would naturally be caused be-
cause Of his age and childishness.
When Mr.. Durham was admitted there
was nothing whatever to show that he
was mentally unbalanced until letter
from Des Moines doctor, which was
presented to the Home authorities
after the admission papers had been
made out. This letter said that Dun
hams condition was not normal, and
that he might be inclined to wander
away. Commandant Horton immedi-
ately informed Mr.. Temple that il
such was the case the man could not
be cared for at the Home, for the in
stitution was not prepared for the car
Ing Oh insane pdllGIPIS. MI, IeIIVplS
replied that he thought Durham
would cause no trouble whatever Mr..
Durham was taken to the hospital,
was assigned to bed, and Mr.. Tenn
pie left Durham could not have re-
manned in the hospital more than f1f-
teen minutes for even the nurses in
the ward had not had chance to see
him before he left.
On Thursday Mr. Temple informed
Commandment Horton that he believed
Mr.. Durham was out of his mind all
the way to this city from Des Molnes,
and that after he had left him here he
was tempted to return to the Home,
take Durham in charge, and make APP
plication to have him sent to the
state hospital at Mt Pleasant.
Was Michigan Soldier.
George Clinton Durham was mem
Der Of Company T, Twenty sixth
Michigan infantry, having enlisted
August 10, 1862, at Adrian. He was.
discharged early in the summer of
1865. at Alexandria, Va. He was a
native of Syracuse, NJ Y, and was
born March Is, 1894. His only relative
known to the Home authorities is the
daughter, Mrs Temple. of Des Moines,