Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-05
TRAGIC END
FOR low AN
MRS. MAUDE WEST. OF vlLLlscA
DIES IN CHICAGO TO HIDE
HER SHAME
MAN IN CASE UNKNOWN

Demise Follows Two operations-vic
tim Was Daughterin.Law of ViIlisca
Bank Observation-Disclosures Died TWO
Years Ago.
Chicago, Jan. 3.-Mrs. Maude West
daughter of a merchant of Corning, la.
and daughter-in-law Of Amos P West,
president of the Villisca, Ia, National
bank, died yesterday from the effects
of an operation which, it is now al
legged by members of her immediate
family was performed primarily by
herself. AS result of the operation,
pital whittier she was taken Dec "a.
At the hospital she submitted on
Christmas day to supplementary op-
Grafton undertaken in an effort to save
her life.
Mrs. West Goes to Hospital,
Mrs. West went to the hospital on
a street car. She is said to have either
undergon an operation some time prior
to her entry to the hospital or to have
resorted to the use of some drug to
preserve her secret. Even while on
her deathbed the young woman is
said to have refused to tell the name
of the man who is responsible for
her condition.
ing her sister, Mrs. Carl Knuth, who
hos No,,t,, &c, ~, ao{~
Surf street and Evanston avenue, one
of the fashionable apartment build
ings of the north side. Her sister,
when seen yesterday, refused to
throw any light upon the cause of
Mrs. Vests death She became vio-
lently angry and paced back and forth
In her room.
Attrbuting Cause of Death.
An inquest held in the afternoon by
Deputy Coroner Kennedy developed
the fact that the woman had suffered
from mental stenosis of the heart for
several years and that this, in connec-
ton with operation, had been the di-
rect cause of her dtath.
Two Years Of WidowIoood.
Mrs. Vests maiden name was Will
liams and she lived with her parents
at Corning, Iowa, the county seat Of
Adams county, few miles west of
Villisca until the time of her marriage
to John West few years ago. Her
husband died at Villisca two years ago
and since that time the widow has
been keeping house for her father-in-
law, Amos P. West, who is about 80
years old.
Hurt in Fall.
While at her home in Villisca, Iowa,
the woman claimed that she fell from
a chair upon which she was standing,
striking radiator This, she alleges,
was in the early part Of the month
She told Dr. Fitzgerald that she
thought but little Of the incident at the
time. DR.. Fitzgerald says that had
the woman been in a state of mother
hood at the time he would probably
have known nothing of it.
The report circulated by an elevator
boy to the effect that the young wom-
an had been seen to enter the building
in an intoxicated condition and accom-
panied by male attendants was denied
by members of the family and their
frienGs, who describe her as being a
woman of retiring disposition and one
who knew but few people in Chicago.
Receives Many Calls.
1t is known, however, that Mrs
West received many telephone calls
an that she had several acquaintance
From Amos Knuth, nephew Of
the young woman, it was learned that
she had several male acquaintance
and that she often received calls from
them
The news of the death of his daugh-
ter-in-aw has been kept from Amos
West. according to members of the
Knuth family, because of his precar.
ious condition. At the time of the
Knuth's he has been confined to his
bed for some time.
Operated on for Cancer.
Mr. West has undergone several op-
erations for cancer since his arrival in
Chicago. Dec. II he returned to Vii
lisca and spent couple of days at
tending to business matters. He was
accompanied on this trip by his daugh-
terin.law. 1t was understood by rela-
tives Of tie family in Villisca that
Mrs. West Was taking care Of the faith
SE-luJdM tutiuSo his sway III luiS CITY.
A telegram announcing the death of
Mrs West was sent 70 relatives at Viii
lisca stating that the young woman's
death was due to heart failure. Short
ly afterward another message was sent
directing that no funeral arrange
ments be made The telegram failed
however, to give any explanation of
the affair.
Old Family in Viilisca.
The West family has resided in vii
lisca for The last forty years. Mr..
West. besides being president of the
Villisca baali, is one Of the most wide
,y known fnanciers and of the wealth
lest capitalists in western Iowa The
dead woman was socially prominent in
the town in which she made her home
after her marriage.
SEPARATION COMPLETE.
Paris, Jan. 3.-The new law amend