Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-08-20
Ohio Authorities Conclude Stein
Porter Tragedy Was Double
Murder
Miss Porter to Be Disinterred and Fur
Their Investigation Of the Tragedy
conducted-Sheriff Leaves for Iowa
to Secure Return of Mrs. Stein and
Her Mother to Ohio.
Special to Times-Republ,can.


from Loudenville, o.. says that in the
opinion Of Prosecutor Frey both Morris
j. Stein and Hester Porter were MUIR
dered in cold blood by third party
who was secreted in the room when the
Des Moines man called to his aunt to
examine some pictures.
vict the guilty party of the most das-
tardly crime known to the police, the
prosecutor is sure and to that end he
has called second inquest, will cause
the remains of the murdered woman
to be eXhumed, and will bring to Ohio
Mrs. May Bayard Stein, wife of the
murdered man, and her mother, who
were in the house at the time of the
tragedy.
Mrs. Stein and her mother, who ac-
companied the remains of the muir
dered husband to Dies Moines, will
probably be returned at once, Sheriff
Conrad leaving for the Iowa capital
for that purpose last night.
At the second inquest Milton Derr, a
painter who was at work on the house
at the time of the tragedy, will testify
Prosecutor Frey today said Derr would
shed sensational light on the shooting.
In fact, his evidence may go long
way toward clearing up the mystery
and fastening the heinous crime upon
the guilty person.
Prosecutor Frey has in his possess
ion post cards upon which the hand
writing is the same as that in the note
found on the dead mans person shortly
after the shooting. All of these cards
are signed May
Authorities at Work.
Authorities at Loudenville are re-
doubling their efforts to uncover the
mystery. From a theory of murder and
suicide entertained by them on the
date of the shooting they have grad
ually changed in their opinion until to-
day there is not a particle of doubt in
their minds but it was cold blooded if
not prem editated murder. The remains
of Miss Porter will be exhumed prob
ably tomorrow when the second in
quest will be held.
Derr's testimony, together with the
note found on STEMS body, are the
strongest evidences of murder. The
note, the full contents of which were
given out for publication today for the
first time reads as follows:
Dear Kid am dying. Aunt Hester
just shot me. Why, I don't know. 1
gave her a new gun as a present for
burglars. She got mad and shot me
and then turned the gun on herself. I
am getting weaker, weaker, weaker"
Letter Signed Percy.
The letter was signed Percy Stein.
He was accustomed to address his
wife endearingly as kid" and she Of
ten called him percy"
The coroner decides that it would
have been impossible for Stein to have
walked into the room where the coat
hung. The note must, therefore, have
been placed in his pocket after the
shooting. The handwriting was ir-
regular while Stein was normally a
fine penman.
Theory is Confirmed.
The position of the bullet wounds
confirm the officials point on the
double murder theory. Coroner Ash
says he believes it would have been
impossible for Stein to have held the
revolver so as to have shot himself as
the wound indicates. Mayor Kipling-
ton agrees with the views of the coro-
ner.
It is now believed a third person
did the shooting and that that person
was in, the same room with Stein and
the murdered woman when the shots
were fired.
It is agreed; however, that only Mrs.
Stein and her mother and Mrs. Mary
Bayard, were inside. 1t is on this
point that the testimony of Derr may
shed most light.