Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-08-19
Death of Des Moines Man in
Ohio to Be Thoroughly
Probed
CONFLICTING STORIES ARE TOLD
Hester Porter, Niece Says, Was Man
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Stranger Says
Stein Killed Self and Woman-Dead
Mans Father Seeks Life Insurance
Which Supposed Widow Claims.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, Aug d9-The deaths Of
Morris Stein, of Des Moines, and Hes
ter Porter by shooting, at Loudenville,
O., are far from being cleared up, and
conflicting stories are told by rela-
tives.
Did Miss Porter herself shoot Nor
ris Stein because she was a manhater,
then fire into her own head the two
bullets which stretched her PROSTATE
on the floor beside his bleeding corpse !?
This remarkable theory Is said to
have been expressed to detectives in
the services of friends of Stein, who
called upon Mrs Stein and her mother,
Mrs. Bayard. at their home, 1915 Clark
street. To these detectives Mrs Bay
ard is said to have made this state
ment:
Il believe that my sister herself COM
mftted this crime. She was always a
manhater. In her lifetime she had had
two unfortunate experiences with men
and she had grown to have no faith
whatever In their words or in their
kind"
II this. statement is correct, the
theories that a jealous lover did the
shooting or that Stein was a murderer
and suicide, do not solve the mystery;
but on the other hand must be passed
by as fallacies.
1t is claimed that Mrs. Stein had
showed to her aunt, Hester Porter, a
picture of Stein and asked her how she
liked his looks To this Miss Porter
is alleged to have replied. tie looks
to me just like all the rest Of them"
First Statement Published.
Added to the fact that Miss Porter
was a reputed manhater thruout Lou
denville, it is said that she objected
to Stein because he was a Hebrew and
that she opposed the dntermslrriage of
Jews and gentiles.
Altho every effort at secrecy was
made, it became known that friends
of Stein have retained detectives to
clear up the mystery surrounding this
extraordinary affair They believe that
somewhere within the city OF Des
Moines may be found the explanation
of the crime-for they are certain that
Stein did not suicide.
These detectives conferred with Mrs.
Bayard and her daughter. Mrs. Stein.
at some length at the Stein residence
yesterday morning, it is said. and to
them the two women related the ac-
t,laI story of the shooting, just as 1T
occurred. The details have never been
made public in Des Moines, but dis
patches from Loudenville, where the
women told their story to the coroner
and to the sheriff, confirm that said
ito have been given out at the Stein
residence here.
Mrs Bayard and her daughter are
broken hearted over the terrible ex-
perience. The strain upon them has
been one OF horror. And it is because
they so dislike to live again the events
OF that terrible afternoon that they
have refused to give any statements
whatever to the public.
Heard Only One Shot.
But while the statement of, the two
women is of the greatest interest 1t
only, makes even more inpenetrable
the. mystery surrounding the afs.sr.
The women SAY they heard buf one
shot fired. The murder occurred in the
room Just off that in which they were
sitting. That three shots were fred
there can be no doubt because there
were two bullet holes in the head Of
Miss Porter and one thru that of Stein.
Why then did the women sitting in
the next room, few feet away, hear
but one?
And again, the women say that just
before that shot rang out they beard
a thud as If picture of which Miss
Porter and etein were supposed to be
looking, had fallen to the floor.
From the statements which Mrs.
Bayard is said to have given out as an
aid to the friends of. Stein who are
bending every effort to solve the mys-f
terry, it appears that Stein, before he
left Des Moines, had not written to his
wife that he expected to call upon her
= Z. L., f,oo ON hi W