Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-06-11
SHOOTING OF MRS. RAILBAck AT
sHELLseURG CAUSES
INDIGNATION.
HUSBAND AGED 81 YEARS
NOW UNDER SUSPICION
Old Man Believed to Be Mentally De-
ranged-He Purchased Revolver With
Which Wife Was Shot, Only a Few
Days Aso-couple Had Been Mar
ried Fifty Years and Were Wealthy.
Special to Times-Republican.

SGudT RdpluS, l1.-A<eNeT vas d
community more greatly wrought up
than was the town of Shellsburg and
vicinity over the murder of Mrs. John
Railsback, who was found dead in bed
yesterday morning, with "a bullet hole
entirely thru her head. and with the
circumstantial evidence pointing to her
Mrs. Railsback was one of the most
widely known women of this sectlon OIL
Iowa. and was dearly loved. She was
a pioneer, having lived with her nus
band in Linn and Benton counties for
more than fifty years. she is the
mother OF ten children, who are also
among the prominent residents OF Llhli
and Benton counties.
The Railsbacks We're for many years
considered among the wealthiest OF
rural people in this section OF the
state. and some years ago the elder
Raisback gave his children property
each to the value of about $4,000.
Aged Husband Suspected.
That Railsback. himself 81 years Old
was the murderer Of his wife. is the
opinion of those who have so far in
was done in a fit of temporary INSANITY
, is also the belief.
4 tragic incident connected with the
sensation is the fact that lon Thursda!
Railsback celebrated his SIND birth
day. and a quiet celebration was given
at his home in honor of the event.
nearly all the children being at nome
for the occasion The children leil
for their homes early in the evening.
and as near as can be learned the ase'l
couple retired about o'clock.
The shot which caused Mrs. RallS-
backs death was evidently fired about
/ o'clock Friday morning, ana Was
heard by two or three persons. Who'
however. gave the matter niue
thought. as the town has been eel
ebrating old settlers day. ana many
outsiders were in the city for the daS
and evening.
Husband Summons Physician.
ii > o'clock yesterday morning
Railsbacll called at the home of George
isurdick. d. neighbour and said ms VII"
was dead. Then he called at the nome
of DR.. I-asfibrook, next door. ana M
formed him that Mrs Railsbach was
VERY i'll and needed medical help mn
mediately. When the doctor arrived d.
the Railsbeck home. he was HORNED -
| find Mrs .Railsback dead. with q bull
lei hole thru her head. The pillow was
saturated with mblood, a revolver WAS
! living under the woinan.s right shout
der. ana the bullet. which has" passed.
thru her head. was under the covers
in the center of the bed. Lie pune.
had entered the woman's head back OF
the right ear ana came out over tHe
left eve Tie position OF the podv' Tue
location of the wound and the location
of the revolver made the suicide theory
untentable.
RaiIsback Owned Revolver.
The revolver was one which Ralis-
back had secured a few days previous
to the tgaedy. The coroner's jury de-
veloped the fact that Railsback had
been auarrelsome at times, ana mao
threatened his wife; also that he had
been much given to drink HIS "l1e IS
known to have been afraid OF MIN, put
no one ever supposed that he would go
to such lengths as to commit murder.
>Railsback testified that he heard no
shot during the night, and that he did
not know his wife was dead until he
asked her to get up and get breakfast
and she did not respond. He showed
no aDnarent concern over his wife's
fate, and apparently was the least con-
cerned of any of the residents OF
Shellsburg.
No Traces Of Robbery.
There were no traces of robbery, and
the authorities give no heed to that
theory Following the verdict of the
coroner's jury which was that the
aged woman had been murdered. Rails
back was not taken into custody II
was thought ne would not be arrested
until after the funeral, and then II IL
developed that he was the murdered, he
will probably be placed in the insane
department of the state reformatory.
Married Over Fifty Years.
Railsback is noted character He
has lived in Linn and Benton counties
for more than fifty years. and not long
since he and his wife celebrated their
fiftieth wedding anniversary. Every
body knew him and yet nobody ever
quite understood him. He lived a wild
life and his escapades have been the
talk of the neighborhood, especially in
his earlier life. He was an unusually
hard drinker, and when intoxicated
committed acts that fairly set the
neighborhood afiame. OF late years he
had not been drinking so heavily. tho
it is alleged he imbibed rather freely
Thursday afternoon.