Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-06-10
sllMMARv Of INo,IFsr

SUMMARY OF INQUEST.
Raymond Hardy, the youth who
has been suspected, was released
from custody
Jury's finding was that the three
Hardys were killed with some blunt
instrument by an unknown person.
NO recommendation made regard
ing holding Raymond Hardy for
further investigation.
Preponderance of the evidence of
those who reached the scene first
was that Raymond was remark
ably cool, much more so than the
help he summoned.
The inability or unwillingness of
the boy to remember in detail what
he did after he reached the house
and found his mother.
Aside from these lapses the lad
told what was regarded to be
well-connected, truthful story.
Corroborative evidence Of other
witnesses as to the various times
of the day which were important
| in connection with the crime.
| These, in the main, supported Ray
mond's story.
Raymond sat quietly in chair and
| lighted and smoked his pipe while
! being questioned by the sheriff
| soon after the murder was discov-
| cred.
| Raymond Hardy, who has been sus-
pected of numbering his family, is
free. The jury was able from the ev-
idence to return only a formal finding.
which established nothing definite, did
not, fix the responsibility for the triple
Slaughter and did not recommend that
| the boy Raymond be held for further
| investigation. Those were the principal
features of coroner's investigation OF
| the terrible tragedy five miles south Of
| vancleve Sunday night.
The inquest, which consumed the en-
tire day, ended Thursday night at the
| town hall Of Melbourne, where Justice
of the Peace w. III. Bollenbacher, act
| ing coroner, presided over the hearing.
Promises UnsoIved Mystery.
With the jurors believing from the
evidence they heard that there were
not enough circumstances brought out
to justify connecting young Hardy
with the crime, this eliminates him,
and the wiping out Of the family gives
promise of going down in local history
as the greatest unsolved murder mys-
terry that has ever shocked the county.
In its horrible details, and the COM
plete shroud of mystery that envelopes
it, it surpasses the Anna Weise. and
the Andrew Hart murders, to say moth
ing Of the other two unsolved murders
of more recent years, Byron e. Body
and Welie Tsenoff, and the two Great
Western brakeman John E. Wilson
and connie Matthews, who were slain
Aug. Fl, 1899. The triple murder of
Sunday night brings the total number
Of murder victims in twenty years to
fifteen. Of these fifteen nine are I'M
explained An interesting coincidence
lies in the fact that nine human lives
have been taken during the admin
istration of the present county attorney
in the short time of three years, five
months and one week.
The investigation is not to cease,
however County Attorney Egermayer
intends to go forward, and make every
possible effort to ferret out the muir
derer. He intends to have the bloou
stains on the overalls examined ana
analysed by an expert. Sheriff Mich
olson says he intends to follow every
clue that develops.
Testimony Was Bulky.
From shortly after IL until night.
with only a short intermission TOT
lunch, the taking Of testimony con-
tinued without interruption. Witness
after witness was called until fourteen
had been examined. They included
Raymond Hardy, his sweetheart, Mabel
Starnes, several who heard the various
calls over the telephone, neighbors,
relatives and DR.. B. M. Rowland or
Melbourne, who examined the wounds
of the victims. The testimony totaled
many thousand words.
Finding Was Popular.
Altho opinion as the boys Innocence
or guilt is divided in that part Of the
county adjacent to the scene OF the
murder, probably most of those who
knew the family at all believe Ray
mond to be innocent.
The finding of the jury was pop
ular verdict. When 1t was known that
the jury did not fix the responsibility
on the boy and that it did not recon-
mend that he be held pending a more
thorough investigation, the few VINO
had stood thru the rain waiting for the
result, applauded vigorously. 1t was not
until the rain began to fall in torrents
that the crowd was driven away from
the windows OF the little town hall.
Witnesses Examined.
The witnesses examined, in addition
to RAYMOND and Miss Starnes, were
Mr.: and Mrs Fred Brandt. neighbors;
Mrs. Henry n. Toedt. neighbor;
Charles Preston, neighbor; Charles
Polhamus, neighbor: Gindfer Pischel,
lneiRhbor; Ernest Toedt, neighbor; A.
s.. atarnes, father OF Mabel. w 7. Law
| Ter, Samuel TInnermieI, !. :. IN pors;