Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-11-22
MYSTERY At HAMBURG
STRANGE INCIDENTS OF OVER
40 YEARS AGO RE.ENAcTEp
nv UNKNOWN MAN.
VISITS OLD cAMPeRouNp,
LEAVES VARIOUS ARTICLES
sundI. Found Containing Female
Wearing APPAREL and Two Letters
Bearing Dates in September, 1879 =
Pioneer Recalls Early Incident When
Stranger Was Suspected.

Hamburg, Nov. 22.--Wanted the
services of Sherlock Holmes to un-
ravel a mystery Of mysteries that has
enveloped this section and threatens
the peace Of mind of our citizens unless
speedily explained who have been call
ed upon in recent months to wrestle
with a series of puZzing happenings
and incidents.
] The present mystery starts at the
gate of the Clyde Hess pasture, where
a small bundle was found week ago
Sunday morning. Examination showed
the bundle to consist of Il womans shirt
|waist: rolled within which was cot
| ton flannel glove. stuck into which was
a copy Of Bunyans Pilgrims Progress.
On top of the bundle was an envelope
addressed to Earl Houts, which had
been taken from his mail box by him
Saturday and thrown down in the road
a couple of miles west of where it was
found on the bundle. On top of the
envelope was a sprig of evergreen, al
tho no evergreen trees were near. On
top of all was sprinkled a large GUAM
tity Of green powder which appears to
be something in the nature of kalso-
mine.
The Mystery Deepens.
| On removing the book from the glove
in the bundle, the mystery began TO
deepen. In the back part Of the book
! was written the name Dick l1aford,
Mary vile, No Aug. ]. 1879" ON the
front fly leaf was written letter
signed by said Dick Laford, apparently
to his wife. in Maryville, dated Sept.
| 10, 1879. On the inside OF the hrst
cover was another letter diminished
bearing date a few days later me
letters We're written in pencil, ana
showed signs OF age.
| Taking the trail from the bundle IL
was found that the party leaving II
there had come from the east. picking
up the Houts envelope on the way.
crossing Jim Athens pasture into the
Hess pasture. quarter OF mlte
| back in the pasture an old fashloneo
satchel had been burned. 1t had been
| filed with oat straw and had contained
| a pint bottle of the old square med
icine type. From this point TO where
the bundle lay the trail was marked
|
!t;oned above sprinkled on the grass at
intervals from three to twenty feet.
Old Times Recalls Incident.
] Nv the time so much of interest was
| found several neighbors were called IN
TO help unravel the mystery. One OF the
first was Jim Athens, whose residence
| there dates back past 1879. On reading
the letter on the leaf Of the book he re-
called an incident that occurred In 1879
Horse thieves were not unknown then
| In that wear another neighbor, Jake
| Houts. accidently came upon man
| living on the bank in heavy part OF
| the woods. Two horses, one an Old
gray skate, and the other young
| mare, were feeding near by. Suspicion
was at once aroused as to who the
stranger might be, and what his busl-
ness. Neighbors were called and posse
formed. Two men were delegated TO GO
up and question the stranger They
! passed on and a little later two more
approached and questioned TO see
whether his story would tally with his
replies to the former. He told a straigh:
! story. saying he had come from Mary
Vile. was without money, and had stop
ped to allow his horses to feed.
/ Stranger Lights Out.
! But the posse Of men grew noisy and
| threatening as they passed near MS
place. and he took his horses and start
ed to leave. They followed him some
distance He then abandoned mis- htGSes
and evaded his pursuers. one OF the
horses was found that evening and the
other the next day. They were taken up
as estrays and advertised but nothing
was ever heard from their owner. The
! 81 lad at g
home OF Mr.. Mapes, who was the step
| father of Jim Athen.
| The unfinished letter referred to
above describes accurately the place
| and the situation of the man in the
the men who questioned him and the
| others that followed and the threats
heard from the men in the woods
| Jake Houts piloted the men on Sun
day to the spot where the man was
| trees, from one of which the sprig evil
dently came that was found on the
bundle a half mile away.
| No one can read these letters without
seeing in them vein of deep pathos as
we'll as mystery. Dick Laford. who
ever he was never was heard from in
| this community, unless indeed, he Wis
tied again his former haunts last SAT-
urday night. If he did so. why? 1t
some one else burned the satchel and
laid the bundle by the gate, what for
| A Sample Letter.
The first part of the letters written,
the other being in similar vein, is as
follows:
! September tenth 1879
dear marthy cannot come after you
and the babies like / tried TO do because
! amt squarely on my feet yet. am
going to send you some money all ! can
scrape together and want you and the
ba bies to pack up and come out know
! it looks hard for you to have TO make
the trip alone with the children but /
don't see no way to help it unless We are
never to see one another again. | spose
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