Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1911-12-20
THREE TRAGIC DEATHS.
Coroner of Buchanan County Has
Peculiar Experience.

After having had two cases at
Winthrop on Monday, Coroner Swan
was called to Aurora Tuesday after
noon by a message that Mrs. Louisa
Miller, wife of N. r. Miller, resid-
ing north of Aurora, had been found
dead in the home that afternoon,
the husband also being found in
critical condition. Marks and bruises
on the body of the woman indicated
foul play and it was decided to make
an investigate
The discovery of the sad plight of
the father and mother was made by
a son, Alfred Miller of Aurora, who
had driven to tie home on Tuesday
afternoon after a load Of straw or
fodder. Approaching the house, af-
ter tying his team, he entered
through the rear door into the kitch-
en- and from there 10 the front room,
where he found the mother lying
face downward on the floor, attired
in her night clothes and the body
partially exposed, with marks and
bruises thereon. The father he found
lying on his side with his arm under
his head. There was no odor of gas
and the hard coal fire was out. He
discovered that his father still lived,
but could not arouse him.
The conditions indicated foul play
and the coroner upon looking over
the scene on Tuesday, decided 1t
would be best to have a thorough
investigation. Going there again
yesterday this was done. After
careful examination of the marks
and bruises on the woman, it was
determined that the wounds had
been inflicted after death. In order
to determine the direct cause of
death the physicians held postmor-
tenn and the condition of the lungs
and heart showed that it had been
caused by coal gas asphyxiation. The
husband was in so serious condi-
ton that he could not talk, give any
account or have any recollection Of
anything that had happened since
Sunday night. Coroner Swan took
his deposition yesterday, asking him
many questions. His feeble answers
We're such as to show that they had
retired on Sunday night and that
his wife had complained of the coal
gas and said that they ought to get
new stove. He also stated that
his wife had written two letters on
Sunday evening and thought he had
mailel them, but was not sure. The
letters were found all addressed and
stamped, on a center table. Asked
if he had seen his wife since Sunday
night, he replied that he had not,
neither did he know what day it was.
in fact his mind was blank in re-
l. knv ii
since Sunday nigh.
The only conclusion as to the
presence of the marks and bruises on
the wife that could be arrived at was
that the husband, discovering that
his wife was in distress or dead, had
done his best, in his semi-conscious
condition, to assist her, that he had
pulled her around, removed the bed
ding and mattress in his frantic en-
deavors to aid her, the bruises being
inflicted while this was being done
by the half-conscious husband. The
investigation cleared the atmosphere
as to the circumstance attending the
unfortunate woman's death. The
case is still in the hands of the jury,
who have not at this writing return
ed their verdict, which will depend
upon the statements made by the
physicians. Mr.. Miller is reported
as being much better and may re-
cover, unless pneumonia should set
in.
Monday shortly after the noon
hour Coroner Swan received a mes
sage from DR.. Nj. l.. Shine of Win
throp, informing him that Reed Will
son had been killed by freight
train at that place about noon. The
officer departed at once for Win
throp. When about miles west of
that pace, on the state road, he
noticed the body of man lying
alongside the road. Mr.. Swan, think
ing the man was intoxicated, jump
ed out to awaken him. One look at
the set eyes and congested face dis
closed the fact that he had passed
away. Leaving Mr.. Russell in charge
of the body, Mr.. Swan went to the
Campbell home nearby, and sum-
moned Dr. Shine and an undertaken
from Winthrop. who came and took
the body to that place. where the in
quests over both bodies were held.
the man found dead proving to be
w. p. Danforth, aged about 65 years,
and man who had been around
Winthrop for several months, room
ing in the II. c. Unbehaun home and
| following the vocation of piano or
organ cleaner He evidently had
been taken i'll suddenly while on his
way to Pine Creek. 1t was near 300
o'clock when his body was found
alongside the road, so that he had
not been dead for so very long, his
death being caused, as revealed by
a postmortem, by rupture of an
aneurism.
Reed Wilson lived but a few mo-
ments after the accident, but long
enough to yell out that che
couldn't" to a request of a witness
who saw him lying on the rail under
the car, to come out of there" He
lapsed into Inconsistencies shortly
afterward and died on the way to
the home of DR.. Shine. His right
arm was stripped of flesh to the fin
ger ends and the left side of the
abdomen was torn and the intestines
protruding.
No one saw the accident, so that
il is unknown just how it occurred,
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