Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1912-07-10
TRAGEDY AT CANTON.
Victor Patterson Found Dead Wild.
Bullet Wounds in
Head.

Coroner Grinnell, County Attorney
Hopp, Sheriff Blexrud, and Miss Lot
tie Weyrauch, photographer, We're
called to Canton on official business
Tuesday. Victor Patterson had been
found dead under circumstances
which called for an investigation.
A coroners jury consisting of r
Otley j. A. Fife, Max Krause, Ed.
webster. Geo. Young and H. p. Nit
son, was empanelled and after lis
tening to the evidence, returned a
verdict that deceased had come to
his death from a pistol ound fred
IRON a revolver held in the hand of
some person to the jury unknown
The evidence disclosed the follow
Ing facts as related by returning
officials to a Preston Times reporter.
Last Thursday evening at seven
O'Clock Victor Patterson came, in
from the place where he had been
working in the country, and togeth-
er with Burt Herman, Sam Plough
and Albert Norton, the latter driving
the automobile, proceeded to Foun-
tain, where they arrived at about
p. m. They visited the Travis sa-
loon but only remained a short time
long enough to drink three glasses
of beer and purchase case of beer
and some whiskey. Victor bought
the case of beer, and as he is, or was
less than eighteen years of age, 1t is
easy to see where the saloon keeper
is liable. However, Fountain saloon
keepers, for a long time past, have
not been overly particular about sell
ling to drunkards or minors.
Returning to Canton at 10.45 p. m.
the young men went into an empty
room above the barber shop, sent
for some lunch and proceeded to have
good time" About 11:30 Victor
left his companions without takin e
his hat or coat. They naturally tho't
he would return, but some time later
they made a slight search for him in
the immediate vicinity, without find
ing any trace of him. However, as
the night was warm they felt no
alarm and thought but little of his
absence
Monday morning a young man who
works in the barber shop, WAS re-
turning from the country and pass
sing the M. G.. Wil,ford pasture north
of town detected an unpleasant olor.
This he reported and Sam Plough
and Frank pierce went ont to inves-
:igate. In thicket of trees and
shr1bbery behind a woven wire fence
close to the road, but effectually hid
den from view, they found the body
of Victor Patterson in an advanced
stage of decomposition. lying face
downward with a bullet hole through
his temple, and revolver with two
chambers empty in his nerveless
hand. He had evidently been dead
since the night of his disappearance.
Such in short is the story of the trag-
c death of this unfortunate youth.
There are elements of mystery con-
nected with mis- death which will pro-
tably never be solved. He never was
known to carry revolver. had not
seemed respondent, nor had he talk
ed of self destruction. On the other
hand he had no known enemy and
there seemed no motive for murder.
There had been no quarrel between
him and the young men with whom
he had spent the evening. The re-
volver, which evidently caused his
death, had not before been seen nor
owned by any one IN town. so far as
the officials could ascertain. The jury
cid the only thing they could do,
finding that he came to his death
from pistol wound, but that
the revolver was held in the hand
Of some person to the j1ry I'M
known