Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-06-18
LAST RESTING PLACE or TAMA
COUNTY PIONEER TAM.
pEREo WITH.
OLD NEioHsoRs plsPRovE
STORY or TAVERN MURDER
James w. Glenn. Preprister Of Farm
Heuss' Where Bones Were Found,
ouiItIsss Of Wrong ooins-Inn
Keeper Said to Have Been Rssl Vic.
tim, Of Foul Play.

of the old tavern on the old stage road
at Helena. which created considerable
excitement here and at Chelsea some
time ago. has brought to light what
may have been murder forty-fi five
years ago and clears up a mysterious
circumstance which has troubled the
minds Of many old residents since 1868.
The discovery of the bones. which.
according to the doctor who examined
them, consisted of only portion of the
jaw bone and some teeth. resulted in
confused rumors and many misstate-
ments. and reflected crime on the
name Of a good family. AS result OF
the finding of the bones. and the
stories published at the time, old set
tiers have come forward to disprove
some of the tales told, and the grave
of the keeper of the tavern. long
known as THE Farm House." has been
opened in the hope Of clearing mys-
terry of forty-tive years.
Murder Theory Advanced.
According to the story, as originally
published, the Farm House" had fire.
quently changed hands. but as mat
ter of fact the place was conducted
only by one person-James w. Glen,
father Of J. B. Glenn, Of Marshalltown.
The place changed hands frequently
after the place had ceased to be con-
Quoted as tavern. but Mr.. Glenn was
the only. person to have conducted the
old stage road inn.
The story Of the finding of the bones
led to Wild tales by members OF the
younger generation. who undoubtedly
confused old tales Of depredations in
other quarters with the old tavern. Ola
settlers who knew Mr.. Glen from the
time he came to Iowa until his death
declare that he was whole souled,
genial friend and neighbor, incapable
of wrong doing, and orderly in the
conduct Of his roadside inn. That no
murder was committed in the tavern
while he was proprietor Is the state
ment Of all who knew him. There has
long been belief among members of
the Glen family. however, that a MUIR
der was committed, but that the elder
Glen was the victim of the outrage.
While this theory has been held by
Mr.. Clem's son and other relatives for
forty-five years. nothing had been done
to prove the contention until recently.
Story Of chs Old Tavern.
James w. Glen came to Iowa in an
early day and settled in the Helena
lneighborhood. seven and one-half
miles southeast of Tama. He erected
a log house which was later enlarged
and converted into the Farm House."
one Of the most prominent of the tav
erns along the Iowa City-Fort Dodge
state road. This building was Of great
dimensions, being ffty-six feet six
inches in length, with a frontage Of
forty-seven feet six inches, and depth
Of thirty feet. Villages were few and
scattered and travellers from both east
and west welcomed stop at the Glenn
house. The place was conducted by
Mr.. Glenn until the advent of the rail-
road, and after that time the place was
no longer conducted as hosiery.
First Main Carrier.
When the Farm House" was opened
office as we'll. At that time the mail
for business it became the village post
was carried by man on foot. E. I.
Hunter was the first mail carrier and
his route was from Marengo to Indian
Town. He travelled this route for about
six months on foot and then was pre-
scented by. the settlers with a team OF
horses and a spring wagon with which
to make his trips. The arrival Of the
mail was announced by the blowing OF
horn carried by the carrier.
In the summer of 1853 the govern
ment turned the mail delivery over to
the stage line and there after the foot
carriers were no longer required.
Glen a Loyal Man.
Glen became warm friend OF his
neighbors Altho democrat he was
a loyal union man and one of his sons
volunteered for service in the civil
war. Soldiers going to the front in the
early days of the great strife stopped
at the Farm House" on their way
south, and younger members OF the
Glen family recall the presence OF doz-
ems of recruits at the house for the
night on various occasions AS one
member of the family expressed IL,
1.-The corner of the bar room was piled
high with soldier caps one night when
the house was filled with soldier boys.
Death Of James Glenn.
When the railroad crossed the plains
OF Iowa the Farm House" passed out
OF existence with the stage lines. The
place was converted back to farm
home and Mr.. Clems last illness came
on suddenly and he gradually wasted
away and died. His death was ascribed
to natural causes" but members OF
the family held to the belief that the
old man was poisoned.
A few nights after his burial Mrs.
Martha Hiatt, residing near the Helena
cemetery, saw lights in the cemetery.
according to old settlers. and the story
that the grave had been tempered with
gained credence.
Friends of the family limited to the
Clems that had they opened the grave
they would have found 1t empty of Its
corpse. .
Grave Found to Be Empty.
After the story of the finding OF bones
in the old Farm House" recently mem
bers Of the Glenn family desired to clear
up the old mystery to prove to the
public that no murder was committed
by their people at the old tavern. Ac-
cordingiy G. p. Glenn, Of Marshalltown.
son Of James w. Glen, d. l. Glenn. OF
Tama, and w. q. Glen. Of Marshall
town. grandsons. with other relatives.
decided to open the grave to determine
whether the body Of their father ana
grandfather had been permittsd TO