Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-09-06
OF LEHIoH WOMAN
I SEEKING TO UNRAvEL FAcTs
AND SECURE PROPERTY.
sEcUREs GETTING ASIDE
OF COURT PROCEEDINGS
Relatives Of Woman in indianapolis 30.
lisvsd to Have conspirsd in Effort to
Obtain Estate and Prevent Husband
and Children From esnsfitinsA-su
eide Theory Now in Doubt.

my stery hangs around the death OF
Mrs. Severn Thompson, the wife of a
prosperous farmer living near Lehigh.
During the month of May she left Lee
high for indianapolis. her home when
she married her second husband. On
the list Of June she was found dead.
The coroner's verdict was suicide by
poison. Upon her body were found
notes which stated that she did not
wish her husband to receive any Of her
property.
Attorney ]. r. Files, who has just re-
turned from Indianapolis. states that
the notes arc forgeries and hints that
the woman did not come to her death
by her own hand.
When Mrs. Thompson married the
Lehigh man last February her two sis
tiers, living in indianapolis. opposed
the match vigorously. Notwithstand-
ing their objections she took the man
of her choice.
According to Attorney Files the
couple lived together happily on the
farm near Lehigh. During the last part
Of April they contracted for farm
near the one they lived upon and Mrs.
Thompson decided to return to her
former home and dispose Of her hold
ings there. which consisted of two
farms. one Of forty acres and the other
Of sixty, together with some city prop
erty. the latter being her former home.
the property in all having valuation
of about 351,0GH, to make payment
on the land they had purchased.
Went East to Sell Property.
She left Fort Dodge with $3.50 in
money, $500 Of which her husband had
given her: $500 and a $500 note
against one Of her sisters. Her daugh-
ter Georgia, age IA, child by her
former marriage accompanied her
Her daughter became i'll in Indian
apolis after their arrival and the
mother placed her in a hospital while
she lived alone at her former place
OF residence. She then advertised for
sale the house in which she lived and
the two farms on the outskirts Of the
city.
On the morning of the first Of June
she was found dead in the house
where she was living alone. The oor-
oner's jury decided that she commit
ted suicide. There was no police in
vestigation Of the case.
Word OF his wife's death was sent
TO thompson anu Ae OSpdIlcu lOEt IL,
d:anapolis and buried her there.
After the funeral he placed his
ysife's affairs in the hands of an In
dsHpapolis attorney and returned
home.
Later he discovered that the attor-
ney had Joined the dead woman's rel
atives; that an administrator had been
appointed, and also that a guardian
had been chosen for the daughter and
son, both minors. Proceedings were
then started to authorize the sale OF
the estate.
Thompson then consulted his attor-
ney, J. r. Files, and together they
went to Indianapolis to investigate the
case. Before leaving administration pa
pers were issued by Clerk G. l. Lind
quist, authorizing the husband to settle
the estate. Armed with these papers
the indianapolis attorney was dis
missed and an action filed in the dis
trict court there to set aside the pro-
ceedings which had been taken under
the Indianapolis arrangement.
In his Investigation the local attor-
ney found that from the personal eff
fects Of the dead woman the two
notes were missing and all that re-
NAMED OF her money was $40 bill.
1t was also discovered that the daush-
ter had disappeared from the city