The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1915-08-19
MURDER and SUICIDE

!, MURDER and SUlClDt
S. Snowden of Leroy Kills q hofs'
Collector near numest0n and
hung Himself at Corydoa.
| A. L. Wertz, a collector for A. 3
Holbert, an importer of horses al
Greeley, Iowa, was shot and killed by
Simeon Snowden, a we'll known resi-
dent of Leroy, in the road near the
Elmer Richman farm house 3h
miles northwest of Humeston about
noon last Friday, and after being ar
rested charged with the murder and
taken to. the Wayne county Jail Al
Corydon, Mr.. Snowden comitted sui
eide Monday morning by hanging
himself with a small rope cord IN
his cell, his dead body being found
when sheriff A. J. Surbaugh took his
breakfast to him.
z Mr.. Snowden, who was 73 years OF
sge. had been resident OF Decatur
oOLIlty for a number of years, having
lived on a farm southeast OF Garden
Grove for several years, but moved
Ito Leroy a few years ago where ne
.ept a number of horses and jacks.
The murdered man was 62 years
of age, and was an unusually large
man, weighing 375 pounds. He ar
rived in Leroy Thursday evening,
having been sent there to collect
three notes given by SnoWden on
April 16, 1913, in part payment for
stallion, one of the notes being for
S45O,OO and two notes for $40O.0O
each. It seems that Mr.. Snowden
was in rather strained financial
condition, and was unable to pay the
notes, and Friday morning the two
men left Leroy in Snowden's single
buggy to visit several farmers who
owned Mr. Snowden and try and col
lect q part of the money. They first
visited the farm of William Hanson
and after leaving there drove toward
Humeston. Several farmers saw the
buggy pass their farms, the unusual
size of Mr.. Wertz attracting their
attention. Mrs. Roy Barnett saw the
buggy with the two men pass their
house going east, and in snort
time noticed the buggy returning
with only Mr.. Snowden in it.
About 1 o'clock Mrs. Roy Barnett
and three little daughters started to
the home Of her parents, Mr.. and
Mrs. James Richman and were
frightened when they came upon the
body of Mr.. Wertz, sitting by the
side of the road in slightly upright
position, his face covered with blood
from a pistol wound in his forehead.
Two large envelopes containing
notes and checks amounting to about
$1,000 were found on his arm, partly
covered by his hat, while his suit
case was on the ground nearby. MIS-.
Barnet. Immediately notified hS1-
husband who was working in the
harvest field nearby, and he was the
first man to arrive, but was soon
Joined by number of neighbors
whom he notified over the phone.
Coroner G. c. Hutchinson who re-
sides at Humeston was notified and
he arrived at the scene of the mur-
der at 1:45 and took charge OF the
body.
Suspicion was at once fastened
upon Snowden and deputy sheritf n.
u. Morrett, county attorney II. r..
Garrett and constable 0. w. Stevens
went to Leroy in search of SnoWden.
Suowden was found couple of miles
from Leroy driving In a cart and
said he was on his way to consult q
friend. He told the officers that
when they reached a point near
where Wertz was found, Wertz told
him he was tired of riding In the
buggy and that he could return to
Leroy and he would wait by the
roadside until an auto came along
and would catch ride into town. An
examination of Snowden's buggy IN
which the men had ridden, showed
the cloth cushion was saturated with
blood. and an attempt had been
made to wash the blood from the
cushion and buggy, but when Ben
Rushing rubbed a clean handker,
chief over the cushion it showed
blood on it. When Snowden was
searched the three notes given to
Holbert by Snowden were found IN
his pocket, having been marked
PAID across the face of them with
a lead pencil
Coroner Hutchinson held an in
quest Friday evening and the jury
composed of A. D. McCulloch, N. J.
Ripper and H. M. Hart returned the
following verdict.
'.The said jurors upon their oath,
do say that we do find that the said
deceased came to his death about ~
O'Clock noon on August 13, 1915, by
a bullet wound inflicted feloniously,
and we further do find that he did
come to his death feloniously and
that crime has been committed on
the deceased, and that S. S1owden is
the name of the person whom the
jury believe has committed 1t.
From the tracks of the horse and
buggy the belief is held by those who
visited the scene Of the crime that
Wertz was shot as they were cross
ing bridge, with the idea OF dump
ing his body into the stream, but
that the horse became frightened at
the shots and started to run up the
hill. When the top of the hill was
reached Snowden drove to one side
of the road and tumbled out the
body and secured his notes. The
tracks showed he drove on east q
short distance "a nd then had turned