Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-07-30
RELATIVES DENY DEATH OF
y
WILLARD ToRkELsoN, AGED
10, WAS ACCIDENTAL.
DETECTIVES AT WORK
DURING PAST TWO WEEKS
Affidavits and Other Evidence Pro-
cured to Show Lad Could Not
Have been Killed by Running Into
Barb Wire Fence While Beinq
Chased by Adolph Christensen.

Forest City, July 30.--The body OF
Willard Torkelson, the 13-year- old
boy who mysteriously came TO his
death Sunday, July 4, on the Adolph
christensen farm near Hayfeld, has
been exhumed here.
The farmers story Is that he saw
the boy lying in the grass at his
home and, not knowing who he was,
started after him. His wife, who
was gathering eggs, was with him at
the time, he asserts. The boy, ac-
cording to his story. ran into Il
harbed wire fence. breaking his
neck. While his wife went TO APP
praise the Hancock county sheriff. he
held the boy in his lap. not knowing
ne was dead, he asserts.
The Torkelson's refute the story
of Mr.. Christensen. claiming that
the boy could not have come to his
death In the manner described, for
number OF reasons, which they Sc,
out at the grand jury investigation
at Garner recently, in which the
verdict, accidental DEATH" WAS ar
rived at. Chief among their claims
Is that the body would show
scratches from the barbs instead OF
a bruise behind the ear.
Affidavit Secured.
A signed affidavit made by 81 close
neighbor Of Christensen. in which
Christensen is alleged to have made
a statement to the effect that he
killed the Torkelson boy. has been
secured.
Many other affidavits have been
secured. They come from neigh
bors. friends. William Torkelson the
father. and Lawrence Torkelson, the
brother of the dead boy
y For two weeks detectives have
been working on the case. A mos
secret investigation has been car
ried on.
Physicians. at the instigation oi
Lawrence Torkelson. the boys broth
err, farmer residing ten miles wes'
of Belmond. spent several hours eN.
aiming the body of the boy which
has been buried in the Forest CitS
cemetery TOR nearly three weeks.
Foul play is suspected by the Older
brother, his relatives and many per-
sons residing In Forest City. HayfeId
and as far east 49, Maa0h City
where an Attorney j. E. Williams
has been employed to probe thu
cause Of the lads death TO the ut
most.
The permission Of the state. boar6
OF health to exhume the body a
Forest City was received late Sat
urday evening. Early Sunday morn.
Ing the grave In the southeast corne!
of the Forest City cemetery wa;
opened and the boys body remove.
to the undertaking p;,rlors. -
Jury Exonerated Christensen.
This second postmorteni invest
cation follows closely upon a specia
session of the Hancock count,
grand jury. in which the verdict ar
rived at after four hours of comb
ing the evidence in the matter, wa
that Willard Torkelson came to nj
death by accidental death,
Following the first examination o
the body and the r session of the
grand jury Of Hancock county. s.
closely does this second post morten
examination. 1t would seem, and
alleged to Infer that grave irljustic
has entered into the case. t
All Hancock and Winnebago coun
ties are stirred up over the affair
Charges and counter charges. grue
some stories. and improbable sur
rHises are legion. So many state
ments have been made that it ha
been a hard matter for those VIII
have been conducting the la
special investigation to arrive
any definite fundamental truth con
corning the strange case.