The well publicized despair of Miss Stella John

Find a Grave photo

Then as now, there were few secrets in small Iowa towns at the turn of the 20th century. A major difference now, however, is that those secrets are less likely to be published on the front page of a hometown newspaper --- providing the hometown still is fortunate enough to be served by a newspaper.

 

So it was that when Stella John, a well-educated young woman of 21 who had attended college in both Indianola and Des Moines, made a genteel attempt at suicide during June of 1904 it was front-page news in at least two of the Chariton newspapers being published at the time. Here's the report from The Chariton Leader of June 23:

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Miss Stella John, one of Chariton's most highly respected young ladies and who has always enjoyed the esteem of all with whom she has become acquainted, attempted to commit suicide Tuesday afternoon by saturating a handkerchief with chloroform and holding it to her nostrils. She resides with her grandmother, Mrs. Nancy (actually Mary) John, who was away from home visiting relatives in Lucas, and during her absence she had been taking her meals with one of her most intimate friends, Miss Jessie Crowley.

Her absence at dinner time alarmed Miss Crowley who at once went to the John residence where she found Miss Stella in an unconscious condition. Dr. T.P. Stanton was summoned and administered restoratives and in a few hours the patient was in a normal condition.

She is naturally of a very nervous disposition and had been in ill health for several days. This, coupled with the fact that she had quarreled with her lover in Des Moines and was in a despondent mood, led her to attempt the rash deed.

Now that she has regained her senses she regrets the step and says she hardly knew what she was doing when she tried to take her own life. The unfortunate affair is deeply regretted by the friends of Miss John, and they are innumerable, and all will be pleased to see her when she is again able to be about and has regained her usual happy mood.

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I've written briefly about Stella before in a post entitled, "Santa Claus arrives at Spring Hill School." Stella's mother had died when she was very young, so she was raised jointly by her father, George John, who operated a drug store first in Lucas and then in Des Moines, and his mother, Mary.

Five years after her despair was so widely publicized, Stella married a somewhat younger musician and music teacher, Ross V. Miller, in Des Moines during May of 1909. They became the parents of a son, Ross V. Miller Jr., 13 years later --- in 1922.

By 1930, while living in Des Moines, Stella and Ross were divorced, but remarried not long after and by 1940 were living together in Denver, Colorado.

Ross died in Denver during 1960. Stella continued to live there until her own death some 12 years later, on Aug. 29, 1972, a few months short of her 90th birthday. Ross and Stella are buried together in Denver's Fairmont Cemetery.

Sam M. Greene's Chariton decade, 1901-1911

Sam M. Greene purchased The Chariton Herald from Robert W. Bruce during April of 1901 and published his first edition --- shown here --- as editor, publisher and "proprietor" on May 2.

Born in Pennsylvania during 1873, Sam had drifted into the newspaper business as a very young man and during 1899 married Vesta Lisle, daughter of Charles A. Lisle, editor and publisher at the time of The Clarinda Herald.

Casting about for opportunity in the field, he spotted The Herald --- then located in the building on North Main Street that now houses the Hurribak Club --- and seized it, moving his family to Chariton. The Greenes remained for a full decade, departing during 1912 for the greater Los Angeles area after being overcome by "California fever."

Forty-five years later, after reading a copy of The Herald-Patriot's centennial edition, Sam shared some memories of those years in the form of a letter to its editor, Brace Owings, which then were published in that newspaper's edition of Oct. 31, 1957.

There's no reason to doubt the general accuracy of Mr. Greene's memories, but he did make a few miscalculations. He did not purchase The Herald in 1900, as stated in his memoir, for example, but rather during the next year. Here's the text:

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INGLEWOOD, Calif. --- Since reading the Herald-Patriot centennial edition several times, as it was so interesting,  thought a few more anecdotes of early Chariton, during the years we lived there, from 1900 to 1912, might be interesting.

The mention of the Beardsley Mortuary recalled to me that Sam Beardsley, who started the Mortuary, learned the undertaking business under Nick Melville. Nick was also head mogul of the K.P. Lodge, and presided at my initiation into the Lodge when we lived there. Mrs. Beardsley is now operating the mortuary since Sam died, in the big house south of the southeast corner of the square that was Frank Crocker's home when we lived there.

Frank was a big shot in Chariton, socially as well as financially. He was president of the First National Bank, at the northwest corner of the square, and was also national treasurer of the Modern Woodmen of America, and kept their treasury funds in his bank. There was about a million dollars in the M.W.A. treasury and Frank very foolishly began using the fund to speculate on the Chicago Board of Trade. In a market slump, he lost almost the entire million, and rather than face his disgrace, he committed suicide at his home one night, by taking poison.

His tragic death was a tremendous shock to Chariton, and when the Government closed his bank, because of the big loss, the depositors finally got only about thirty percent of their deposits. I was probably the only depositor who didn't lose any money, as I happened to be overdrawn about $17 on the day the bank was closed.

We lived in a house we had bought a block north of "Buzz" Larimer's corner on East Auburn, in northeast Chariton. Our oldest son, Paul, was born when we lived in Clarinda, before I bought the Herald in Chariton in 1900, but our next two children, Loren and Doris, were born in that house in northeast Chariton. There was no hospital in Chariton then, so babies had to be born at home. Dr. Theodore Stanton, who lived near Buzz Larimer on East Auburn, was our family doctor.

SPEAKING OF EAST AUBURN Ave., W. G Brown, who was one of the trustees with me in the Methodist church, built the big mansion that later became the home of Harry Stewart and his family. Mr. Brown was wealthy and public spirited, and when I induced the Carnegie Foundation to donate $1,500 toward purchasing a pipe organ for our church, on condition that we raise $1,500 more to buy the organ, Mr. Brown immediately donated $500 toward the fund.

Then Will Eikenberry, who owned a big lumber yard north of the church, gave another $500 and raising the other $500 was easy. that's how the church got the first pipe organ in Chariton. I've wondered whether they still have the same organ (Editor's Note -- It is. Though it has been rebuilt on several occasions.)

Harry Stewart and his wife were also close friends of mine. His wife, who was Mona Clayton of Indianola before she was married, was a student at Simpson College when I went to school there for a year. She lived in the big house on East Auburn until she died a few years ago, just before I visited Chariton on a trip. I was sorry indeed to miss seeing her. I have been told that the big house is now a rest home.

HARRY AND I had two of the first autos in Chariton, both two cylinder Buicks, and both pretty punk. If you ask me auto makers had not quite developed good autos at that time. Harry's car and mine had the engine under the front seat, with the engine crank on the right side. The gas tank was under the hood. A chain drive from the engine to the rear axle was always breaking when I was on a drive, and I would have to hire a team of horses to haul my car home. If we drove out into the country we nearly always scared a farmer's team of horses, as they had never seen an auto before, and they would break the wagon tongue or try to run away. The farmers would then come in and stop their subscriptions to the Herald.

There was one earlier auto in Chariton, bought by Harry Penick in 1903 or 1904, I believe. Harry Stewart and I bought ours in 1905 or 1906. Harry Penick's car was always getting out of fix, too, when he was out on a trip. Harry had a brother named James Penick, who was a lawyer, and he had a son named Raymond, who used to play tennis with me, as that was my favorite game. I even had a dirt court in the back yard of our home in northeast Chariton. Raymond and I won the Southern Iowa doubles championship one year, in a big tournament, and I still have the old-style racket that I won as the prize. I always loved the game of tennis, and sept it up till only a few years ago. I also taught all three of our children to play, and they all became fine players.

I see in the special edition sent me that your still use the same title type that I selected for the Herald when I bought in in 1900, and also used for the Herald-Patriot when Paul and Chas. Junkin and I combined the two papers in 1909. My family and I made a couple of trips to California years before, and the California fever finally got the best of us in 1912 and I sold my share in the paper to Will Junkin and we came to California to stay.

WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT the Herald it was in a one-story building alongside the alley a half block north of the First National Bank. I published it there till we combined it with the Patriot, when we moved to the rear building of Hollinger & Larimer's across the street from the Bates Hotel. Will Junkin later built the building where you folks still publish the paper.

I noticed an interesting thing when I was in Chariton the last time, four or five years ago. On the north wall of my old Herald building, on North Main Street, I could still see part of the word "Herald," painted in big type near the top of the wall. A restaurant building alongside the old quarters hid most of the name. That sign was painted there soon after 1900, so it must have been good paint.

My closest friend among the businessmen was John Darrah, owner of the Fair Store on the north side of the square. He was a very successful businessman, and I foolishly induced him to run for the State Legislature, and he got so interested in politics that he neglected his business and finally had to discontinue his store. He is now living in retirement in Kansas City, quite lame from a paralytic stroke, I understand.

Southern Iowa counties n my early years in Chariton were decidedly stand-pat in politics, due largely to the powerful influence of the C.B.&Q. political bosses. John Darrah and I led a rebellion from that railroad dictation, and helped to elect Albert B. Cummins as governor, and to defeat Wm. P. Hepburn, our standpat congressman. From then on, Iowa rapidly became a Progressive state.

Your Centennial Edition mentioned many early citizens whom I have happy memories about, but I can't mention them all. I will however mention W.B. Dutcher and wife, who come to Inglewood occasionally to visit their daughter, Helen Major, and son who lives near here. Helen and I get together occasionally to talk about old  times and old friends in Chariton.

I'll close by mentioning an amusing little incident about Jim Penick, attorney friend of mine, whom I have mentioned above.

Jim had a keen sense to humor, and one evening when he was coming home from Indianola on the pokey little train that made the trip daily, the train made such slow time that Jim finally said to the conductor, who was an old time friend of his: "Is this all the faster our train can run? I could have walked faster than this."

"Why don't you get out and walk, then?" asked the conductor.

"I would," replied Jim, "only my folks won't be at the depot to meet me till time for the train to get in."

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The Greenes settled at Inglewood, California, in 1912, where Sam edited and published The Inglewood Daily News for a number of years, but  branched out into other fields. Although he continued as a regular correspondent for The Los Angeles Times, he also was a founder and first president of the Bank of Inglewood, founder of the Inglewood Chair Factory and a founder of the Inglewood Rotary Club, Inglewood Chamber of Commerce and Inglewood Country Club. He also served as a California state assemblyman 1931-35 and as deputy state insurance commissioner for six years.

Approaching his 90th birthday on May 8, 1963, Sam died with his boots on --- dropping dead at a major intersection of the town he had done a considerable amount to promote while walking to an Inglewood Chamber of Commerce meeting.

A road trip Pierce-Arrow style back in 1912

Road trips are back on the agenda for many this summer after a year of caution. Although driving cross-country isn't considered especially adventuresome these days, that was not the case in 1912 when Chariton's Will and Marcia Eikenberry and daughter, Ruth, age 4, piled into their new Pierce-Arrow with her parents, Charles and Olive Murray, of Denver, and headed for Indiana during late May.

The Eikenberrys had taken delivery of the new vehicle, described as a seven-passenger touring car, during January. This was its first major outing.

For those who keep track of such things, the trip out to Indianapolis took two and a half days; the return trip, three and a half --- including an overnight stop and morning filled with business in Chicago. The vehicle consumed 140 gallons of gasoline and a quart of oil during the journey.

Here's an account of the trip as published in The Chariton Leader of June 20, 1912.

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Mr. and Mrs. Will Eikenberry returned last week from their trip to Indiana by automobile. At 7:30 on the morning of May 26, with their guests from Denver, they passed the court house in Chariton in their new Pierce-Arrow car. Following the Blue Grass road through Ottumwa, the party stopped at Fairfield at noon, crossed the river at Ft. Madison and reached Bushnell, Ill., that evening, 196 miles out. The next day by noon, they were in Peoria, and by night in Danville, near the eastern boundary of Illinois, a run of 190 miles. The third day, a little after noon, by an easy journey, although through a pouring rain, they were in Indianapolis, 476 miles from the starting point.

After the international races, the journey was continued to Connersville and Richmond, in eastern Indiana, 70 miles from Indianapolis, where relatives were visited for a few days.

The return trip was from Indianapolis via Lafayette and Chicago, that distance 200 miles, being the first day's run. After the transaction of some business in Chicago, Mr. Eikenberry turned his "Pullman" westward again and reached Mendota the first night (west of Chicago). The second day was a record breaker, the 225 miles of Illinois and Iowa, between Mendota and Colfax, being traveled in less than 12 hours actual running time. After a night at the Colfax Hotel, the pilgrims had a leisurely ride to Chariton by way of Des Moines and Indianola, having been gone exactly 14 days, and traveled as shown by the speedometer on the car, 1408 miles.

Among the interesting features of the trip is the fact that no repairs of any kind were required on the machine, excepting the outlay of one hour to replace a broken brace on the trunk rack. The tires came back absolutely punctureless and containing the same air they contained at starting. Will insists that this is proof of the superior quality of Iowa air over all others.

The tourists agree that the real beauty of the country is not seen from the windows of railway trains. They also say that along the "Blue Grass" and "River to River" roads, Iowa shows by far the best wheat and meadows seen; that Illinois cornfields, both in acreage and quality are entitled to the premium, as are the Illinois farm buildings; and that the Indiana gravel roads are the best in the country, especially in wet weather. The wheat crop in Indiana is almost a complete failure, owing to a heavy fall of sleet and ice late in the spring, and much of it will not be worth harvesting while the acreage of wheat in Illinois is surprisingly small.

The only accidents that occurred during the entire trip was the unintentional killing of a careless rooster and two insane hens in Illinois, which at different points insisted on crossing the road directly under the wheels of the machine.

The operator of the car reports that uniform and mutual consideration was shown by automobilists and drivers of horses throughout the trip, with one exception, the only "road hog" encountered being a smart youth, who with his girl, a pair of hoses and a buggy, deliberately obstructed for some time a narrow highway near Indianola. 

Cyndy Lauper and "True Colors"

It was kind of appropriate, as Pride Month wound down, that the amazing Cyndy Lauper celebrated her 68th birthday last week. The title track of her second album, "True Colors," has become a song closely identified with the LGBTQ+ community --- and Lauper, one of our staunchest allies.

The song itself was written by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, although the arrangement that propelled it to the top of the charts was Lauper's own. The song resonated, she said, because it reminded her of a friend, Gregory Natal, who had died recently of HIV/AIDS. He had been made homeless as a youth after being kicked out by his family because of his sexual orientation.

Lauper went on to found True Colors United, an organization that focuses on homeless youth. Current estimates suggest that about 40 percent of homeless young people in the United States are LGBTQ+ although their share of the youth population in general would be something like seven percent.

Here's a performance of the song, recorded during September of 2020 as part of the Los Angeles LGBT Center's "Love in Action" virtual gala.

From one extreme of Chariton society to the other

I've been stuck here for a day or two, taking a look at reports from The Chariton Herald of June 19, 1902, commencing with a detailed report of the shooting death on the Levee of young Belden Cook by Charles Zimmerman. That report reflected one extreme of life in Lucas County's seat at the time.

The other end was represented by a balancing report of the social event of the season --- the marriage of Sue Darlington Copeland (above) and Dr. Charles M. Whicher, celebrated on the evening of June 18 at St. Andrew's Church and the in home of the bride's parents, Darlington Heights. 

Chariton supported three weekly newspapers at the time --- The Herald, The Patriot and The Democrat (also known as The Leader). All gave the two events similar play on their front pages, but here's the Herald layout.

The locations no longer exist. Old St. Andrew's was demolished because of structural defects during 1955 and replaced by the parish's current building. Darlington Heights, located east of Chariton on the Auburn Avenue extension, continued as the home of the Copeland family into the 1920s, but housed mostly tenants after Howard Custer Copeland (only son of Howard Darlington Copeland) and his wife, Edith (Larimer) Copeland, moved into her family home at the intersection of Auburn Avenue and North 5th Street.

Here's The Herald's wedding report:

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The wedding of Miss Sue Darlington Copeland and Dr. Charles M. Whicher occurred last evening. In the handsome church home of St. Andrews Episcopal parish, the interior beautified by banks of ferns, roses, potted plants and evergreens, an exceptionally pretty wedding was solemnized at eight o'clock.

As the guests arrived they were escorted to their seats by Messrs Howard Copeland, brother of the bride, Lloyd Penick, Will A. Eikenberry and Walter Dewey, while Mrs. Kate Wilcox Craig, of Kirksville, Missouri, at the organ and Mr. Mortimer Wilson, of the Nebraska State University, with violin, played softly.

At the appointed hour, the bride, Miss Sue Darlington Copeland, only daughter of Howard Darlington and Carrie Custer Copeland, appeared leaning upon the arm of her father. She was beautifully gowned in an ivory panne satin costume with applique trimming, bridal veil of tulle and carried a large spray bouquet of white sweet peas and lillies of the valley. Following were the four bridesmaids, Misses Hettie Lewis, Dorothy McCollough, Georgia Watts of Atlanta, Ga., and Carrie Custer, the matron of honor, Mrs. Jessie Mallory Thayer, and maid of honor, Miss Elizabeth Brant.

Then followed the bride and father, who gave away his only daughter in marriage to Dr. Whicher, a prominent physician of Carlsbad, New Mexico. The groom, attended by his brother, Attorney Frank Pierce Whicher of Ripley, New York, met the bride at the chancel arch, where the betrothal service occurred, then advanced to the altar. Before Rector Henry, the solemn vows were said, the ritualistic Episcopal service being the one employed.

Before the ceremony, the church choir, assisted by Mrs. Mahew and L.H. Busselle, sang the marriage hymn. The four bridesmaids were prettily attired in pink silk muslin, wearing pink roses in their hair and carrying dainty white fans, the bride's gift to each. They also carried La France rose buds. The matron of honor wore a white dotted Swiss gown with ecru applique, and the maid of honor was becomingly attired in embroidered lace over pink organdy, and both ladies carried La France roses.

The ceremony concluded, the bridal party marched out of the church to the strains of Mendelssohn's wedding march and went to the home of the bride's parents, Darlington Heights, where amid profuse floral decorations the large reception was held. The guests were greeted in the front parlor by Mr. and Mrs. Copeland, Mr. and Mrs. Odbert, Mrs. Florence R.Whicher, mother of the groom, and Mrs. J.B. Custer, grandmother of the bride.

On entering the back parlor, the bridal party graciously received the happy congregation of people who were pleased for an opportunity to extend congratulations to one of Chariton's fairest daughters and the husband of her choice. The sentiment of the occasion was beautifully brought out in all the decorations, both at the church and the home.

The bride has spent her life in our community. The consummation of this wedding unites in marriage an accomplished, refined, sensible young lady who has been prominent in the church and social life of our city, always imparting her beautiful character and culture as a ray of sunshine wherever she went. No young lady in Chariton was more universally loved and respected than the bride of yesterday. She possesses in an admiral degree all the qualities of mind and soul which attract and retain friends. Representing the best type of true womanhood, Mrs. Whicher will preside over her home with queenly grace, and in her new environments she has the wishes of her acquaintances from infancy for all the joy and happiness that can be gained in this life. Dr. Whicher is a stranger to Chariton, a rising young physician in Carlsbad, New Mexico, very prominent in his profession and locality, modest, unassuming and worthy of the bride he has won, and enjoys the respect and confidence of his acquaintances.

The bride received numerous presents combining rare beauty, usefulness and value.

Her maids treasure little jeweled gold golf club stick  pins, remembrances from Mrs. Whicher, while the ushers and groomsmen were the recipients also of stick pin novelties.

Dr. and Mrs. Whicher left last night at 12:49 for a short wedding trip through the east before going to their home.

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Charles and Sue Whicher lived in Carlsbad until 1910, when they relocated to Des Moines, where the remainder of their lives were spent. He died on July 28, 1930, age 60, while serving as medical director for three major Des Moines-based insurance companies. She died on Oct. 11, 1942, age 64. They had no children.

The family continues to occupy a Chariton landmark, however --- the Copeland-Wischer mausoleum in the Chariton Cemetery. You'll find interred within Howard Darlington Copeland, Carrie Custer Copeland, Charles M. Wischer, Sue (Copeland) Wisher and Howard Custer Copeland. The younger Howard Copeland's wife, Edith, chose to be buried nearby with her parents --- within sight of but not within the family tomb.

Chariton's Levee as the root of all evil

I wrote yesterday about the shooting death in Chariton during June, 1902, of Belden Cook by Charles Zimmerman --- as reported in Sam M. Greene's The Chariton Herald of June 19. If you missed it, kindly see "Murder on the Levee & a bump in the road to justice."

Editor Greene was a relative newcomer to Lucas County at the time. He had arrived from Clarinda in 1900 after purchasing The Herald and would remain for 10 more years, until 1912, before departing with his family for California and a long and successful career in journalism, banking, real estate and other interests.

It would appear that the commercial district known as "the Levee" that had developed southwest of the C.B.&Q. Depot in northwest Chariton between 1870 and Greene's arrival had been a considerable shock to his system. This was an area of saloons, cafes, boarding houses and small hotels and other modest commercial enterprises that served travelers, railroad workers at a time when Chariton was a major rail hub and nearby residents. It also had a reputation for being rough, tough, well-lubricated with liquor legal and otherwise --- and occasionally deadly.

After reporting the details of the Cook shooting on Page 1 of the June 19 Herald, Sam took to his editorial page to lambaste the Levee as a major source of evil in Chariton and the population of Chariton in general for allowing it to exist under the headline, "Why Does the Levee Exist?" Here's the text of the editorial:

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The Levee in Chariton is a murder hole and the breeder of all kinds of vice and crime. Spasmodic attempts have been made to close it up, or retard its wickedness, but nothing permanent has been effected, and the place has gone back to its practices with renewed vigor after each effort at reform. There is no need for the Levee. Men do not need to be beasts and murderers, and women do not need to be fast. Any city that allows such a neighborhood to exist is encouraging vice and fostering a home for it.

The people of Chariton are responsible for the murder of Belden Cook last Saturday night, and for other murders and shooting affrays and hold-ups and drunken rows and debauches that have been going on for years. Why is the Levee allowed to exist? Is it the police officers' fault? Is in the fault of the justices of the peace? Is it the fault of the county attorney? All of these men are elected and sworn under solemn oath to do their duty, but when it comes to cleaning up the Levee they all stand back and blame it on someone else.

Some people hint that there is a "consideration" for somebody to allow the Levee to continue. Some say the officers are afraid they will lose the votes the Levee controls. And some say that public sentiment in Chariton does not demand that the Levee and like resorts be closed. We prefer to think that the last named is one of the principal reasons.

A community can elect its own officers and make its own ordinances, and if the moral sentiment is for enforcement of laws, the laws will be enforced. In Chariton the moral sentiment is not for enforcement of laws, and as a result there is murder and drunkenness and rioting rampant. If the people want it stopped they can have it stopped, but they don't want it stopped. The merchants are afraid of their trade, the officers are afraid of their votes, the women can't do anything but talk, and the newspapers and preachers are expected to keep the morals of the community rushing all right. And even then some of the newspapers will not take sides against crime, and some of the preachers are afraid to tell the truth. And those who do tell the truth are abused by the immoral element and by some of their own members for "meddling in politics."

Isn't it a beautiful situation, when you come to think of it? And the most beautiful thought in it is that the people of Chariton will only exclaim in horror at the open-handed crime that has come to public view for a moment, and will then settle back to their routine lives, letting the morals of the community go as they have been, electing the same old officers and then refusing to demand that those officers do their duty or help them to do their duty, letting selfish business interests crowd out everything else but a little selfish pleasure occasionally, letting the boys and girls get started to hell and then wondering why they go there, and then, when something awful happens, exclaiming again at the horror and again settling back in the old routine life.

No one else is to blame for the present moral conditions in Chariton but the people of Chariton themselves, for a community is just what its citizens want it to be, industrially, socially and morally.

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If Sam had expected his editorial outrage to effect change --- well, that didn't happen. The goings on on the Levee continued to cause consternation for decades after 1902 until the district gradually mellowed  and eventually disappeared.

But it does appear that to a degree Greene's analysis was correct: Chariton residents in general were content at the time in their perception that all the wickedness had been corralled in a relatively small neighborhood --- and it wasn't their neighborhood.

Murder on the Levee & a bump in the road to justice

There's nothing left of Chariton's "Levee" these days --- other than a church created from the former Eagles Lodge building. But back in the day, from the 1870s well into the 20th century, this was the city's roughest neighborhood --- a small commercial district just west across Commercial Avenue from the C.B.&Q. Depot. This photo taken during 1923 gives some idea of what the area looked like although by then some buildings had been taken down and it was in decline.

Some of the commercial establishments served travelers and as places to buy staples for those who lived in the neighborhood, but liquor, gambling and the occasional prostitute generally were available here --- even in the harshest days of Prohibition --- and violence, including the occasional murder, was no stranger.

It was here that young Belden S. Cook lost his life overnight on June 14-15, 1902, shot dead by Charles Zimmerman, a farm boy who lived with his family in Wayne County. Belden, employed in a brickyard, was a veteran of the Spanish American War, having served in Jacksonville, Florida, with Chariton's Company H of the Iowa National Guard. His remains have rested for 119 years now beneath a government-issue tombstone in the Freedom Cemetery.

Sam Greene, writing for his Chariton Herald, compiled the following report in his edition of June 19, describing how it came to be that this young man's life was cut short:

FRUIT OF THE LEVEE

Another Cold-Blooded Murder Enacted on the Streets of Chariton

The "Levee" has borne fruit again. Belden S. Cook, a young laboring man of this city, was shot and killed in a notoriously cold-blooded manner last Saturday night in a drunken quarrel on the sidewalk just west of Mullen's place by Chas. Zimmerman, a farmer boy living about three miles north of Corydon in Wayne county. The particulars of the affair are exceedingly hard to get, as very few persons witnessed the shooting, and it transpired so quickly that no two stories agree.

It seems that Zimmerman drove to Chariton last Saturday with his cousin, Will Zimmerman, of the same neighborhood. They put up their team at Ryan's barn, and in the evening they did what many young men do, who think they are "tough" --- went to the "Levee," the tough resort near the depot which the officers allow to exist with the consent of the people of Chariton. There Charles evidently bought some whiskey, and, according to his story, he and his cousin were drinking it when a crowd of town fellows came along, and, to use his own words, "jumped onto" him. In the crowd were Belden Cook, Beaman Cook, his brother, Will Mullen and Ira Clark. What transpired may never be known, but it is presumed that Cook and his crowd, who were evidently drinking too, began to worry Zimmerman, who now shows signs of having been beaten some. The latter says they wanted him to contribute toward the purchase of some liquor, but he said he had no money. He says that he handed them his bottle of whiskey and told them to help themselves. That sounds fishy, however. At this juncture a half dozen boys passed the quarrelling crowd, and one of the boys relates what happened as follows:

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"I saw Belden Cook with a bottle of whiskey in his hand, and this other fellow (Zimmerman) was about 10 or 15 feet away. Cook said, 'Give him back his whiskey, boys. He's got a gun.' "

Zimmerman pointed his gun at Cook and said, "Put it down on the sidewalk there and go away."

Cook did not set it down, but kept walking toward Zimmerman, holding out the bottle and saying, "Here, boy, is your whiskey. We don't want it."

"I'll kill every one of you fellahs if you don't let me alone. I've got the gun and I'll do it," said Zimmerman.

It was dark and he (the boy) could not see what happened then until a shot rang out, and Cook stumbled and fell. Three more shots were then fired, one of them passing close to the crowd of youngsters, and they broke and ran. They did not know that anyone was killed until they went back afterward.

Zimmerman was seemingly afraid that Cook was coming toward him to try to grapple with him, so he fired, as in self defense. Three of the four shots struck Cook, one in his abdomen to the right of the stomach, one in the stomach, ranging upward, and the third struck one of the brass buttons on his bib overalls, carrying the button into his left breast over the heart.

It is said that Cook stumbled and fell on the edge of the sidewalk, but jumped up after he was shot and ran perhaps 80 or 90 feet, saying that he was shot like McKinley and would die. He fell again and was picked up and carried to the front of Woods' barber shop, and physicians and his wife were sent for. Mrs. Cook came shortly and bid her husband an affectionate farewell, he groaning and repeating that he was killed.

A crowd had of course gathered, and Doctors Storie and Yocom were soon at the scene. The shooting occurred about 11:30 o'clock p.m. and Dr. Storie arrived within a few minutes, Dr. Yocom coming soon after. Cook died about 12:15 o'clock, having lived only three-quarters of an hour after the shooting. Coroner Stanton was called and empaneled a jury composed of J.O. Crips, W.B. Lusk and F.C. Wood, who declared that deceased had come to his death by gun shot wounds inflicted by one Chas. Zimmerman.

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Dr, Storie testified that he had reached Cook's side while he was yet conscious. Cook asked anxiously if he was done for, and the doctor told him he would die within an hour. He described the man who shot him, said the fellow was a stranger to him, and had gotten too gay, so he was going to fix him. He said he had whipped a fellow in the afternoon, but would not say whether it was the same man who shot him or not. He asked for his wife and she came, but he did not talk rationally after that. While rational he called for morphine or anything to ease his pain. Any of the three wounds would  have caused his death. The bullet extracted from his back was a 38-caliber. One ball entered about two and a half inches above the apex of the heart, another entered about five inches to the right and one inch above the umbilicus, and the third about two and a half inches above and two and a half inches to the right of the umbilicus. The one that entered nearest the umbilicus was removed from the back between the shoulders. The bullet that struck above the heart had the brass button surrounding it like a ring, and penetrated only the skin. The third bullet could not be found.

Dr. Yocom's testimony was short, he having arrived later, and only saw the victim gasp once or twice and die.

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Beaman Cook, brother of the murdered man and 21 years old, said, "my brother and I were going home from the Levee and stopped in front of Mullen's to talk to Ira Clark and Will Mullen Jr. Belden went into Mat Rolson's to get some crackers, and I thought I saw him come back and said 'Hello,' but it was somebody else, so I sat down with the boys and waited till Belden came back. After he came, we were sitting there talking when the fellow I had seen came up toward us and set a bottle of whiskey on the walk, saying he dared any son of a b---- to pick it up. Belden started up as if to pick it up, when the fellow pulled a gun and commenced shooting. He shot six times, hitting Belden three times and missing him once. He shot at Mullen and me once, but I had hold of his arm, so he could not hit us. Belden ran across the street and fell in the grass. I let go of the fellow and ran over to my brother, and don't know what became of the fellow. Belden and I had drank two bottles of beer about eight o'clock. He bought the beer himself. I am sure the fellow who shot was not the same one Belden had a fight with. I was with Belden all evening, except while he was getting the crackers."

Will Mulley, aged 26 years, said he had seen the fight Belden had about 6:30 o'clock, after which Beaman took his brother away. His story about the four young men sitting in front of his father's place late in the evening was practically the same as that told by Beaman Cook, except that he said Belden had picked up the bottle when the fellow dared him to do so. Mullen and Beaman Cook tried to grab the fellow when he began shooting, but he ran backward, shooting all the time. Belden stumbled and fell, and the fellow yelled, "I'm going to kill you all." Mullen did not have hold of the fellow and did not see him after the shooting. He said it was about 10:30 o'clock when they were sitting together on the walk.

Ira Clark told the same story, and says he warned the boys when the fellow pulled a gun, calling, "Billy, he has a gun. Get in the clear," after which he himself ran around the corner. After the shooting he came back and met the fellow with the revolver still in his left hand. Clark saw Belden Cook fight with a man earlier in the evening, and said the man's name was Wishart, and that he was not the same man who did the shooting.

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The coroner's inquest ended about two o'clock, when the search for the murderer began in earnest. William Zimmerman, the cousin, was arrested at Thompson's barn, and it was thought for a time that he was the murderer. He proved that he was not, however, and was not even present at the shooting. He said he had seen his cousin after the shooting, however. They had walked over to the Swedish Lutheran church corner together and talked over the situation, and Charles had decided to get home, if possible, and there change his clothes and escape. Whether Will was to assist him in his escape or not is not known, but the officers thought that the latter might try to do so, so they held him in jail.

Meanwhile all the livery barns were notified to not let any teams go out, and Sheriff Boss, with Officers Householder, Milthorpe, Adams and Waynick, and James Buffington, started toward Corydon in three different rigs, and on three different roads. They reached the neighborhood of Zimmerman's home about six o'clock Sunday morning, but could not find him. Suspecting that he was near, they watched the neighborhood thoroughly, and about nine o'clock, Milton Rose, a brother-in-law of the murderer, came out and surrendered him to the officers. The capture was a good one, well executed, and all the officers concerned deserve credit for it.

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Zimmerman was brought to Chariton and placed in jail. Those who know him say he comes of a respectable family, and is himself a respectable young man, but has the bad habit of drinking. He is aged 23 years. He will be defended by Attorney Steele, of the firm of Miles & Steele, of Corydon. Some people claim that the prisoner is a little queer, and it may be that old, old story of insanity will be introduced in his defense. He was certainly not in his right mind when he did the deed, but it was whiskey that did it.

Belden Cook, the murdered man, was aged about 27 years, and has been a railroader, but of late has been employed in the brickyard. He is described as an industrious young man,, economical with his salary and a good husband --- except, of course, when drinking. He had been married about three years, and had no children. His mother died a few months ago, and his father's name is Walter Cook. Belden lived on Osceola avenue. His funeral services were held at the home Monday afternoon, conducted by Rev. Hastie. Company H was in attendance, as Cook served with the Company at Jacksonville during the Spanish war. He was to have been initiated into the Modern Woodmen on Monday evening last. He was of splendid physique, and was a fighter of repute. It is said that he whipped Chas. Zimmerman in a fight on last Fourth of July, but that is not known for sure. He was in the Fair store about 10 o'clock on Saturday evening with his brother, Beaman, and told Ben Darrah, one of the clerks, that he would be back in a few days to get a certain pair of shoes. But instead he went to his death within an hour.

At the prelminary hearing before Squire Long, held in the court room yesterday morning, Chas. Zimmerman was bound over to appear before the grand jury in September, on the charge of murder in the second degree. His bond of $10,000 was signed by his father, Peter Zimmerman, and his uncles, J.A. and Michael Zimmerman, all of whom are said to be wealthy. William Zimmerman, the cousin, was discharged, there being nothing against him. He and John Thomas Corrigan, an umbrella mender who saw the shooting, were bound under $200 bonds each to appear as witnesses in September. Miles & Steele are defending Zimmerman.

It is the opinion of many people that the affair was an attempted hold-up on the part of Cook and his friends. Considerable loose silver was found on the ground where the trouble occurred the next morning. The prisoner's attorneys will attempt to prove that he was attacked, and perhaps beaten, and that he shot in self-defense. His face showed signs of having been beaten, when he was captured the next morning. It will also be attempted to prove that he is not bright mentally. The case will certainly be an interesting one in the September term of court.

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The state's case against Charles Zimmerman was brought before a Lucas County Grand Jury by County Attorney Eli W. Drake during the September, 1902, term of district court --- but much to Drake's displeasure, the jury returned an indictment for manslaughter rather than second-degree murder.

Drake rejected the indictment, opting to bring his case before the grand jury again during the November court term with the following result, as reported in The Chariton Democrat of December 11:

"Chas Zimmerman, who was charged with shooting and killing Belden Cook on the night of June 14th, has been released, the grand jury having ignored the case. Zimmerman was indicted at the summer term of court on the charge of manslaughter, but there was a flaw in the indictment and the case was dismissed on the motion of County Attorney Drake."

Drake passed to his final reward during June of 1931 and in his obituary it was noted that he had served "very acceptably" as county attorney for two terms before being hired as Chariton city treasurer. This may have been a case of damning with faint praise since it certainly would appear that he bungled the opportunity to bring Mr. Zimmerman before a jury to sort out the somewhat confusing circumstances of Belden Cook's death.

Jealousy and murder on the streets of Garden Grove

News managed to travel fast --- if not instantly as is the case these days --- across the south of Iowa back in 1902, despite the fact newspapers were somewhat leisurely media. So in the days after Friday, June 6, Lucas Countyans had learned by word of mouth that a respected Garden Grove physician, Dr. William D. Duff, had been gunned down by a jealous husband, William H. Clark, that morning in a business on that small Decatur County city's main street.

Dr. Duff was in his early 50s; Mr. Clark, 49. Both were married to women named Alice. Alice Clark, a farm wife some three years older than her husband, was the alleged focus of Dr. Duff's lust.

The Chariton Herald of June 12 reported the shooting as follows, picking up and republishing under the headline "Garden Grove Tragedy" a report from The Corydon Democrat. The report is generally accurate, but I've corrected a couple of minor details --- relying on excruciatingly detailed reports published that same day in The Leon Reporter (Leon is the Decatur County seat).

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Garden Grove, just over the line in Decatur county, was thrown into a fever of excitement last Friday forenoon over the deliberate shooting of Dr. (William D.) Duff, formerly of that town, but for the past three months a resident of Blockton, by W. (William) H. Clark, a farmer residing in Clay townshp, Wayne county, about four miles south of Humeston.

At the present writing the facts leading up to the tragedy are hard to obtain, but enough is known to state that jealousy, and that well founded, is at the bottom of the affair, the charge being freely made that Dr. Duff and Mrs. Clark had been unduly intimate for a long time. This fact had come to Clark's knowledge last winter and trouble had ensued between the men. Duff left Garden Grove and went to Blockton in March. It is reported that at the time Clark warned him if he ever came back to Garden Grove he would kill him. Be that as it may, on Thursday evening Duff arrived at the Grove.

Friday morning Clark and his wife drove into Garden Grove to do their trading. Clark saw Dr. Duff on the street, and after his wife had alighted and gone into the store, he hitched his team, borrowed a double-barreled shotgun, went to Burney's hardware store, bought ammunition and loaded the gun, and walking into Stiles drugstore, where Duff had gone, drew a bead on him and shot him in the left shoulder. He immediately discharged the second barrel, hitting him in the left breast and killing him instantly.

He then returned the gun, gave himself up and was placed in jail, where he was kept until next day, when he was taken to Leon.

Clark and family came from Illinois to Wayne county about four years ago and settled on what is known as the Mallette farm, in Clay township. Mr. Clark is highly thought of by his neighbors, who all give him a good name. The family consists of the husband, wife and five children --- three sons and two daughters. Corydon Democrat.

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Charged with first-degree murder, William Clark remained in custody until his case came to trial in Leon during early November. The trial proved to be an extraordinarily popular event --- hundreds standing in line, hoping for seats in the courtroom of the Decatur County Courthouse.

Testimony and arguments lasted for five days before the case was placed in the jury's hands on Friday, Nov. 14. Although there was no doubt about the details of the shooting, it became evident early on that there was considerable sympathy for the accused killer. His wife, called to the stand, readily provided details about the affair.

The jury was offered the opportunity to find Mr. Clark guilty of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, or manslaughter, but shortly after noon on Saturday, Nov. 15, returned a verdict of "not guilty" and Mr. Clark was set free.

+++

William and Alice Clark remained together after he was freed and continued to live in southwest Wayne County until the rental agreement on their farm expired. They then moved to Webster County in southwest Missouri, where she died during 1924 and he died during 1933. They share a fine tombstone in Webster County's Seymour Masonic Cemetery.

Alice Duff and her son, Charles, continued to make their home in Blockton, where she died during 1950 at the age of 91. Dr. and Mrs. Duff are buried in Blockton's Rose Hill Cemetery.

Carl Nassib and the importance of role models

I have about as much interest in football, professional and otherwise, as I do in watching grass grow. Still, I've been looking at reports this morning about Carl Nassib, the 28-year-old defensive end for the Las Vegas Raiders who celebrated Pride Month yesterday by announcing in a low-key kind of way that he is gay.

This analysis piece from NFL News, "How Carl Nassib's courageous announcement changed -- and challenged -- the NFL," goes some distance in explaining why this is perceived as --- and is --- such a big deal.

The key line in the piece, for me at least, was the next to the last paragraph: "It's Pride Month and Nassib gave so many a reason to be proud and, as importantly, a reason to feel hope among young members of the LGBTQ+ community who are struggling for acceptance."

Nassib also announced Monday that he would be donating $100,000 to the Trevor Project, an organization dedicated to crisis intervention and suicide prevention among LGBTQ youth. He can afford to do this --- his current three-year contract brought with it a $25 million stipend. But it's still a big deal.

The line in his Instagram-post video that caught my attention was, "I actually hope that like one day, videos like this and the whole coming-out process are just not necessary. But until then, I'm going to do my best and do my part to cultivate a culture that's accepting, that's compassionate ...."

Amen to that. I'm a member of an earlier and aging generation of men and women who had those extraordinarly difficult "coming out" conversations with family and friends at a time when, it seemed sometimes, that the odds were impossibly stacked against us.

It has gotten better, but I've yet to run into an "out" youngster who has not faced to some degree the same insecurities and fears. And that's why public examples like the one provided by Nassib yesterday remain of immeasurable importance.

Meeting Bramlette Stotts face to face

I wrote a post here on Saturday entitled, "Bramlette Stotts' will & the Stotts Cemetery Fence."  Bramlette, who was only 27 and had been married just five months when he died on May 31, 1871, had included a provision in his will (made the day he died) to build a fence around the pioneer burial ground east of Columbia in Marion County where he and other family members are buried.

I didn't warn Stotts family historian Dennis Stotts that I was going to do this, but figured he'd see it and would have something to add. Part of that "something" was this tintype image of Bramlette himself, which I was really happy to see.

It's one thing to write about someone who has been dead and gone for 150 years, something else to do so when you can show what he or she looked like. A slightly different haircut and updated clothing --- this guy could have struck a pose last week.

I've added the new image to the old blog post, but thought I'd introduce him here, too, as a new week begins.

Shorty --- Chariton's heroic wonder dog

I'm not sure how many bona fide canine heroes Lucas County has produced, but Shorty, a mixed-breed pet of Chariton's Hamilton O. Haley family, earned that distinction during June of 1931 --- and was awarded a medal to prove it.

 Here's the story published in The Leader of June 9, 1931, that caught the eyes of judges associated with the Anti-Vivisection Society of Chicago and earned Shorty, referred to inelegantly in reports as a "mongrel," the successful nomination. The headline reads, "Heroism of a Mongrel Dog Saves Haley Family from Horrible Death in Flames."

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Mr. and Mrs. H.O. Haley and two sons today probably owe their lives to the heroism of a mongrel dog. Early Monday morning as the entire Haley family were sleeping, their farm home one and one-half miles north of Chariton and one-half mile west caught fire from some unknown cause. The fire originated evidently in the back portion of the house and the bedrooms of the Haley family were enveloped in smoke before Haley was awakened by the brisk, terrified barking of the dog.

Fighting his way to the stairs through the dense smothering smoke that blinded him, Haley raced to the upper floor to rouse his two boys who were sleeping in an upstairs bedroom.

Some time elapsed before the boys could be aroused from their deep sleep and by that time the lower staircase was a mass of flames. Haley and his sons were forced to leap from the second story window to save their lives.

Mrs. Haley, who was awakened by her husband, made her escape through the front door of the building. Unlike most stories of animal heroism, the dog was not burned, did not die, but today is a highly valued part of the Haley household.

The Chariton fire department was summoned and made the run to the house in time to save other outbuildings. The house, together with all the furnishings, clothing and records in the justice court of Lincoln township were destroyed by the flames. (H.O. Haley was a justice of the peace.)

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There's a little bit of inaccurate reporting here, since only one of the young men sleeping upstairs --- James D. Haley, age 23 at the time --- was a son. James had two sisters, Ruth and Ruby, but they were a decade older and had long since left home. James was working as a farm hand for his father; the identity of his companion isn't known.

The announcement of Shorty's award was made six months later, in The Herald-Patriot of Dec. 3, 1931:

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"Shorty," a mongrel dog belonging to H.O. Haley, who lives on a farm one and a half miles north of Chariton, Iowa, has been named Iowa's most heroic and intelligent dog and will receive a bronze medal commemorating the deed which brought him the distinction.

"Shorty" was selected by judges in the contest sponsored by the National Anti-vivisection Society of Chicago to determine the country's dog heroes. Awards are made semi-annually in 19 states on June 1 and December 1. The winning dog is selected from verified nominations sent to the society by individuals and newspapers. The Chariton Herald-Patriot brought the attention of the society to the heroic action of the dog following the destruction of the Haley home last summer by fire.

"Shorty" won his medal, the first to be awarded in Iowa, by saving Mr. and Mrs. Haley and their two sons from death by fire when their farm home caught fire last summer.

"Here is a perfect example," Clarence E. Richard, managing editor of the organization, said in announcing the award, "of where a dog has been directly responsible for the saving of human lives at the risk and possible loss of his own.

"In making these hero awards were have but one purpose in mind --- to impress upon the general public that dogs render a real service to mankind and, as a whole, are entitled to better treatment than is usually their lot. Every dog is a potential 'Shorty' because every dog stands ready and willing to lay down his life whenever and wherever the opportunity offers that a human may live. Unlike humans, dogs never count the cost."

Bramlette Stotts' will & the Stotts Cemetery fence

Find A Grave photo by Carl Nollen

I've been interested in Stotts Cemetery, due east of the Marion County village of Columbia not far north of the Lucas-Marion county line, since I was a kid and first visited it with my maternal grandfather. At the time it was not maintained and difficult to approach. Today, it's better maintained, but still a challenge to reach --- there is no road to it.

According to Find A Grave, there are 27 marked graves in the cemetery, most likely more that are unmarked. I know of at least one of those, dating from 1927 and perhaps the last burial.

The cemetery probably was begun between 1853 and 1855.  Samuel Woodson Fletcher died at the age of 32 on Oct. 7, 1855, and his is the oldest tombstone in the burial ground, which was located on his property. My great-great-great grandfather, William Clair, died just northeast of the cemetery during January of 1853 but was buried a mile or two due south, just across the line in Lucas County on a hilltop that he owned there. I'm betting that if there had been a neighborhood cemetery near his home, he would have been buried in it, rather than all by his lonesome in the wilds of northeast Lucas County.

The graveyard also is known sometimes as the Whitlatch Cemetery because because Noah Whitlatch (1797-1865) and his wife, Eva (Bible) Whitlatch (1893-1889) also are buried there, but takes its more widely accepted name from John R. (1810-1886) and Mary (1814-1881) Stotts, who brought their family from Columbia in Adair County, Kentucky, to a farm southeast of the newer Columbia, in Marion County, Iowa, during 1851. Four of their children also are buried here: Mary H. (1855-1863), Lewis (1835-1867), Bramlette (1844-1871) and Greene (1851-1927).

It was Bramlette's will, written in Lucas County on the day he died, May 31, 1871, and filed for probate in Chariton a few days later, that got me interested in Stotts Cemetery again. In it, he made a mildly unusual bequest --- "Twenty five dollars to be expended in fencing the graveyard on the land of the heirs of Woodson Fletcher." As death approached, it would seem, he was thinking of the future of the place he would be buried.

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Bramlette, perhaps known as "Bram," was born April 12, 1844, in Adair County, Kentucky, and would have been about 7 when he moved to the south of Iowa with his family. He seems not to have served in the Civil War although he was listed among those subject to military duty in Washington Township, Marion County, during the war. The photo here is courtesy of Dennis Stotts.

Several young men from the Columbia neighborhood set out for Colorado during the early 1860s in search of gold or silver during the Pike's Peak Gold Rush, including Bramlette's brother, Benjamin. Was Bramlette among them? Did he strike it rich? It's unlikely we'll ever know.

Whatever the case, he had prospered by 1870 when he was enumerated as a single farmer in Pleasant Township, Lucas County, owning $3,400 in real estate and $2,525 in personal property --- a goodly amount for a young single man at that time.

According to Lucas County marriage records, Bram married Mary Rudisill (1852-1944) on Dec. 27, 1870, but their marriage had barely been launched when Bram died at the age of 27, writing his will on the day of his death five months later, May 31, 1871.

Under the terms of that will, Mary did not receive the entire estate, as might have been expected, but only the obligatory widow's third plus $500.

Bram left his brother, Greene, $800 to be invested in real estate and his old wagon; and the balance went to his father, John Stotts.

The widow Mary continued to live in the Columbia neighborhood and she may have been responsible for erecting the good tombstone that still marks Bram's grave in the Stotts Cemetery. 

Six years after his death, Mary married Frank Carruthers, prosperous farmer, stockman and after 1902 banker, and they went on to have seven children and become one of the most highly respected couples in Columbia.

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The last Stotts family member to be buried in Stotts Cemetery was Greene, born Dec. 15, 1851, soon after the family arrived in Iowa. He married Priscilla McCorkle on March 2, 1871, in Marion County and they lived on a farm in Pleasant Township, Lucas County, until her death on Feb. 7, 1886, age 32. She was buried in the Stotts Cemetery and left behind, in addition to Greene, two sons, John and Floyd.

Green then married Mary J. Parks during 1889 and they had a son, Walter, but the marriage was not a joyful one and they soon parted. Mary died during 1903 and five years later, Greene married Zora R. Kelsey. They eventually moved to Creston where they were living when his health failed during the early 1920s and she seems to have moved on, leaving it to son Floyd to take care of his ailing father.

Greene died at University Hospitals in Iowa City on Aug. 22, 1927, after a leg had been amputated in an attempt to prevent the spread of gangrene.

Interment took place on Aug. 24 near the grave of Priscilla "in the cemetery east of Columbia, near the original home of his father where he was born and reared," according to an obituary published in The Chariton Herald-Patriot on Sept. 1, 1927. His grave never was marked.

A "most terrible accident" near Derby

This Find A Grave image of the inscription on the Charles Lowe family stone at Last Chance Cemetery in far southwest Lucas County is less than ideal, but it is possible to see the most notable thing about it --- that mother, father and son all died on the same date, Sept. 13, 1905.

At the time, coal oil was used in the lamps that illuminated most farm homes in Iowa --- and occasionally as a starter fluid for the coal-fired ranges upon which meals were cooked. So it always was kept at hand. Handled carefully, it was not especially dangerous.

But in this instance, adding coal oil to a fire that already was burning --- most likely to encourage newly added coal to ignite faster --- proved fatal for an entire family.

Here's the report of the accident published in The Chariton Leader of Sept. 14, 1905, under the headline, "Family Entirely Wiped Out."

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One of the most terrible accidents that we have ever been called upon to record occurred yesterday when the home of Chas. Lowe near Derby was destroyed by fire and Mr. Lowe and his wife and baby were burned to death.

As near as can be learned, the particulars of the sad affair are as follows: Floyd, the little son of Mr. and Mrs. Lowe, aged about one year, was taken seriously ill with convulsions. A physician was summoned by telephone who instructed the parents to bathe the child with hot water until he could arrive on the scene.

In the haste to prepare the hot water the fond father picked up a five gallon can of coal oil and poured some into the stove in which there happened to be a little fire. Instantly a blaze flashed up, there was an explosion, and in less time than it takes to tell it the whole room was ablaze.

Mr. Lowe picked up his wife and child and started to carry them outdoors but when he reached the door he was unable to get it open at once and put his wife and baby down until he could get outside. Overcome by excitement and fright, Mrs. Lowe took the baby and ran back into the burning room. Mr. Lowe was unable to rescue them from the seething mass of flames and just escaped from the house himself, but his injuries were so severe that he lived but a few hours, dying about three o'clock in the afternoon. Mrs. Lowe and baby perished in the flames. The terrible accident occurred yesterday forenoon about 10 o'clock.

Mr. and Mrs. Lowe had been married but about three years and resided about four miles south of Derby on the Van Miller farm. He was about 24 years of age and was a son of John Lowe of Derby and a nephew of the late Joseph Sprott. His wife was 20 years old and was a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John R. Throckmorton, who now reside a short distance west of Derby.

The funeral services of the ill fated family were held at the Last Chance church today. The affair is an extremely pathetic one and the surviving relatives have the deepest sympathy of all good people.

Signs and symbols ...

I turned out and sorted through a trinket box the other day, looking for the small AIDS awareness ribbon at lower right, worn so often during the 1990s and beyond that the red enamel is chipping away. I still wear it now and then, when I can find it. And am amazed that I haven't managed to lose it.

The Red Ribbon Project was developed by the New York-based Visual AIDS Awareness Caucus during 1991 and actor Jeremy Irons is credited with wearing the first ribbon at a large-scale public event during the 1991 Tony Awards program. 

I started wearing this little pin during 1992, soon after the death of a friend, and wore it most days for many years thereafter.

Someone gave me the AIDS Awareness Stamp pin soon after the stamp itself was issued in 1993, the fabric ribbon was worn at a funeral I think and one of the other pins contains a stylized Unitarian Universalist chalice in the shape of a pink triangle, first used to designate those of us now identified as LGBTQ+ by the Nazis.

There's a backstory for each item and I'm still looking for a few other things.

June is Pride Month --- and one of the things I generally do is make an effort to remember relatives, friends, authors, activists, artists and others whose lives were cut short by AIDS --- in many cases the brightest and best of my generation. And of course the estimated 1.2 million U.S. citizens and millions more worldwide who currently are living with HIV.

So now that it's turned up, I'm going to wear that little red ribbon today.

Things to boast/boost about in Chariton in 1910

Lucas County fell upon hard times during November of 1907 after Chariton's First National Bank --- one of the largest in the state and the dominant financial institution in the region --- crashed, taking with it not only the savings of individual depositors but also the cash reserves of Lucas County, the city and many business and professional operations. Deposits were not insured at the time.

By 1910, however, recovery was in sight --- after a lot of hard work by federal bank receivers, who squeezed every drop of cash they could out of bank owners (the Mallory family) and other bank creditors, and everyone else --- who just carried on.

So the editors of The Herald-Patriot were inclined to engage in a little boasting in their edition of Nov. 3, 1910 --- three years after the crash occurred. As part of the effort, they provided readers with the following list of community assets under the headline, "Things You Can Boost About." The advertisements, lifted from microfilm, are from the same edition.

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Chariton people sometimes wonder what they could boost the town about, if they wanted to boost. Well, here are a few things to tell your outside friends about, if you haven't done it already ---

Within the last few years we have recovered from a $1.5 million bank failure, a calamity that would have floored a poorer town for a decade.

We have installed a system of water works and have cut our insurance risks in half and stopped the disastrous conflagrations that were ruining the business reputation of the town.

We have rebuilt our municipal light plant, and made it one of the best municipal plants in southern Iowa, with both day and night service.

We have three of the most beautiful churches in Iowa --- the Methodist, Episcopal and Presbyterian --- and seven or eight others that are as good as the best of their denominations in most towns, and with better preachers than most towns of this size.

We have had a Carnegie library so long that we don't brag about it any more, and it has a patronage that any city of 10,000 could be proud of.

We have no saloons, and no drug stores with liquor permits.

We have more beautiful residences that any other town in southern Iowa, with the possible exception of Red Oak.

We have a finer looking square, with handsomer business blocks and more of them, than any other town in southern Iowa.

We have the handsomest electrolier lighting system for the business section of all the towns in southern Iowa, and had it long before many others thought of it.

We have had our square paved for eight years, and have since then had two additional sections of paving done, the last one being now under construction.

We have the best high school in southern Iowa, with a first class faculty and up-to-date departments and equipment, and three other school buildings for the grade pupils.

We have not many factories, but what we have are the best of their kind --- Schreiber wagons, Curtis brooms, Reibel bee supplies, Johnson Bros. hay tools, Balley's bricks, Waugh's pop, etc.

We have more traveling men living here and more railway mail clerks than any other town in southern Iowa. The social and church advanages, the splendid stores, and the railway conveniences make it an ideal headquarters town for such men.

We have a lack of good houses to rent, and we need someone who will build some good modern houses to rent for from $15 to $20 per month.

We have splendid facilities for shipping livestock and have buyers who pay the highest prices for shipping stuff.

We have four rival poultry and produce houses, which insures the highest possible prices for cream, butter, eggs, poultry, etc., to all producers.

We have two good hotels, and several good boarding and rooming houses.

We have two first class newspapers, one of which, the Herald Patriot, has the largest list of all the country weeklies in the state of Iowa --- about 3,500 subscribers.

We have four banks and none of them dominating the county as the old First National used to do, which is a good thing.

We have the largest and best stores for the size of the town of any place we know of in Iowa.

We have 50 or 60 autos though only two years ago we had only three, and last year we had only six or seven because of the bank failure. Now there are three large garages, one just completed equal to the best outside of the large cities.

We have a beautiful lake resort, with swimming and boating facilities, at Crystal Lake, the railroad lake one mile long, just west of town. The lake is stocked with bass croppies and other good fish and is controlled by a gun club with a large membership.

We have the best laundry and the best pantatorium in southern Iowa.