Los Angeles Times Los Angeles, California February 20, 1896 Licensed to Wed. Marriage licenses were issued at the County Clerk's office yesterday to the following persons: -Edwin W. Evans, aged 22, a native of Iowa and a resident of Los Angeles, and Myrah F. O'Brien, aged 18, a native of California and a resident of Oakland. -George W. Adams, aged 20 [?], a native of Wisconsin, and Ira E. Binford, aged 24, a native of Iowa; both residents of Estherville, Iowa. ---------- Sheldon Mail Sheldon, O'Brien co. Iowa February 20, 1903 Tom Gleason has sold his restaurant business at Archer to Messrs. Davis and Thompson. Tom is now looking for another suitable location for a restaurant. Mrs. D.C. Peck and son, returned from a trip to Minneapolis Tuesday afternoon. A pleasant surprise party was given on Mr. and Mrs. Foster Hain by a number of their friends last Friday evening, it being their second wedding anniversary -- their "paper wedding." ---------- The Osceola Democrat Osceola, Clarke Co. Iowa February 20, 1908 Pardon Denied. The Iowa Board of Pardons refused to grant the petition for pardon in the case of Dr. J.W. Crofford, sent to the penitentiary from Clarke county. Dr. Crofford was a doctor at Lamoini in Decatur county, and was sent up for a criminal operation upon Maude Stone from the effects of which she died. The petition for pardon was circulated in Clarke and Decatur counties by Mrs. Croford, the wife of the prisioner, and was very numerously signed, but the Pardon Board thought it best to let the sentence of the court take its course. Dr. Crofford was sent for twelve years. Old Deed. A deed dated in 1865, made by Samuel Vernon and wife was filed in the recorder's office this week, conveying 80 acres of land to Eliza Vernon. Eliza Vernon sold the land to A. Lake the same year for $250, but failed to have her deed to the land recorded. James Hann bought the property from Mr. Lake and on looking up the title found that he was a deed short. Fortunately for him he was able to get the missing document. The eighty is worth $8,000 or more. -- Winterset News. Man Killed at Creston - Stepson Confesses Creston [Union co.], Feb. 18 - Lying dead in a pool of blood with a bullet hole through the left jaw severing the jugular vein, N.Z. Taylor, a confectionery merchant, was found in his apartments in his store building shortly before 8 o'clock last Thursday night. The discovery was made by Taylor's former wife from whom he has been divorced only a few months. She reported the murder to the police who made an immediate search of the premises, but found no clue to the murderer that they have made known. The revolver with which the shooting was done was missing. According to the officers the only possible motive for the crime was a personal one; no robery was attempted. Taylor and his wife, during their matrimonial experience, quarreled frequently and violently. After their divorce she continued her visits to his place of business and to his apartments and there sometimes quarrels followed. Mrs. Taylor said she went to her former husband's rooms last night to see him when she made the ghastly discovery of his body. Saturday evening about five o'clock Bert Hinderliter, the stepson of Nathan Z. Taylor, who was the victim of the cold blooded murder committed on the evening of the 13th of this month, was submitted to a most rigid examination which proved the final sweat, as after being confrinted with the fact that sufficient evidence was in the hands of the officers to send him to the gallows, and that the law would be more lienant with him should he tell the truth, he confessed without further hesitancy that he had fired the shots that ended the life of Nathan Z Taylor. Although the murderer confesses that he committed the deed, he refuses to connect his mother with the crime in any way; and the statements constituting his confession evidently shows that she was totally unaware that her son was intending to commit the crime, and futhermore, that she knew nothing of what had transpired until her son had gone to her home and notified her to the effect that Mr. Taylor was sick, and on going to the store with her son found her husband lying dead on the floor. The murderer is a man about thirty years of age and is unquestionably deficient mentally. He has always been hard of hearing, is partially tongue tied and speaks with a lisp. His weakness of mind and body have made him reserved and peculiar and his education and training have been neglected to such an extent to add to his peculiarities. His weaknesses are an inheritance, all the members of his family being afficted to a greater or less degree, one of his brothers being a bed ridden paralitic and another deaf and dumb. The crime was particularly cold blooded and the manner in which it was carried out and all the circumstances connected with it stamps the murderer as one in whom the moral sensibilities are even more evident than the physical pecularities. -------------------- Got After Affinity - An Osceola Wife Won't Stand For Any Nonsense of that Kind Mr. and Mrs. John Griffith with their two children have maintained an apparently happy home in Osceola for about three years last past. Mr. Griffith is a traveling man, large, pleasant and rather handsome, inclined to take the world easy, but seemed devoted to his family and generally managed to get in hime every Saturday to spend Sunday with his wife and children. The family were regular church attendants at one of the principal churches of the town. Mrs. Griffith is a lady of distinguished appearance, tall, with a pair of black eyes that indicate such snap and decision of character. In his meanderings over the state it is alleged that John met and was attracted to Mrs. Lithia Alice Barber, the divorced wife of Frank Tinsley, a prominent hotel man of Blakesburg, Iowa. So intimate had their acquaintance become that they registered at a Des Moines hotel as husband and wife. Mrs. Griffith seems to have been on the alert and was promptly on the spot to assert her rights as a wife. She filed charges against the woman, but the lady had gone to Ottumwa and it was there the warrant pursued her. When the constable undertook to serve the warrant and make the arrest Mrs. Barber drew a revolver and declared that she would resist arrest to her death, and that only her dead body could be taken. However she was promptly disarmed and was taken to jail, and the next morning she was taken to Des Moines to answer to the charge. Since the arrest of the woman Mr. Griffith has been at home with his family in Osceola, but it is said they are preparing to move away from town. They had almost concluded a contract to rent a house of Mrs. Kerns of this place, but this week gave notice they would not need the house as they were going away. The story has been widely ventilated in Des Moines and Ottumwa papers and for this reason we give space to it in the Democrat. ----------------------------- Small Pox in New Market Smallpos is gaing at the little city of New Market, Iowa, and business is practically paralyzed. Over sixty cases have been reported while there ar eno doubt many more of a milder nature that have not come under the notice of the authorities. So far there has been no deaths. Until recently it was hoped that the disease could be stamped out by isolating the different cases, and quarantining those who have been exposed. This methoc having proven ineffecacious, the whole town has now been quarantined. New Hampton, Iowa, Feb. 3 - Charles Suddaby, who resides a mile and a half south of town has something new in the line of freaks. This is nothing more nor less than a six legged calf. It is now about a week old, and to all appearances is as healthy as an [paper torn] Harvey News [Marion co.] - The entire community was shocked Saturday morning, Jan 25, to learn that Miss Della Shepherd, a well-known young lady, had died at six o'clock that morning from the effects of an acute attack of stomach trouble and complications resulting there from. Miss Shepherd was aged 23 years, 9 months and 1 day, the daughter of Eli Shepherd, who formerly resided here. She was employed at the Lewis restaurant, and took an outing the Sunday previous to her death, and it is said partook rather freely of confectionery in which hazelnuts walnuts and chocolate candy formed a part. She complained that evening, and suffered from that time until death relieved her terrible agony. Her father, brother and sister were present when she died, and Saturday evening departed with the remains to St. Charles, Iowa, where funeral services and burial took place Monday. She was a member of the Christian church. Death. Mrs. Condit, wife of a farmer of Liberty township, died at her home last week. She was a daughter of Rev. Morris and had lived in this county most of her life. Besides her husband she leaves three children who sincerely mouorn the loss of a noble wife and mother. Catch Turtles. The freezing over of sloughs along the Mississippi river has given opportunity for a new winter industry at Clinton and in that vicinity. It is turtle catching. The turtles are easily seen under the ice, where they remain half stupefied from the cold, until the hunters chop holes in the river's covering and catch them. Many men are taking part in the turtle hunt every day and are making money shipping the turtles to New York, where they are given fancy names and served in restaurants at fancy prices. Borth hard and soft shelled turtles are used. They are barrelled alive and shippped east, remaining alive several days in the barrells. Transcribed by Sharyl Ferrall Iowa Old Press http://www.IowaOldPress.com/