It May be Murder-C. H. Solcum 1911

SOLCUM

Posted By: CHERYL MOONEN (email)
Date: 5/24/2018 at 21:08:31

Evening Nonpareil, Tuesday, Feb 07, 1911, Council Bluffs, IA, Page: 6

It May be Murder

Murder is a new and unexpected possibility looming up in connection with the mystery surrounding the death of Mr. C. H. Solcum, whose body was found in a house he had just rented at 2529 Davenport Street Friday afternoon. The police, following the above verdict rendered at a coroner’s inquest held yesterday afternoon, has renewed their efforts to cast some light on the strange case.
The facts brought out at the inquest which tend to make possible the murder theory are:

First-When Solcum’s body was found on the floor of a hallway leading into the kitchen every gas jet on the first floor, including all the burners of the new gas stove, were wide open. Since the employees of the gas company connected the stove and other fixtures Thursday, this could not have been an accident.

Second- When the police broke into the house they found every door and window locked with the every important exception of one, which opened from a pantry, and by which a murdered might have made his escape.

Third-Neighbors testify that two men instead of one came to the house in a hack Friday morning and entered, the hack then driving away.