The tragic news items tell the story and features the HELD surname. Initial research was done by volunteer, E. Cunningham & transcription done by L. Ziemann.

 

 

 

Yester Year Stories, Backed with Today's Research

H*E*L*D

LeMars Globe Semi-Weekly, Wednesday, April 25, 1888

HELL-D!

Philip Held Of This County Murders his Mother last Saturday.
And Then Filled With Shame and Remorse Destroys Himself.
With the Same Weapon With Which He Sent his Mother into Eternity.
Particulars of the Tragedy—Gathered on the Spot by a “Globe” Representative.
The Coroner’s Inquest and Verdict—Short History of the Murdered Woman and the Suicide.

THE FIRST NEWS.
It was shortly before seven o’clock on Saturday evening that a carriage was driven rapidly up to the Sutter House.  The occupants were the three Miss Helds and Wm. Dolliver, who had just come from the Held residence in Hungerford township.  The young ladies immediately went into the house, while Dolliver drove rapidly up the street to look for Sheriff Boyle. 

It soon spread that Philip Held had shot his mother!  Various conjectures were made as to the rash act and the bearer of the news, Mr. Dolliver, came in for a good deal of severe criticism, the trouble being from the first laid to his doing, several going so far as to denounce that gentleman as being morally responsible for any tragedy which might have taken place.  The subject of all this comment was so terribly excited that nothing could be got out of him as to particulars, he not knowing whether Mrs. Held was dead or not.  Thinking it the quickest way of getting at the truth of the matter was to send a special reporter to the scene, a representative of The Globe in company of Auditor Becker and Attorney McDuffie procured a rig and drove to the Held homestead, arriving there shortly after 9 o’clock.  Here the first intimation of the SUICIDE OF THE MURDERER, was received.

There were half a dozen neighbors congregated round and in the house, some women weeping in the parlor, and Dr. Jenkins, F. K. Veal, Peter Arendt and others, of Merrill.  The murdered woman had been lifted from the ground and carried into an inner room; she lay on a bed just as she was when struck down by the assassin’s bullets; the face bore a peaceful look, but the careworn wrinkles on the forehead showed too plainly the many troubles the poor old lady had gone through during her life.  The fingers were clenched on her left hand between the thumb and forefinger was a mark apparently furrowed out by a bullet, little or no blood could be seen; on the left side a little below the breast there was a small hole showing the course of the bullet.  Owing to the non-arrival of the Coroner, an examination had not been made.  On the door post of the parlor leading from the porch...
PLAN OF THE SCENE OF THE MURDER.

A. Place from where Philip Held fired the first shot.
B. Spot where Mrs. Held stood when firing commenced.
C. Maggie Thoma.
D. Door into the parlor where Philip fired the second shot.
E. Door and spot where Mrs. Held stood when she received the fatal wound.
F. Kitchen door where the murderer entered. 

SPASHES OF BLOOD were seen and it was at this spot that the unfortunate woman received the second bullet.  Maggie Thoma, an intelligent German girl of about 15, was the only witness of the murder.  She said she was in the kitchen with Mrs. Held, when Philip entered from the porch; he said nothing to his mother but drew a pistol and fired at her.  Mrs. Held screamed, and holding her hands to her side rushed to the parlor door; the murderer then followed her; he was
RED WITH PASSION;

he never spoke but raised the pistol the 2nd time and fired, his mother falling in the doorway.  The little girl terrified at the terrible tragedy she had been such an unwilling witness of, rushed from the house to give the alarm to her father (the hired man) who was working in the field.  At the same moment, Dolliver and the Misses Held drove up and saw their mother fall; the girls were so terrified by the sight that the horses were whipped up and not a rein was slacked till they got to LeMars where Dolliver swore out a warrant for the arrest of Philip Held.  In the meantime remorse and the consciousness of ruin must have come up in the mind of the matricide for as the girl got clear of the house she heard another shot; running to the field she told her father.  Other neighbors alarmed by the shooting, had hastened to the house and on nearing it a
THIRD SHOT rang out from the bedroom upstairs; then all was still.  After a few moments conversation, the men entered the house.  On the porch lay the body of Mrs. Held, the fast lowering sun tingeing her grey locks with gold, the door bespattered with her life blood, her glassy eyes gazing up into the pure vault of heaven, in seeming supplication for the sin of her unnatural son. 

Carefully and reverently the men lifted the body and carried it into an inner room where a hasty examination showed she was beyond the reach of all human aid.  On ascending to the upstairs bed-room, a ghastly spectacle presented itself to the gaze of the men.  Half reclining on the foot of the bed, the fatal revolver clutched in his hand, lay all that was mortal of Philip Held, the murderer of his mother and himself.  Death must have been instantaneous and he probably had put the pistol to his heart, pulled the trigger and leaped into the Dark River. 

When THE GLOBE representative visited this room, the body was lying just as it had been discovered, the dull flickering of a tallow dip giving
A MOST GHASTLY FINISH to the scene. 
It was a sight which few could look on without shuddering.  Death is bad enough at all times, but death in such a form as this is doubly so.  The dead man’s face was resolute, but did not indicate any pain or suffering.  What awful feelings had rushed through the mind of Philip Held during those ten minutes of life as the murderer of his own mother.  What terrible thoughts must have come up when he had made up his mind to end a life which to him must have been insupportable?  Whatever the unhappy man though will never be told, not a letter, not a message could be seen.  It was better thus and a fitting end for the murderer of the one who bore him.

THE CAUSE
As to the trouble which culminated in such a tragedy, we have gleaned the following facts from neighbors and friends of the family.  It appears that Dolliver bought a horse from Mrs. Held, which Philip was using during the seeding time.  Mrs. Held had promised Philip that if she sold the horse, he could use the animal until the seed was in.  Dolliver went around on Saturday and claimed the beast; Philip would not however, let him go.  This necessitated a writ of replevin and in the afternoon Dolliver, accompanied by a Constable, arrived on the scene and took the horse from the pasture, tying him to his buggy.  Philip went down to the pasture with the party, which consisted of the three Miss Helds and the officer.  Philip returned home before the others left the field, and it was at this time he committed the deed, which branded him forever with the mark of Cain. 

There has for years been hard feeling existing between different members of the family and the presence of the man Dolliver in the family circle seems to have fed the flame which burst out so unfortunately last Saturday.

HISTORY.
The Held family have lived in the county for the last twenty-eight years, so it will be seen that they were among the earliest settlers.  They came for Germany in 1853 and settled first in Nebraska, moving from to in 1855-6 to Sioux City.  It’s here where the mother gave birth to the man who has murdered her.  Four years afterwards they settled Melbourne, moving there with a large colony of Germans.  They were well off and enjoyed the respect of a large circle of friends.  She was fifty-seven years of age last Friday.  The father and husband of the dead people was fatally kicked by a horse about a year ago while husking corn.  There are three daughters living, one of who is teaching school at Merrill.  One son about twenty years of age also survives.

The suicide is a little over thirty-one years of age.  He was born in Sioux City and has been in Iowa ever since.  To the general public he was a quiet and civil young man, but it is said, in his private life he was given to sudden bursts of temper which at times seemed uncontrollable.  Henry Winter, who is serving a term in Anamosa for the manslaughter of Hugh Moist, is a brother of the deceased woman.  It is believed that the family on the mother’s side are subject to frequent fits of mental aberration.

PUBLIC OPINION
In all cases of sudden tragedies, like the present occurrence, public opinion is almost invariably prone to jump at conclusions and make the most vague statements concerning the facts connected with the facts.  The Sioux City Journal, for instance, yesterday morning published a special from LeMars in which a most disconnected yarn was put before the reading public.  The scene of the murder and suicide was placed sixteen miles from the actual locality.  The only witness of the murder, the little girl, was mentioned as being the sister of Philip Held and other errors also crept in.  This was caused by the enterprising (?) correspondent being in LeMars and not going to the scene of the murder and judging for himself.  The LeMars GLOBE and Chicago Herald were the only newspapers who had representatives at the scene of the murder within three hours of the tragedy.  Both these papers furnish the only true statement of the facts.  To be on the streets of LeMars during Sunday, a man could hear fifteen different stories of the occurrence.  Big mare’s nests were found and at the next corner they would float into vapor.  It is for this reason that the LeMars GLOBE issues an extra so that the public many learn the exact facts of the case and nothing more.

While the undertakers were busy preparing the body of Mrs. Held for burial, a large amount of soles and money amounting to something over #3,000 was found sewed up in the underclothes of the corpse.  This was placed in the hands of the Constable, who has charge of the effects of the dead people till the court appoints an administrator.  The funeral took place Monday, both bodies being interred in the Melbourne Cemetery.

THE INQUEST.
The coroner L. M. Doty arrived at 7:30 on Sunday morning and summoned a jury consisting of Joseph Sheirbon, C. G. Hayes,  and Jacob Spies, who after viewing the bodies and the premises summoned the witnesses.  The first to testify was:

MAGGIE THOMA.
She was the only eye witness of the murder said Mrs. Held stood by the cupboard in the kitchen.  Mr. Dolliver and girls were in the road when the first shot was fired; they were sitting in the buggy.  He (Philip) came from the field and went to the barn and then to the house, said nothing before firing; had some words with his mother before he went to the field, she ran into front room and then he shot her again.  I was standing right by and then I started for the field.  Soon after I heard another shot he had gone up before I left the house to call my father from the field; I heard them having some trouble about some corn and a horse, we have been working here two weeks and have heard them have some trouble.

WILLIAM BOGENREIF.
the constable, lives in Plymouth township.  When he came from the field with the horse we heard the first shot fired, when the second shot fired we were out in the road and saw about half of the body of Mrs. Held fall out of the door.  Then we drove away and did not hear the third shot fired; though Maggie Thoma was standing by the door.

JOHN BEEHM.
did not know anything about the matter till after the shooting was done, helped to move the body to the bed, there was no life in it at the time.  She lay on the left side pretty well out of the door.

SAMUEL MOIST.
a near neighbor was coming down the road when I heard the shooting. 4 or 5 rods from the house I heard 3 shots, saw Philip Held go across the road, and saw Mrs. Held coming towards him to the kitchen door, then I heard the first shot; the parties in buggy were screaming then I heard the 3rd shot and I went away being somewhat alarmed.

JACOB SHINDEL.
Said:  I was up stairs in a room in my house, saw Philip come across from the barn and heard shot fired, then I came downstairs told my wife I would see what was the matter, then 3rd shot was fired, then I ran to the house and found them both dead.

The jury then examined the bodies with Dr. Jenkins of Merrill. The first bullet had grazed the shoulder of Mrs. Held and passed into the wall; the second shot had taken effect in her left side, going through the body.  The size of the ball was 38 caliber.  Philip Held had shot himself through the heart.  The bullet was cut out by the undertaker from the deceased’s back, just under the skin.  There were three loaded chambers in the revolver left.

THE VERDICT.
The jury then returned the following verdicts:

STATE OF IOWA
PLYMOUTH COUNTY } S. S.
MELBOURNE, April 22, 1888
At an inquest held on the Fred Held Farm in the county of Plymouth this 22nd day of April A. D. 1888 before L. M. Doty coroner of said county, upon the body of Anna Held there lying dead, by the jurors whose names are hereto subscribed; the said jurors upon their oath do say that the said Anna Held came to her death by a pistol shot fired from a revolver in the hands of Philip F. Held, with murderous intent.  In testimony where of the said Jurors have hereunto set their hands this day and year above written.
Jos. SHEIRBON,
C. G. HAYES,
JACOB SPIES.

STATE OF IOWA
PLYMOUTH COUNTY } S. S.
MELBOURNE, April 22, 1888
At an inquest held on the Fred Held Farm in the county of Plymouth this 22nd day of April A. D. 1888 before L. M. Doty coroner of said county, upon the body of Philip Held there lying dead, by the jurors whose names are hereto subscribed; the said jurors upon their oath do say that the said Philip Held came to his death by a pistol shot fired by his own hand with suicidal intent.  In testimony where of the said.
Jos. SHEIRBON,
C. G. HAYES,
JACOB SPIES.

THE FUNERAL  
took place on Monday afternoon and was largely attended.  The hearse containing the body of the murdered woman was first in the procession, followed by the chief mourners, her daughters, son, and Mr. Dolliver.  Then came the body of the matricide and suicide, followed by the pallbearers.  After the body of Mrs. Held was lowered into the grave, Dolliver and the Misses Held immediately left for town. 

The body of the suicide was buried in an obscure corner on the east side of the cemetery.  After the burial a funeral service was held at the Evangelical church, Revs. Staebler and King preaching the sermon in which they touched on the tragic incidents surrounding the unfortunate occurrence and gave a most able discourse. 

Miss Helena Held is much prostrated.  The other daughters seem wonderfully self-possessed, as does Mr. Wm. Dolliver.

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