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- Morning Sun Herald, Morning Sun, Iowa, 2 October 1884, page 2. Samuel Casten and F. M. Blair, neighbors, living four miles north west of Morning Sun, had a dispute Sept. 25th about cutting some corn which Blair had cultivated on Casten's farm. Blair became angry and struck Casten a fearful blow on the head with a board, crushing in his skull. Casten died next morning and Blair was arrested He waived examination and pave $1,000 bond to appear at the District court.
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- Samuel Casten Killed By Wm. Blair – Sad Result of a Quarrel.
A gentleman who was present at the inquest Sept. 27th, furnishes the following particulars of a terrible murder near Morning Sun, Louisa Co., last week.
On the evening of Sept. 25th two small farmers who were neighbors and friends got into a dispute about cutting up a piece of corn they had raised together. They were both considered peaceable men; but one, Wm. Blair, got so mad that he suddenly seized six feet of an oak fence board and struck his friend Samuel Casten over the head. Casten’s hired man who stood eight feet away says he heard Casten’s head crush as the board struck him. Blair appeared much shocked as what he had done in his passion and expressed himself in a very penitent language and actions, sending and going for the physician and the neighbors. Casten in an unconscious state was taken into Blair’s house where the Dr. and neighbors watched all night. Near morning Blair concluded the “it could not have been the board that crushed Casten’s head so badly as he had only given him a little slap; he said that it was his horse stepping on his head after he had fallen that did the injury.” The hired man however testifies that the horse backed off and away from the falling board and man and went home, and could not have stepped on him as he went to him instantly to raise him up. Casten was struck about 9:30 p.m. and lived till 10 a.m. of the 26th. Two hours before he died he was taken to his own house a half mile off. The post-mortem revealed the skull crushed like an egg shell, both base and vertex, save at the upper left side and back part of base. At least three ounces o blood in the brain. Three Drs. Testified that the external wounds and skull fractures resulted from the blow of the board only and one Dr. thought the horse might have cause the fatal injury. Blair gave himself up and is under $1,000 bonds. It is plain to be seen what the defence will be and it is to be feared it may win as now-a-days the prisoner gets the benefit of all doubts whether “reasonable doubts” or not and the poor suffering public the benefit of none at all. Casten was a Sweed living 4 miles northwest of Morning Sun. He leaves a wife and three children and a small farm said to be encumbered.
Muscatine Weekly Journal, Muscatine, Iowa. Friday, 3 October 1884.
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1842 - 1884 (42 years)
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