Dr. William Orson Hamilton, 33, was shot and killed on November 26, 1900, in Marysville, Iowa. His death stunned the small Liberty Township community and launched a lengthy investigation that drew significant public attention.
According to a later Knoxville Journal article written by L.A. Gee in 1930, the first person to realize something terrible had happened was K.L. Bush, a contractor working on Marysville’s new school. Bush witnessed Dr. Hamilton stagger and collapse at the door of the Vanskiver home. By the time Dr. Hughes arrived, Hamilton had already died from his injuries.
Rumors at the time suggested that ongoing domestic issues in the Fred Ahn family may have played a role. Reports indicated that Mrs. Ahn had been staying with her parents while both she and Mr. Ahn had initiated divorce proceedings. According to trial records, Ahn had made violent threats against Dr. Hamilton, and several individuals had warned Hamilton that he could be in danger.
On the morning of the shooting, Dr. Hamilton had gone to the barn to tend to his horses. He was retrieving a sheaf of millet when he was struck in the right cheek by a bullet, believed to have been fired from a revolver. Evidence suggested the shooter had removed a picket from the fence surrounding the barn and chicken house and had walked to a concealed position before firing.
Fred Ahn was arrested and charged with Hamilton’s murder. More than 50 witnesses testified during the lengthy trial. After deliberating from Saturday evening through Sunday night, the jury ultimately returned a verdict of not guilty.
Dr. Hamilton, born June 8, 1867, was laid to rest at the IOOF Cemetery in Indianola, located in Warren County, Iowa. His death remains one of the early unsolved homicide cases in the region.
