The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1869-12-16
Fom the Daily Courier. Dec 10.
A Terrible Tragedy !!
TWO MEN WOUNDED!
ONE MORTALITY
Grim. Con. and it's Results.

Last night at about eight O'Clock
Linus S. Barker, a .ieweller doing bu-
siness in Union Block in this city,
armed himself with revolver and
left his store to go to his residence
on Marion street, under the impress
sion that he would find Otto Fraun-
berg generally known as Jack, who
keeps the bar in the Ballingall Ho-
tell in criminal connection with his
wife, as he had long been led to sus-
pect her infdelity with Jack, from
certain suspicious circumstances, and
from revelations made to him by
their hired girl. Arriving at his
house he took his position at the win
dow, and from an aperture discovered
the guilty couple in each others arms.
Owing, perhaps, to some slight noise
which Mr.. Barker unconsciously
made at this moment, the lights were
Immediately put out, whom Jack
rushed out Of the door and received
from Barker's pistol an ugly wound
in the abdomen, near the navel, the
bullet glancing came out at the side,
and without necessarily INJECTING
dangerous wound. He ran down to
the hotel and went to bed; DR.. 7. J..
Douglass dressing his wound, and
cutting from his back a No. 2 Smith
Il Wesson pistol cartridge. At IS p.
m, when we last saw him, he was in
a tolcrably comfortable condition.
Simultaneously with the firing Of
Barler's pistol, Jack plunged large
bowie knife into Barker's bowels,
fearfully ripping him up, and lacera-
ting his intestines in a shocking
manner. Barker ran down thestreet-
perhaps to find doctor-with his
intestines protruding, and which he
was holding in his hands, until he
arrived at the residence of Mr.. J. G.
Meek, when L. Lively and VIM. II
Fetzer met him, and and found him
in falnting condition, and carried
him down to the store of FL. C. CRUDE,
corner Second and Court street,
where he was taken in and laid on the
floor totally exhausted.
Drs. Hinscy, Lewis and Stewart
shortly after arrived, and sewed up
his intcstines, and the rent made by
Jacks knife. DR.. lIinsey informed
Mr.. Barker that his wounds were
necessary fatal, whcreupon Heman
Z. Graves, Justice OF the Peace, took
the following ante norton statement,
which after being carefully read over
was sworn to be correct by the VIC
tim:
II had been told that, in my ab
sence East, Otto (Jack) Fraunberg
slept with my wife every night. I
could not believe it. l did not want
to believe it. The girl who lived
with us told me if would watch l
could see for myself. Icharged my
wife with what | had been told. She
denied it SO positively that partly
believed her. l do not know what
made me 60 to the house tonight
/ felt SO uneasy thought l must go
and see. went up to the house and
looked iii through hole in the win
dow curtain. l saw "Jack" hugging
and kissing my wife. I must have
made some noise. They stopped and
looked around. There was somebo-
dy going by. | stepped one side
the window until all was quiet again.
| heard a move toward the back
door. | ran round, and he then went
toward the front door. l ran back
They turned down the light. "Jack"
opened the door and rushed at me.
| saw him as l came back from the
back door take something out Of his
pocket. AS he came rushing at me
| fired, and he stabbed me-all at the
same instant. | think he was al
most on me. My physicians have
told inc that cannot possibly live.
| make this statement in certain
prospect of death. | have no hope
Of living.
IL O'Clock p. NJ, Dec. 9th, 1869.
Attorney VIM. Il. Fctzer also drew
up and Barker signed his will, be-
qucathing all his property, crpay..
ing his debts, to his two brothers liv-
ing at Chillicothe, Mo-, except $1.OO
given to his wife, Mary S. Barkcr.-
Mr.. Fred Arthur was named Us his
executor.
At the request Of Mr.. Barker, the
Rev. II. Bross was sent for, who ad.
ministered to the dying man the con-
solutions Of religion. Subsequently
he was removed up stairs into the
Office of Holden L. Bradley, where he
now lies in the greatest agony.
LATER-As we go to press, Mr..
Barker is lying quite easy, his symp-
toms being more favorable.
Saturday Evening-Mr. b. is still
quite comfortable, though hic-cup-
ping very severely. tie will un-
doubtedly live through the night.