Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-05-29
Ed. Belch, OF Keb, Nearly Killed by
Two Negroes.
COLORED MEN ARE CAUGHT HERE
.SDody Completely In tho CrIme-Wom-
an Shoots ut and Captures Would
be Burslar-Rurglary in East
End-Warrant is Issued.
From fridays Daily.l

o'clock yesterday evening Ed. Belch,
4 q coal miner, of that place, is lying at
the point of death as the result of in
juEies sustained by being fearfully
/ beaten by two negroes. Two colored
linen, Zip Miller and ]. o. Miller, are
under arrest in this city charged with
the crime and were captured about 2
O'clock this morning by Captain John
Gray and Officer Ninemier while they
were trying to make their getaway.
This morning both men plead not gull
ty to the charge of assault with intent
to commit murder preferred against
them and will have preliminary hear
ing@t omorrow afternoon at 2 o'clock,
unless the Keb authorities decide to
take them to that place.
But little information is obtainable
in regard to the affair; but it is said
that last evening about $3.50 o'clock on
the main street of Keb, two negroes,
who it is said, are the men now I'M
der Arrest, with no provocation, struck
Ed Belch, coal miner and resident
of that place, with club. After
knocking him down, it is charged that
they struck him with rock. Bystan-
dsrs saw the affair. and it is said, say
that the. assault was brutal and en-
tirely without provocation. The ne
lroes made their escape and Belch was
conveyed into nearby house. DIR. f.
Mills, of this city, was notified and
\ went at once to the scene of the as
sault and probably murder. The ply
stefan worked for over two hours with
the injured man before restoring him
to consciousness and finally succeeded
In bringing him around to that state
butlhe was unable to give an account
ofsthe trouble and is understood today
tosstill be unable to talk. Meanwhile
his assailants had escaped. The OF
3 tumva police were notified of the oc-
currence and furnished with descrip-
ton of the negroes who committed the
deed. Night Captain John Gray and Of
ficer Ninenier started west for the
city limits, patrolling that part of
town from the limits to the old fair
grounds About O'clock, while near
the Milwaukee crossings the officers
Y saw two negroes approaching who did
not at all answer+the description given.
Captain Gray was inclined to the be-
lief that they were not the men but
he next moment he became convinced
that something was wrong with them
because they were trying to get away
and had started to the rear of house
occupied by a man named Nelly, near
the Milwaukee crossing. The captain
4 went around one side of the house and
the patrolman on the other. Two ne
resses were seen, and they told the
officers that the men had gone toward
the Morrell ice house, some distance
west. They started in pursuit and
caught their quarry behind the barn
in the rear of the house, one of the
negroes running into Capt. Gray, who
showed a gun in his face. The men
quietly gave up and were brought TO
the city hall, where they gave their
names as Zip Miller and J.. o. Miller
The authorities at Keb say that the
men are known there as Zip and Oscar
Miller, and are undoubtedly the men
who are wanted. An information was
filed against them in police court this
morning on the charge of attempting
to commit murder, which later will be
changed should Belch die. Both men
plead not guilty to the charge and
said they had not been in Keb yester-
day. They said they came from Oska-
loosa yesterday evening and were put
OFF of freight train. They stated
they lived at Hooking, mining town
near Oskaloosa, and had been at Keb
several times but had not been there
yesterday. They had little to say OF
The, affair, except to reiterate that tMv
were not guilty. Each was placed IN
der $500 bonds and their preliminary
examination set for 2 O'clock tonor-
row afternoon. 1t is expected. how
\ ever tnat the Keb authorities will be
IN after them today and take them to
that place for trial. In case this is
done and Belch dies trouble may be
expected from the people of that
Place, who are understood to be m
in arms over: the occurrence. Tt is
said that slynching is being talked Of
freely and the men may never get
back alive from the scene of the
crime.
At, the company store in Keb this
morning it was said that Belch was
no better, with the probabilities
strong that he will die. DIR. f. w.
Mills, the attending physician, has not
returned to the city, hence his opin-
lon of the case cannot be learned.
From Saturdays Daily.
Night Captain John Gray and Depu-
w Sheriff Slavens were in Keb yester-
4ay%WHere Uney learned the true story
ofathe murderous attack made upon
+ tSd Belch by two negroes Mr.. Belch's
eondition is about the same today but
Pr. =. w: Mills. the attending physi-
clan,. says that in all probability he
will lose the sight Of his left eye as a
result of the blow. The negroes charg-
ed with the crime, Zip and j. o. Miller,
Are having their preliminary examina-
tionsthis AFTERNOON and in all proba-
bility will not resist being held to the
grand jury.
cording TO. the story told Messrs.
Gray, and. Slayens yesterday, Mr.. Belch
was in the pool room at Keb playing a
game, when he intimated to j. o. Mil
Ter, one of the men charged with hit
ting him, that he and his brother, Zip,
had acted smart or something to that
effect, on the previous evening, while
playing ball. 1t is said that color
ed man said that he, did not know
whether he had or not and left the room.
1T lis said that this is all the CONVERSE
ton that took place until Belch was
) called to the door by j. o. Miller, who,
III is said was .sfandin0 In, ,tl,a roa5l