Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-02-13
LIifeless Body Discovered Last
Night at 7:ao O'clock.
WAS In EMPLOY OF MILWAUKEE ROAD
Made a Rope Out of Sheet and Tying
One End Around His Neck and the
Other to the Bedpost Swung Off Into
Eternity. t.i.t,

for the act, David c.. Jones, division
freight and passenger agent for the
Milwaukee railroad with headquarters
at Cedar Rapids, wrapped a bed sheet
about his neck, Tuesday night in the
Ballingall hotel in this city, and hang
ing the other end around the top of a
bed post, slowly strangled himself
to death. The body was not found until
1870 o'clock last night when the ho-
tel people became alarmed over his
continued absence and they made an
investigation, and found the body cold
and rigid in death. 1t was at once cut
down and carried to John w.
McIntire & Co.'S undertaking
rooms where it will be kept un-
til this evening, when it will be sent
to Mr.. Jones former home in Cedar
Rapids. Coroner Throne held an in
quest over the remains this morning,
and a verdict was returned. finding
that the deed was committed some
time Tuesday night, and was by his
own act.
Came Here Tuesday.
Mr.. Jones arrived in Ottumwa at
1910 o'clock Tuesday morning, hav-
ing come here to attend to some COM
pany business. He met Agent Pack
ard, and the two spent about two hours
calling on patrons of the road in va
rious parts of the city. Mr.. Jones ate
dinner at the Ballingall hotel, after
which he again met Mr. Packard and
they spent the remainder of the time
until $50 o'clock about the city on
company business. Jones then re.
turned to the hotel, and lounged about
the lobby until about o'clock when
he went upstairs to the dining room.
Ate Hearty Supper
He ate hearty supper and was ap-
parently in the best of spirits. He
chatted pleasantly with the employees
in the dining room, with whom he was
well acquainted, and as he was leav-
ing the room, he noticed General Man
chester, who was also eating supper
at that time. He gave the latter a
sign of salutation, and passed on down
to the lobby. He sat around for a
short time, and smoked a cigar, later
getting up and stepping out into the
bar-room. Here he chatted for a few
minutes, again returning to the lobby
/ of the hotel This was between and
last seen of him.
Wanted to Read.
!, At this time he purchased two mag
azines at the newsstand in the lobby
and remarked casually that "he had
TO get UP early in the morning and
guessed that he would go to bed" II
lis not believed that any of the bel
lyboys took him to his room as he was
.well acquainted with the house, anG
frequently went upstairs alone. He
a lid not leave a call, and no further at
t ention was given him by the employ
es. Yesterday morning Agent Pack
I'd called at the hotel for him. anG
\ then call was sent to his room i
Was found to be locked. Nothing was
Thought of this at the time, and. Mr.
p hckard supposed that he had gotte1
ul, and gone down town. Again yes
/ te rday evening Mr.. Packard called a
tf1 e hotel for him, and a boy was sen
to his room, but he returned with thu
ini formation that the door was LOCKED
an d he could get no response.
The Deed Discovered.
About o'clock last night, one of tn,
cha mbermaids- became suspicious a
the continued silence in the room, AM
she called Gilbert Bentley, one of th
bell boys and confided her suspicion
to I'm. He secured step ladder an,
plac,fd it up beneath the transom, an,
strik ing a match, he climbed up an,
locke Id into the room.
Is Frightened.
Thif sight that greeted the negro
eyes rs he held his lighted match in
side ,he room, nearly caused him t
turn iwhite. There within six inche
of his own face, was the distorted bod
of Mr.. Jones hanging to a bed post wit
shea around his neck. which ha
been n lade into rope. Bentley wa
so frigl htened that he could hardl
climb d cwn the step ladder, but he fiji
ally did so, and told the girl who wa
with hi n what he saw. They at one
ccmmun icated with General Manche.