Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-07-24
Wapello County Boy Brought
Home With a'Severe Charge
Against Him.
is WALTER ANDERSON
Son of Monroe County Farmer captur-
ed in California by Abba sTeriff
Charged With Causing DeaN of
BIakesburs Girl Two Years Ago.
LFrom Tuesdays pa!,y.J

From Tuesdays Datly)
Charged with one of the most revolt
ing crimes whose story has left it's blot
upon the pages of Wapello county's
history, Walter Anderson, aged about
20 years, the son of w. F. An
derson, prosperous farmer re-
siding in the eastern part of Mon
roe county, was brought to Ottumwa
last night, the prisoner of Sheriff John
Doner of Abba, who last Wednesday
arrested his man at Long Beach CAL,
after search lasting six months. An
derson is charged with causing the
death of 12-year-old Sylvia Angel, the
little daughter of j. M. Angel, farm
err residing near Blakesburg. 1t is al
legged that sometime in the spring of
1900, he seduced the little girl, while
he was employed by her father as
farm hand Sylvia Angel, aged 12
years, 8 months and % days, died June
90, 1900, after having confessed to her
mother, according to the story of the
latter, that Walter Anderson had caus-
ed her ruin.
Almost Beyond Comprehension.
Men who have given many years OF
their lives to the work of convictlng
criminals and who have known the de-
tails of crimes almost innumerable can
hardly understand how anyone with
common sense could have committed
the crime which is laid at Andersons
door. He was then and is now little
more than a boy, being now but 70
years of age. The little girl, too young
to be conversant with the ways of the
world, could have been made victim
! of a degraded moral pervert, but 1t is
almost beyond the limit of magma
ton that young man, healthy and
strong, could have become so low as to
take advantage of her youth and lnno-
cence as it is alleged Anderson did,
Story Of the Crime.
The story of the crime. 1t appears
from the accounts given by relatives
of the little girl, stamps it as one OF
the most revolving known to Wapello
country at any time. 1t is said that
Anderson was working for J. M. Angel,
the father of the little girl, on his farm
near Blakesburg, at the time when II
is alleged the crime was committed.
According to the story, the mother and
father both left the family home one
day, leaving little Sylvia at the house
and Anderson upon the farm. This is
when, according to the theory of the
prosecution, the crime was committed.
The grand jury of the August term OF
court in 1900. found an indictment
against Anderson charging him with
rape, but this fact has never been
made public until today because the
defendant was not arrested until last
Wednesday.
On March 8, Anderson left the en-
ploy of Mr.. Angel; or, rather was dis
missed from his employ because Of
some words he had had with Mrs An
gel, who refused to allow one of hel
older daughters to accompany him to
circus. He began work for Hiram
Winecup on a neighboring farm March
- Some time after this Sylvia Angel
was taken i'll and remained confined
for several weeks. Twice Anderson
came to the Angel home during the lit
tie girls illness but was not alone
with her during either of the visits, &C
cording to the story of her relatives.
Anderson Left Blakesburg.
The, little girl continued TO grow
more and more i'll and it became cleal
that she had been the victim of {
criminal assault. A few days before
her death Anderson left Blakesburg
after making some remarks to friends
that led them to believe he was guilty
of Sylvia Angels ruin. During the last
few days of the little girls life, wher
she realized that she could not live
much longer, she told her mother, it is
said, that Anderson was the guilty par
ty and recited the details of the awfu
crime. VI
Anderson, according to the informa
ton that can be gathered told Hiram
Winecup, when he left Blakesburg AM
Winecup's employ, that he was goin.
to see his father To others who ask
ed him his destination he did not re
ply. He left Blakesburg on or abou
June 20, a little more than week be
fore Sylvia's death. 1T was suspecte,
that he had set out either for Califol
MIA or Kentucky. as it is said he men
toned both of these states in TALKING
with friends before he went away
Search Began Two Years Ago.
Not long after the death of the littl
girl her broken-hearted father came t
Ottumwa to consult with the police re
garding the crime. He conferred wit
: HI. c. Williams, who was then chief @
police here, and asserted that h
thought Anderson was the guilty pal
ty. The local police caused cards t
be printed on which were photos an
descriptions of Anderson, and thes
were sent out all over the country. LIZ
ter the search was turned over t
Sheriff John Doner of Monroe count,
who was acquainted with the parent
of the little girl and who has had col
siderable experience in catching erin
inals.
Found in California.
Six months ago Mr.. Doner bega