Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-12-11

stated that about o'clock yesterday
afternoon his wife came to the home
of John Berry and told him Of her ex-
perience with Slater and that he had
also threatened the life of their little
child. Going with her to the Thomas
home, he met Slater, who, he claims,
began to curse his wife and child and
again announced his evil intentions.
Williams claims thta when he at
tempted to dissuade him Slater be-
came more furious and went so far as
to threaten his life, that they were
prevented from coming together in the
house by the escape of Slater through
the back door. When the three had
gotten into the back yard Williams
rel and came at him, which there
came to the fatal end.
Had Clothing Cut.
Williams claims that Slater had a
knife and shows as evidence of his at
tempts to use it large cut in the
front of his coat and shirt, but states
that he was able to get far enough
away so that the blade cut only a
small cash in his body. He also
shows another cut in the collar of his
coat.
Was Peaceful Man.
According to the opinion of the resi-
dents of Keb who were well acquaint.
ed with William Slater, he was cne of
the most peaceful men in the commu-
nifty. 1t is stated that his one failing
was an appetite for Intoxicating liquor
which at times he INDUCED too freely
Those who knew Mr.. Slater best state
that even when intoxicated, if ap-
preached in the right manner. there
was practically no danger of having
any trouble with him.
Worked for the Company for Years.
Slater was an unmarried man OF
about SO years of age and from some
OF the old residents of Keb it is learn,
ed that he has been employed by the
company for about twenty years. For
the past twelve years he has been
working in, the mines at Keb, where he
was employed as timber man. In
charge of this work he has had Frank
Williams as his assistant, and as fal
as was known to the people of Keb
they were on the most friendly terms
1t is stated that seldom has any diff
ferences been witnessed between then
| and those which have occurred have
been only minor ones.
About Thirty Years of Age.
Frank Williams is man about thir
ty years of age, tall, we'll built and
muscular 1t is stated that he has
been living in Keb only a few years
having come from Spring Valley, Ill
/ He resided in a house in the north
west part of town and just across tho
street north from the home of George
Thomas, where the tragedy occurred
Aside from his wife there is one little
child in his family, about one yeal
and three months of age, who it is
claimed by Mrs. Williams, was also
threatened by Slater
Gave Himself Up.
Between and Z o'clock last evenins
Frank Williams made his way to th,
home of Alfred Stannier about mile
and half west of Keb, where he CAV,
| himself up. He was found there carl.
in the evening by Sheriff Harry Gre
me1s@ and Chief of Police John Ora.
and brought to Ottumwa, where he il
now being held in the county Jail.
Coroner Holds Inquest.
/ At 10:30 a. m. today DR.. F.W. Mills
acting coroner, empaneled a jury cor
s.sting of j. M. Crowley, Georg
Blount and Dan Harmon and began a.
inquest over the remains of the de
ceased. Several witnesses gave test
mony, including Mrs. Williams, an
Henry Wilson, the little boy who wa
tthe home of George Thomas whe
Slater and Williams quarreled in tn
urged the former to escape.
Make Post Mortem.
This morning DR.. A. o. William
made a post mortem examination tn
remains of William Slater at the Ill
dertaking rooms of Daggett & Son
and in giving the result before th
: jury stated that on the upper part {
the breast, he found a small woun
, about half an inch in length. Th
wound mad apparently been made by
: long, thin, narrow blade. After pas
, ing through the outside skin it ha
) penetrated the cartilage between tn
third and fourth ribs, lacerating tn
) pericardium of the thoratic vein an
penetrating the right auricle of til
, heart. He stated that the thorat
cavity was filled with clots of bloc
and that from the nature of the woun
very little blood would be in evident
on the outside of the body. He state
that the wound was such as to caus
death almost instantly
} At the Inquest.
The testimony brought out at til
inquest this morning was in it's essel
tial part conftrmatory of the points
3 the story as gathered last night by
representative of the Courier an
given in the previous story. The on
n point of difference brought out tn
n morning was in the testimony of Mr.
: Williams, who stated that the troub
e between herself and Slater, when I'll