Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-07-03
MAIL CLERK BURIED
Funeral of Murdered Postal En-
ploye Held.
INTERnENT MADE At FAIRFIELD
Council Bluffs Officers Believe That
the Assault Was Entirely Unprovok-
ed-Three Boys Were Near When
the Fatal Blow Was Struck.

ed-Three Boys Were Near When
the Fatal Blow Was Struck.
Fairfield, July 9-The funeral of
Clark Meyer, the Burlington route
mail clerk who was murdered in
Council Bluffs Saturday night, was
held in this city Yesterday afternoon
conducted by Rev. H. o. Spellman, pas
] tor of the Congregational church. The
funeral was in charge of the local
lodge, knights of Pythias.
Assault Unprovoked.
Council Bluffs, July 3.-Further evil
dence secured relative to the murder
of Clark Meyer, the Burlington route
mail clerk in this city Saturday night,
leads the officers to believe that the
assault by Otto W. Roderick, of Oma-
ha, who has confessed to striking the
blow that killed Mover, was entirely
unprovoked despite the statements of
the former that Meyer had struck him
/ twice.
This opinion has been formed from
the statements made by John Will
liams, who was Rodericks companion
at the time the assault was made and
also from the statements of the three
boys who We're ordered out of the
Creston house barroom at the same
time that Mover was and who were
nearby when the fatal blow was de-
livered
The identity of these three boys
was discovered by Constable Albert
and Detective Murphy to whose untir-
ing efforts all credit is due for the
rapid developments that have been
4 made in the case. The three boys are
Roy Keller, William Frisby and Frank
Cook, all of whom reside in the city,
and whose ages range from 16 to 18
years. 1t develops, however, that with
but one possible exception, none of
these boys admit having been eye wit
nesses to the assault, although all of
them gave more or less important tes-
timony On the affair. They have all
! been subpoenaed as witnesses for the
preliminary hearing.
Williams Story of Assault.
The most important evidence that
tends to show the assault was unpro-
voked was given by Williams in a
statement made to the officers, al
though he has not yet been put on the
witness stand or made any statement
under oath. Williams declares that af-
ter he and Rcderick had passed the
| group of men in front of the Creston
house, one of whom is said to have in
4 suited Williams, they walked on down
to the corner of Fifth avenue before
they turned around and came back to
the group of men. Williams admits
that he stamped one of the men in the
! face. Meyer, he states, was standing
out toward the curb, evidently under
the influence of. liquor and reeling
badly He declares that Meyer said
nothing to them or did not endeavor
to strike either of them, but that Rod
erick taking quick step forward,
landed terrific blow on Meyers face.
Meyer is said to have been lifted en-
tirely off the sidewalk in such man
ner as to como down with his head
first striking on the back of his head
on the sidewalk with heavy thud
Boys Make Statements.
i From what can be learned of the
three boys, Keller is the one who was
struck by Williams, as a result of
which he still has black eye. All
three of the boys, had been in the
| Creston house saloon, and despite the
fact that they were all under age, de-
clare that they were sold whisky and
various other Intoxicating drinks. AS
soon as Williams had slapped Keller,
the latter started to run UP the street
as did also Frisby, but Cook stepped
/ into the door of the Office of the Cres-
ton house.
In running Keller lost his hat and
coming back to get it, heard Roderick
hit Meyer. He states that the blow
could be heard for almost block as
could also the thud when Meyers
head struck the sidewalk. He was not,
however, an eye witness of the affair.
The boys declare that Meyer only
spoke to Roderick or Williams once,
and that was when the latter struck
Keller Meyer then said: Don't hit
him, fellows he is a friend of mine''
1t is believed that Cook who stepped
i into the Office doorway at the Creston
house saw the assault although he re-
fuses to make any statement to that
effect. The statements which the boys
have made. were taken down in writ
ing by Constable Albert.
Preliminary Hearing.
IuGy nave dlSO UCCll ouUpOCudSu DIS
witnesses at the. preliminary hearing
of Roderick and Williams which has
been set for hearing today.
4 Badensburg.
Bladensburg, July 3.-Mrs. Bertha
Scott has gone to Hedrick to visit a
few days with her sister, Mrs. George
Shaw, after which she will leave for
her home in Nebraska
j James Hamersly came home last
Monday to spend his vacation.
Milton Murray Ida Bedwell and
Mirna Shaw were Sunday visitors at
the home of Andrew Allen near Blakes-
i burg.
! Lorenzie Yeager is quite i'll with cry
sipelas.
Yampa.
Il Wanna Ju1v 2-Gcotf Hilton puont