Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-12-04
MRS. CHARACTERIZED.
Women Declared Not Guilty o:
Charges Made Against Her.
ALLEGED SHE ATTEMPTED MURDER

ALLEGED SHE ATTEMPTED MURDER
Jury in Case Brings in Verdict Free
ing Her-Defendant Was Overcome
and Asks Reporter to Tell Jury of
Her Grattude-Story of the Case.
Mrs. Josephine Garrett is a free
woman. After standing trial on the
charge of attempting to commit muir
der she was cleared last evening by
the jury in the case and was able to
turn her back upon the doors of the
penitentiary, which stood almost open
to receive her for crime which she
was alleged to have committed while
in the heat of passion and anger. Mrs.
CARROTS case excited considerable at
tention and sympathy among the
members of the bar and others who
We're at the court house during her
trial and the, expressions of relief
were many when the jury returned
with verdict declaring the woman
not guilty of the awful crime with
which she was charged. Mrs. Garrett
herself was overjoyed when the ver-
dict was read and since the trial her
manner, it seems, has changed en-
tirely. When seen this morning she
was apparently light hearted and
happy and altogether. recovered from
the fit of dependency she seemed to
suffer for several weeks prior to the
trouble, which occurred early in No
vember
Thanks the Jury.
81 want you to express my thanks
to the members of the jury" said Mrs
Garrett this morning to a representa-
tive of the Courier. when heard the
verdict yesterday l wanted to tel
them how grateful was to them, but I
could not even speak. / was over
come with the news and all that il
means to me. and even now cannot
fully express the gratitude I feel to-
ward them"
Story of Trouble.
Mrs. Garrett was formerly the wife
of Ed Garrett, resident of the West
End of the city. They lived in Ottum.
wa for a short time some ten or more
years ago. and two boys were born to
them. Two or three years ago di-
vorce was secured by the wife and
she was given the custody of the two
children. However. as she could not
support them, they were returned to
their father. who meanwhile had re-
married.
Worries Over Children.
The mother either knew or inn
agined that the little ones were not
being treated we'll by their stepmother
and brooding over this and other
troubles caused the woman to almost
lose her mind She was in Missouri
at that time. and decided to come to
Ottumwa. She came to this city some
eight or ten months ago, and resided
on Samantha street where she is still
making her home. She worked for a
living and was very quiet in her man
ners. but according to her neighbors
she was nearly demented over her
children. She continually talked about
them and about the woman who had
married their father.
Almost Tragedy.
Finally, apparently insane for the
time being, Mrs. Garrett, one evening
early in November, went to the Car
rett home on West Mechanic street
and walked into the house where the
present wife of Ed Garrett and one
of the children were alone at the time
The little boy was sent out on some
errand by the mother and the two
women faced each other. Just what
happened then seems to be hardly
clear in the minds of either, but from
all that can be learned, the woman,
who was later arrested and brought
before the court, drew revolver and
shot several times at the other, saying
as she did so that she had come to
carry out her threats, and kill her for
mer husbands wife. The latter ran
from the house screaming and the po-
lice were called. Mrs. Josephine Gar
rett, almost insane from rage. was
placed under arrest and taken to the
county Jail. -
Acted Strangely
At the preliminary hearing in police
court the defendant did not act like a
sane woman. The sight of the woman
she had almost killed seemed to en-
rage her beyond bounds.and she cared
little or nothing for the legal proceed.
ings. She waived preliminary hear.
ing, saying that she"didn't care" when
Judge Moon explained to her that she
might be sent to the penitentiary.
The woman's strange demeanor
made many think her insane, at least
temporarily so, and there were many
who We're surprised when the grand
Jury returned an indictmen charging
her with assault with intent to com
NIT murder. When the trial was called
and Mrs. Garrett was brought into the
court room. she was much more calm
than she had been previously and did
not grow excited as the trial pro.
crossed. Her attorney, B. w. Scott
took the ground that the woman was
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