Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-09-11
Young Colored Woman is
Found at Diamond With
a Bullet Hole in Head.
LOVER is UNDER ARREST
EVIDENCE That Terrific Struggle
Took Place-Woman Had Knife
clasped in Neryeless Hand-sweet.
heart Has Wound in His Back.

Mystic Sept 1O.-(Special.) With
a knife in her hand and giving all the
signs of fierce fight Ella Clark, a
colored girl 81 years of age, was found
dead this morning with a bullet hole
through her oody at the home of Black
Kinder at Diamond, where she is sup
posed to have been shot by her for
mer lover Riggon Woodson, with
whom she is thought to have quarrel
ed Woodson when arrested this
morning was found to have an ugly
cut in the back He was taken to
Centerville and lodged in Jail.
John Clark brother of the deceased
girl, is reported to have made an at
tempt upon the life of the supposed
murderer of his sister He was also
taken into custody by the officers and
taken to the Jail in Centerville.
Ella Clark is the daughter of Mr..
and Mrs. James A. Clark of this city.
Saturday she had gone to Centerville,
where she visited with friends until
yesterday. when it is stated that she
returned home and later went to Dia-
mond for a few days visit with
friends. 1t is stated that Woodson has
been keeping company with Ella
Clark for some time past, but as far
as can be learned no trouble is known
to have existed between them.
Death is Mystery.
Information concerning the manner
in which Ella Clark met her death
cannot be DEFINITELY. learned, but from
all that is known at present it is sup
posed that the young woman was muir
dered. 1t was first thought when the
body of the young woman was found
that she had taken her own life as she
grasped in her hand bloody knife.
This belief was, however, later dis
PEELED when bullet wound was found
in the young womans body from
which it is most probable that she
died. 1t is supposed that the two
young people met last night and that
during the evening they became en-
gagged in quarrel, which is supposed
to have resulted in fight in which
| Woodson is thought to have been stab
bed by the girl, who in turn was shot
| by Woodson.
Woodson Arrested.
Upon examining Woodson, the
young womans alleged lover, it
was found he bore the marks of
an ugly knife wound in his back. He
was Immediately taken in charge by
the officers of the law and taken to
Centerville where he was paced in
the county Jail.
Attempts Murder.
| When it came to be believed that
4 Woodson had been the cause of Ella
Clark's death it is stated that John
Clark, brother of the deceased, made
frantic attempts to take the life of the
alleged murderer and it was only
through the vigilance of the officers
| that he was prevented from doing vic.
| lence. He was later arrested for his
threats and taken to the Jail in the
county seat.
Coroner Holds Inquest.
| ~
Early this morning the coroner at
Centerville was notified and came i'm
mediately TO the scene of the murder.
A jury was empaneled and an inquest
held, though up until late this after.
noon nothing has been learned here
as to the nature of the evidence or the
verdict rendered.
Funeral Tomorrow.
At the present time arrangements
for the funeral of the deceased have
not been definitely made, but services
will probably be held in this city to-
morrow. The interment will be made
in the cemetery in Centerville.
| Woodson was arrested this morning
on information of James A. Clark faith
Ell of the deceased in which he was
charged with the murder of the for
mer's daughter He will be arraigned
later on this charge, probably in the
courts at Centerville.
Ragan's Story.
| Centerville, Sept. 10.-(Special. y
The colored man under arrest here on
the charge of killing Ella Clark at New
Chicago or Diamond, as the postoffice
is known, says his name is not Riggon
| Woodson but that it is Woodson RAJ
gan. His story clears up several de-
tails in the killing.
According to Raglan he and the girl
We're in Centerville yesterday. They
started for Diamond last night about
II o'clock with team. They arrived
there some hours later and went to
the alleged liquor joint kept by one
Will Henry, white man. While
there the couple quarreled. Raglan
says his sweetheart drew knife and
stabbed him in the back. He, at once
ran into the back room where Henry
was asleep. The latter examined Ra-
gan's wound and while so engaged the
| two. heard shot. Rushing out tsey