Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-10-07
Said to Have Been Under Influence
of Liquor.
OFFICERS ACTION NOT JUSTIFIED
coroner's Jury Finds Shooting Occur
red Under Great Provocation-Ro
Iiceman Smith is Held in County
Preliminary Hearing Tomorrow.

Abba, Oct. Especial William
G. Sarver a farmer, about SO years Of
age, familiarly called "Wid," was shot
to death by Night Police Thomas
Smith, in front of the Monroe hotel,
at about $40 o'clock, Saturday night,
while the former and his father, Sam
uel Sarver, were resisting arrest at
the hands of Policeman Smith, for in
toXication. Two shots We're fired. both
OF which took effect in William Sar-
vers body, one entering the body un-
der the LETT arm, and the other over
the heart. Death resulted almost in
stantly. The body was taken to Cooks
undertaking rooms and an examination
made. Two wounds We're found, evil
IDENTIFY resulting from shots from A
calibre revolver. The body was then
prepared for burial and remained in
the undertaking room all night,
Within ten or fifteen minutes after the
shooting, Policeman Smith went to the
Jail and gave himself up to Sheriff
! Doner. and remained in Jail all night
Coroner p. Il. Pauline being i'll and
unable 70 act. Justice of the Peace
Ernest r. Wright, as acting coroner,
/ summoned a eoroner's jury, composed
of James P. White, Thomas S. Patton
and Robert A. Kelly. Adjournment OF
inquest was taken until yesterday
morning at $50 o'clock, and the in
quest was then held behind closed
doors.
The time from $50 a. m. to 4.30 p.
m. yesterday was spent in examining
fourteen witnesses, most of whom
were eye-witnesses to the tragedy.
The evidence given before the act
ing coroner was somewhat conflicting.
The greater weight of the evidence,
however, was that Policeman Smith
had been scuffling with Samuel Sarver
and his son, William G. Sarver, and
that blows We're exchanged. The evil
dence also showed that Samuel Sar-
yer was considerably under the infiu-
ence of liquor and that William G.
Sarver was less SO, though he had
been drinking liquor and that there
was an attitude of attack on the part
of the parties resisting arrest at the
| time the shooting occurred, but not
| sufficient to justify the extreme meas
ures taken by the policeman. The
coroner's jury retired at 80 o'clock
| yesterday afternoon After being out
about fifty minutes. they returned q
verdict. That deceased came to his
death by a revolver discharged by
Thomas Smith, under great provoca-
ton, but we do not find that the said
Thomas Smith was justified in taking
| deceased's life"
The deceased was q young farmer,
unmarried, who resided with his par
ents. Mr.. ana Mrs. Samuel Saryer. on,
farm about seven miles southeast Of
town. The body was removed from
the undertakers rooms yesterday af-
ternoon and taken to his late hcme.
The funeral services We're held at
| noon today from the First Methodist
Episcopal church, Rev. r. B. Hughes
officiating. The remains We're inter-
red in Oak View cemetery.
| Policeman Smith is confined in the
county Jail His preliminary examina.
ton viii probably be held tomorrow
before Justice OF the Peace Ernest R.
| Wright on warrant issued from JUS
tice Wright's court this morning
| County Attorney Fred D. Everett will
appear for the state and Smith will be
represented by Mitchell, Tom!inson &
Price.