Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-11-10
MAN WHO COMMITTED MURDER
&, NEAR EDDYvILLE IN THE
k. SEVENTIES coNFEssEs.
MESSAGE FROM DEAD
Held His Secret Until Death and Pass.
ed Away Few Days Ago in Pitts.
burg, Pa, DeIiriousIy Screaming for
! Mercy-story Of the Crime.

purg, Par DeliriouSiy screaming for
Mercy-story Of the Crime.
Eddyville, Nov. Z. Especially =
Hounded to their dying moments by
the vision of their victims bleared and
bloody face and recalling with memory
most vivid every detail of the brutal
murder of their partner, which they
committed near Eddyville twenty-five
years ago, two men, Jerome LIE Barge
and his fellow criminal, man named
Melalley, kept their secret until death
put them out of the way of the law and
into an existence where they must an
swer for the crime which they kept
from the public for a quarter of cen
fury and which has just become known
by reason of the confession of LIE
Barge, whose death occurred at Pitts
burg, Pa, recently. A letter just re-
ceived by the postmaster at Eddyville
tells story of the most brutal, sham e.
full and revolving crime which has es-
capped the knowledge of the peace Of
ficers of Wapello county throughout
its whole history, and if it is true it
reveals one of the mysterious crimes
of the early days which probably
would otherwise never have been
known.
Died in Frenzy.
A few days ago w. w. De Long, the
postmaster at Eddyville, received a let
ter from Mrs. Joseph Snow, of Pitts
burg, Pa, which follows:
Three days there died at my house in
this city, Mr.. Jerome LeBarge, man
with checkered and turbulent career.
He came TO my house four months ago
in very feeble health. He seemed to
have no friends or relatives but he al
ways paid his board regularly.
Something seemed to prey heavily
upon his mind. What 1t was he never
told, but he would often start up from
sound sleep, the cold sweat breaking
from every pore, seemingly trying to
escape some awful influence that was
sitting him.
He died in perfect frenzy of con-.
vulsions, begging for mercy and
screaming with terror of some unseen
thing. 1t was horrible
His secret died with him unless this
packet, which he made me promise to
send unopened, to the postmaster at
Eddyville, Iowa, contains the key.
I'm fulfillment to his last request,
ask you to see to it that his dying
wishes, if not unreasonable, be respect
ed. Very truly,
Mrs. Jos. Snow"
Message From the Dead.
The confession, which covers several
sheets of closely written paper, de
tails the story of the murder of Viii
liam Gllnton, a miner who had been
with lie Barge and Melalley, through
their travels in the west in 1876. They
had all been drawn from eastern
homes by the stories of untold wealth
in the Black Hills country. LIE Barge
the first to arrive, spent a year in
prospecting, stage driving, and any
/. thing else by which he could earn q
living He finally gathered together
enough money to start a store in which
he carried miners supplies and pro-
visions. BY attending closely to bust
ness he soon had comfortable in
come.
First Friendship.
About this time Gunton and Me
lalleY, coming from no one knew where
arrived at the little settlement where
Corners made a proposition to the store
keeper to "grub-stake" them for ar
equal share of their findings in the
mines. This arrangement was agreed
to and the two men went to work pros
pecting. After months of hard work
disappointments, and failures, the,
finally made a rich find, locating {
collaborating ledge, which the three
partners sold for $4,000 in cash.
Then Quarrel.
They then determined to start fol
the states, and at the urgent request o
VIM. Gunton they concluded to make
their trip overland to Illinois. So the.
bought good team and wagon ant
started east. They struck the Missouri
river at Sioux City, September l. 1878
Crossing they went east to Fort Dodge
then they bore southeast, passin:
through Marshalltown, Montezuma an.
other points They were indulging il
all manner of dissipation, drinking
playing poker, the latter leading tt
many quarrels among them. The en-
nifty between LIE Barge and Melalley
was being worked up TO dangerous
point against Gunton, owing to the
fact that he was steadily winning, ant
when they reached this city he was il
possession of the larger part of boil
lie Barge and Melalley's share of mon
ey. The sequel is better told in thu
following language of lie Barge:
The Murder of Gunton.
''The crisis came one night Will
we were camping about a mile north
east of little town called Eddyville
Iowa. Our camp was pitched in lone
some place, under couple of small
oaks in the turn of the road TIL
nearest house was a half mile east
while on the road south We're tw,
graveyards. There were few passers
Cards Cause Crime.
"As usual we were all pretty DRUM
and we started the inevitable game o
cards. Melalley had been morose an,
sullen all day and was very quarrel