Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-02-18
e. o. M'GRADY, OF oTTuMWA, SAW
cAcKLEY SHOOT FEN.
sTENMAkER.
STRONG SYMPATHY FOR PRISONER.
Fatal Shot in 1867 Followed Short
& Quarrel After Arrest of Cackley for.
n Alleged Horse stealing-kept His
knowledge of Crime Secret.

Il heard the quarrel heard the shot
and saw the incidents which led up tc
the murder of Constable Reuben Fens
tenmaker by Charles Cacllley at Farm
ington in 1867" said c. o. McCready
of 313 Sheridan avenue today. He was
speaking OF the unusual circumstances
as told first in the Courier on Thursday
evening, which has forced an old mar
broken in health and spirits to be
dragged before court OF justice to an
swer for crime committed in the days
of his young manhood, and the conse
quences of which he has escaped for
nearly forty years.
1T all happened over thirty-six years
ago, when was but ten years of age
but nothing in my life comes back tc
me with such vivid recollection as the
scenes and incidents connected with
that day and evening"" said Mr.. Nc
Cready, who has been resident OF
Ottumwa for the past four years and
who is employed at the mines owned
by the Ottumwa Brick and Construc
ton company.
The first acquaintance that had
with Cackley was on the day when the
murder was committed. was standing
on the street in Pennington when
Cackley came up and gave me a good
sound crack in my. face with his hand.
began to cry, for the slap was a hard
Dne, and stung my face. Then Cackley
began to make friends with me, and
in the snd took me into a store and
bought me candy. He had just COM
pleted a term of service in the army,
and had returned that day. He. was
celebrating by getting drunk. He was
not quarrelsome at all, but was just
happy and good-naturedly drunk.
Delight in Being a Hero.
He took great delight in being a
hero in the boys eyes. 1t was great
joke with him to walk up and slap "a
boy good and hard, and when he be-
gan to cry take him into some store
and buy him candy. He was about
the streets all day long and always
had crowd of boys following him.
Every little while he would want a
drink, then he would line the boys up
on the outside and make them wait
while he went into the Jar and got his
drink. When he came out he would
take the boys off to store and treat
them to candy You may be sure he
won the hearts of the boys who looked
upon him asta hero.
Had Stolen Pony.
f"Late in the evening some one in
formed Constable Reuben Fensten-
maker that Cackley at the time he had
gone off to join the army had stolen
al pony from Benjamin Wagner who
Df
Pennington and for whom Cackley
had been working. Without waiting
for any information to be filed or to get
a. warrant Fenstenmaker arrested
Cackley. Fenstenmaker sent a young
fellow named Joe Besan to the country
to get Wagner to come to town and
file an information against Cackley.
Fenstenmaker took Cackley to the
old Leonard building and sat down
with him on the lower steps of the
stairway which run up to the second
floor of the building. At the top of
this stairway there was landing of
about four or five feet and then anoth-
er stairway ran down from that to the
rear of the building. Fenstenmaker
and Cackley had been there for some
time. 1t had grown dusk and the band
boys were on the second floor ready
for evening practice. l with two or
three other boys were sitting on the
edge of the landing at the top of the
back stairs. Billy Williams and Har-
ry Barton were the other two boys.
Suddenly we heard the constable and
,Cackley quarrelling.
"'You take me to the hotel said
Cackley.
"Fenstenmaker swore that he would
10 no such thing.
"'You take me to the hotel or lei
me co. repeated Cackley.
Again Fenstenmaker used rough
language and swore that he would dc
neither.
''You take me up to your house and
let me hug your girl or take me tc
the hotel or turn me loose was the
drunken command of Cackley.
"Fenstenmaker swore good and hard
and declared that they were going tc
stay right there.
"Cackley raised IN and told Fensten