Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-04-28
Colored Man Kills a White Man
With Club During a
Quarrel
WAS ACTING IN SELF DEFENSE
Circumstances Indicate the Farmer At
tackled the Negro and That the Lat
ter Did Not intend to Kill His Vic
tim-RIow Landed on the Temple
Other State News.

Ottumwa, April 2S.-Levi Woods, a
white farmer residing about six miles
southeast OF Ottumwa was struck on
the head with a stick of wood in the
hands of John Harris wen known coll
ored man of Ottumwa. and instantly
killed yesterday. Harris, after striking
the blow and without waiting to learn
hts fatal results hurried into Ottumwa
and surrendered himself to Constable
George Brount.
| The circumstances of the trouble. as
/ told by Harris when seen at the county
| jail today are as follows: Early last
| fall Harris bought horse Of Woods
for 500 and was to pay for it by chop
ping ninety cords of wood The chop
lping began about last Christmas and
was finished just few days ago. While
chopping the wood Harris boarded part
of the time at the residence of Mr..
Wood and part of the time In Ottumwa
at the residence of Mrs. Alkaline Lew
is, colored 523 East MIL street. 1t was
over small balance which Mrs. Lewis
Yesterday Harris went to the country
intending to go to a point beyond Mr..
Woods place where he was to do some
chopping. AT the Woods place he met
Woods and the two men talked for
some time. Harris wanted to know
why Woods had sworn as he had on
Saturday. Woods declared that he did
not want Mrs. Lewis to secure the gar
nishment for which she was seeking.
Harris told Woods that Constable
George Blount was coming after the
horse today. Woods swore that Blount
could not have the horse until the board
of the horse since the time that Har-
ris had first traded for the horse was
paid, and that If Blount came and
took him. Orrin Woods Mr.. Woods
son. would go after him and get him
back.
The question of the standing Of the
account between the two men came up
and their anger increased until, as
Harris states, Woods seized stick OF
wood and s.r,scll ct him. The blow,
which was partly waried off by throw
ing up an arm landed on the side OF
Harris head cutting thru the soft felt
hat, but doing little other damage.
Harris then grabbed stick OF wood
about two feet long, used during the
winter as a standard on the Side OF
wood rack. AS he raised 1t to strike,
the prisoner claims. Woods dashed to-
ward him and attempted to dodge be-
meath the blow. The stick struck the
back of the head and Woods fell to the
ground without a word.
Surrenders TO Officers.
Without stopping to see the result
OF the blow, Harris turned and hasten
ed back towards town, passing another
colored man who was working for
Woods short distance away. Harris
told him that he had struck Woods
with a stick and asked him to go see
how badly Woods had been hurt.
Late last night Harris was called
from his cell and in the jail office and
in the presence of Sheriff Cremer, De-
putty Stevens and a reporter for the
Courier, told the details of the story as
outlined here. When he had completed
he was informed by Sheriff Cremer
that Woods was dead.
Sorry for His Act.
II did not intend to kill him., said
Harris quietly and with hopeless
look on his face. We were both mad
He grabbed a stick and struck at me-
You can see here where he hit me.
Harris pulled off the soft black slouch
hat and showed a break in the side OF
1t about three inches long.
II warded off the blow and grabbed
that standard and struck at him. He
lodged under the blow and it landed
on the top of his head. He just fell
fiat and turned and hurried away. 1
told Ora, the colored fellow | met
right close there, what had done and
asked him to go see how bad Woods
was hurt. I just came on in town and
when Il met Elount l gave myself UP
and ha brought me here,