The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1904-12-08
GlRLSSTRANGE SUICIDE

UssA-0 " uNulNo1 0OuOnU1-
Rose Dixon Kills Herself While Her
Lover is Sleeping With His Head
in Her Lap--DetdiIs in Full.
In a special telegram to the Des
Moines Capital the following strange
story of the death Of Rose Dixon, at
Russell, Iowa. is related, and will be of
more than passing interest to our read
ers from the fact that the young man in
volved is the son of a former we'll known
resident of this county, Mr.. Will Atha,
who moved to Charlton few years ago,
where he was employed as bridge fore
man by the G. B. & @. r. r. Charles
Atha, the young man is we'll known also
by many residents of this county, and is
regarded as an exemplary young man,
and his friends will not believe that he
was in any way responsible for the
shooting, the evidence before the coro-
ner's jury indicating that the girl had
killed herself, and was insane at the
time.
Charlton, Ia., Dec. 5.-Rose Dixon, the
pretty eighteen year old daughter of
Joe Dixon, huckster living at Russell,
Ia, was mysteriously shot at two o'clock
this morning at Russell and the coroner
has summoned the girls sweetheart,
Il I<tr
Charles Atha, to give an explanation of
the tragedy.
The girl who has been working as a
domestic in Charlton about seven
months, went to her home in Russell
which is seven miles east of Charlton
Saturday evening on the train and Atha
of Charlton drove to Russell yesterday
Iafternoon to call upon the girl. He
remained with her during the after
noon and evening at her home and the
family. retired leaving the two together
in the sitting room. Atha declares that
he was lying upon the couch with his
head in the girls lap and that he fell
asleep. He says that he was suddenly
awakened by a shot and sat upright in
| time to see the girl fall back dead with
a bullet hole through the right eye.
Charles Atha is nineteen years old
and is the son of Will Atha, of Charlton
who until six months ago was foreman
Of bridge gang Of the CO. when he
resigned to take charge Of. a dray line
| The young man has been employed on
the bridge gang and his family have al
ways been held in esteem by the people
Iof Charlton. Young Atha and the
Dixon girl have been sweethearts fol
about year and a half. Her father is
a huckster at Russell and the mother
has been in the insane asylum twice.
Coroner Stanton was Immediately
called from Charlton to take charge Of
the remains and an inquest was begun
at ten o'clock this morning, young Aths
being called before the jury to tel
, what he knew about the affair.
, The coroner's inquest adjourned late
, this afternoon with the verdict of sui
eide and no apparent motive. Mr.. and
Mrs. Joe Dixon, father and mother q
) the girl, were on the stand, and stated
that Trey were sleeping up stairs wher
the shooting occurred. They were
aroused by the explosion and came
down, where they found Charles Atha
, and the room full Of smoke. The reyol
, yer was lying on the floor and Atha
seemed to act as one dazed. He de.
clared to them that he was asleep OF
the lounge with his head in her lar
) when he was aroused by the explosion
, Of the shot. The mother declared thai
Rosa had been acting strangely of late
and that she had disappeared for al
entire day some time ago. When cross
J questioned by her father as to where
she had been, she declared that she had
been in the haymow all day. Wher
asked what she was doing she replied
t"Just thinking" 1t developed in the
cross-examination Of the witness thai
Mrs. Dixon had been twice an inmate
of the insane asylum.
Gladys Dixon, sister, also testified
that Rosa had been acting queerly o.
late and had frequently been found
talking to herself.
Charles Atha, the lover Of the girl
went upon the witness stand and sale
that the revolver was his and that he
} had brought it with him from Charlton
He had kept it in his pocket and in some
manner he believed Rosa had taken il
from it's place. He said that Rosa an6
himself were engaged to be married
j that they had never quarreled, and tina,
so far as he knew everything was az
pleasant as it could be. He had come
to Russell to take the girl back tt
Charlton in the buggy.
Letters were read which were founC
in the house from Atha to the girl ant
they all breathed the love he bore fo
her and no intimation of differenc,
was found. The general sentiment il
t the community is to the effect that The
girl shot, herself