Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-01-12

DAMAGING B " I'D nm CE
stepmother, stepbrother and stepsis-
ter OF Accused Man Declare That He
Murdered Christian WomeIsdorf -
Preliminary Hearing Tomorrow.

preliminary rearing ioWor10W.
Fairfield, Jan. IL. - (Special) With
his relatives against him, with a repu-
tation among his townspeople as q
good-for-nothing and dangerous man,
and facing evidence which the officials
Of Jefferson county declare will convict
him of the crime of murder, Dan
Sheppard is confined In the jail in this
city. awaiting hearing. Tomorrow
he will be taken before Justice B. b.
Wilson and formally charged with the
murder Of Christian Womelsdorf, near
Brighton on January 5. There now ap-
pears to be no doubt that he will be
held to await the action of the grand
Jury which convenes in February.
Damaging Evidence.
Christian Womelsdorf was found
murdered in his home January 5 at
about 6 O'Clock by his wife who had
been out Of the house for nearly an
hour, feeding the stock and doing
chores. Womelsdorf was an aged
money hidden In his house. He had
few enemies and at first the murder
I was regarded as deep mystery.
Laterit became know that he and his
wife had had frequent disputes and
there were rumors to- the effect that
the woman had committed the murder
or had aided the real criminal.
Sheppard, Suspected.
Oflcers Of the law began work at
once, however, and it was soon found
that Dan Sheppard, a resident OF
Brighton and a man who had served
several Jail terms for larceny was un-
der suspicion. The coroner's jury
heard some evidence against Sheppard
but not enough to warrant q verdict,
charging him with the crime, and con-
sequently the verdict laid the murder
to persons unknown to the jury
Sheppard had been arrested but was
released. The officers, however,
watched him closely and questioned
his relatives. Yesterday Sheriff
Wright of Jefferson received Z word
from Sheriff .Teeter of Washington that
he had arrested Sheppard in the latter
place and that he considered the evi-
dence secured by himself and Marshal
/ McCarty Of Brighton sufficient to war.
rant holding him.
Sheppard Brought to Jail.
Sheriff Wright left Immediately for
Washington with a warrant secured on
information signed by Fred Wolff OF
this county He returned last night
with Sheppard In custody and the pris
oner is now confined in the Jefferson
county jail.
stepmother Tells Story.
Sheriff Wright was accompanied to
Washington and Brighton by County
Attorney Grail and together they inter.
viewed members of the Sheppard fam
{ ily The result was the securing OF
evidence which, If produced In court
will make a strong case against Shep.
hard. The stepmother declares that
before the murder Dan told her that
II she would secure some chloroform
for him he would bring her enough
money to keep her from want all the
remainder of the winter She says
she refused and repeatedly warned
him that be would get into trouble
On several occasions, she says, he de
clared he would kill and rob people
telling her that others lived the same
way and that he could do as we'll
The woman further stated that Dar
was away from home on the evening
Of the murder until between 8 and {
o'clock and that after he returned an6
indeed ever since that time, he has
been nervous and restless, often walk
ing the floor. The woman says thai
the first time she saw Dan he was II
jail at Sigourney, serving a term fol
larceny.
Knew Where Money Was.
A step-hrother of Sheppard. a vel
known and highly respected citizen O
Brighton, was interviewed by the JET
ferson county authorities yesterda,
and gave information that may he'll
send Sheppard to the penitentiary. H
said that Dan asked him to act a
guard while he (Dan) went into th
Womelsdorf home, killed the old mai
and secured the money. The latter,
was understood, was hidden in cal
under the cellar stairs at the Womels
dorf home. The step-brother of tn
prisoner refused to accompany Sher
hard on mis- trip, he said, and Dan de
clared he would go alone
Told Two Stories.
A step-sister Of Sheppard, wnel
asked by the officers, said that on Jar
uery 5, when Dan returned home. sh
/, asked him how he had made out.
He told her, she asserts, that he woul
have been successful had not the A6
Ter brothers been at the Womelsdor
home to saw wood. The old man. h
said, had asked the Adlers to sta
over night. The woman says Dan toll
her that he hid himself where he coul
see Mr.. and Mrs. Womelsdorf and tn
two guests and that he could hav