Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-07-12
Sweetheart of Mile Ellison,
Killed in Minneapolis, Charged
With Her Murder
HE TOOK HER TO THAT CITY
Relatives of tho Girl Openly Accuse
Riggs of the Terrible Crime ard AS
sert That He Was Responsible for
Her Trip to Minneapolis and Sought
Her Money.

'1>~Nit
Wis, charged with the murder OF Miss
Mile Ellison, OF Ellsworth, wis, at
the National hotel Tuesday.
Riggs expressed surprise at his ar
rest, and asked why he should be taken
in such connection. He denied having
been with Miss Ellison Tuesday.
Riggs is openly accused by the fam
lily of having brought the girl to Min
neapolis and to have persuaded her to
invest her money In land, at the close
of which deal the two were to be mar
red. Riggs is the only man ever
known to have kept company with
Mile Ellison, and as he is known to
have met her frequently within the last
few days, he must answer FOR all his
actions to the police.
Aside from the accusations cf the
family, the police say he exactly an
swers the description of the man who
registered at the National as NJ. ]. Will
son. who was seen Fastening from
Miss Elhsons room few minutes be-
fore her screams brought the persons
who extinguished the fire.
Asked to Arrest Murderer.
Riggs is a conductor on the North
western line and his train left the city
Tuesday night at $50. He was on
duty as usual, but as he started to step
on the train a messenger tapped him
on the shoulder and handed him
sealed message This message was
from the train dispatcher, containing
his OWN description and asking that
any man of this description be held
until the Minneapolis police could be
notified.
The message told in brief the story
of the crime, and Riggs is said to have
known at that time who had been muir
dered. IL his friend had been murder
ed by q. strange hand, the police say
he would have stepped off the train at
some station and wired back for fuller
information. This was not done, and
nothing more Is known of his move
mentS
What Ellison Says.
Riggs relations with Miss Ellison
We're told to the police by her brother,
James Ellison, yesterday. He said that
his sister was employed in a railroad
at WIS, tiDOdI lSti
years ago, and that while there she be-
came acquainted with Riggs. The two
became good friends and after she had
gone into the millinery business he
still called on her at her home in Ellis
worth. For a long time he is said to
have represented himself as single
man, altho he had Wife and daughter
in Minneapolis. Later, however, he
told her he was married but had se,par-
ated from his wife and intended get
ting a divorce.
About a year ago Mrs. Riggs went
to the home of Miss ELLISON and the
two had a long conference, but the re-
suit of 1t no one knows. 1t is sur
missed. however, that the two had
talked of the divorce. Later in the
fall Riggs informed the relatives of
Miss Ellison that he had obtained his
divorce papers, and intended to marry
Miss Ellison as soon as he could ar
range his business affairs.
He said at the time that he had
large farm in Washington and that he
proposed buying more land there He
also persuaded the young woman to
invest her money in the scheme, as she
had plenty of money on hand from her
millinery store sale. Accordingly she
sold some of the mortgages that she
had taken as payment, at sacrifice.
She raised some money in this way and
she came to Minneapolis Monday solely
with the intention of getting more
cash for the land scheme.
Met Girl at Hudson.
Riggs met her in Hudson and the
two came to Minneapolis together, and
shortly after arriving in the city they
registered at the National hotel under
assumed names. 1t is still mystery
to the relatives and police why the
woman should take an assumed name.
as ample evidence had been obtained
showing that she had nothing to be
ashamed of.
Riggs had told her that they would
settle up the land deal Immediately
and that then she could go back to
her home and prepare for the we'd
ding.
The murderer could have easily
stolen the money. the police say, or
persuaded Miss Ellison to give it to
him outright. ii the motive was money
alone, why should he take such fiend-
ish means to obtain it when less vio-
lence would obtain the same end?
On this account the police believe
that there is some motive even stronger
than the money back of the killing, and
they are endeavoring to find it, This
question, however, will probably only
be answered by the murderer himself.
Riggs and His Family.
The blinds We're down at the two
story cottage-like dwelling occupied by
Nathan NJ Riggs, at 34o5 Pillsbury
avenue, and his family when press
reporter called there yesterday
shortly before noon. Inquiry from next
door neighbors elected that Mrs. Riggs
and the daughter, a miss of 16 years |
had gone away about week ago. and |
we're visiting friends at different points
in Wisconsin. Mr.. Riggs had come to
the house almost daily to see that
everything was all right.
He came about o'clock yesterday |
carrying satchel, and was
there about an hour, when he went |
away He was at the house Monday |
about 10 o'clock and stayed |
about the same length of time. The
neighbors did not know how long the
Riggs family rad lived there but one
IF them said it was to exceed three
years, to her knowledge.
The Theory of the Police.
Mile Ellison, a milliner from Els
worth. Wis, was found dying in room
at the National hotel late Tuesday
afternoon. She had been beaten overi