Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-01
WELLER TELLS
WEIRD .STORY
MAN PICKED UP AT AGENCY SAYS
THE JoNEsEs ARE cHAs-
ING HIM
Relates How One Walter D. Jones OF
Dayton, O., Cheated His Father,
Caused the Death G His Mother and
Now Seeks His Life.


"The Joneses are after me-" said
, Addison Weller of Dayton, O., yester-
| day, when he was picked UP at Agency
! by Constable A. Mcdowell. And the
Joneses have been after Weller ever
since. He was found yesterday morn
Ing Mtting on the porch in front of the
residence of William Marsh of Agency.
i He stated that he had been out all
might and had not had anything to eat
I, for some time Marsh took the man
In and fed him, allowing him to tell his
story. The story was SO wild and weird
that Che constable was notified, and
1.-THE man was brought to Ottunwa and
placed in the county jail.
This morning when a representative
of the Courier visited Weller he seem
ed sane enough on any subject but
thase OF the Joneses and his troubles
with a family of that name. Even on
the story of his troubles he had no diff
ficulty, seemingly, to remember all Of
the Incidents and no amount of cross
questioning could make him vary from
the main points Of his recital.
Says Jones Is Cause of His Troubles.
1t is a weird story that the man tells
In matter, of fact manner that only
It relates to an alleged fraud commit
ted by an attorney in Dayton, O., Wei
ler's home. The attorneys name is
Walter D. Jones, according to Weller,
and he cheated Weller's father out of
some property while acting as his at
torneY. Weller, so he says, further
believes that Jones was implicated in
the death of his mother, alleging slow
poisoning through gifts of food pre-
scented to Mrs. Weller by the Jones
family.
After his mothers death, Weller
states Jones was appointed administra-
tor for her estate. Only two years or
more following this were all of the
alleged frauds committed by Jones dis
covered by Weller and his three broth
ers. Then the incidents connected
with their mothers final sickness and
death were remembered and suspicion
fell on Jones.
There is no doubt but that Weller
Is laboring under strong mental excite
ment and, that his visions of the chas-
Ing Joneses, which he describes in
most vivid and realistic language are
but the creations of his disordered
mind. Nevertheless, the seeming ra-
tionalness of the man along other lines
and his evident emotion when he
speaks Of his family troubles cannot
but excite the pity Of the listener.
His brother. ]. O. Weller of Dayton,
O., has been comnunic with by
Sheriff Cremer and instructions from
him are awaited. Weller claims that
he has always been misunderstood,
that he never had any friends, and that
everywhere he went foes followed him
and gave him the worst of every situa-
ton 50 that he has never been able to
prosper financially to sucn an extent
that he could prosecute his enemies,
the Joneses.
He admits that he is mentally excited
and chat he cannot think very we'll, but
sticks stnbhornly to his story, both OF
his troubles with Attorney Jones and
to the fact of the chase by the Joneses
He states that the last time he saw
them was at point between Douds-
Leando and Fairfield, where two OF
them suddenly appeared in the road
He started to run and signals from all
directions showed him that there were
at least half a dozen in the party OF
his enemies. Then he started to run
When he was discovered on the Marsh
porch yesterday morning he claimed
that he had been running all night
through the rain.