Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-04-21
Otto Dolph, Young Farmer Near
Collins. Found Dead in Shed
OH Farm
YOUNG MAN LIVED ALONE
Gun Shot and Other Wounds Indicate
That DoIph Was Victim of AssaiI
ant = Had Been Dead Several Days
When Found = Coroner Holding
Inquest-sweetheart Caused Search.
Special to Times-Republican.

| Special to Times Republican.
! Nevada, April 21.-The history of
Story county has been marred by an
other murder, which seems to have
Dolph a young farmer who lived alone
on the Dunahoo place five miles north
OF Collins, in the southeast portion of
the county. No motive has been re-
vealed for the crime, and coroner's
inquest is being held here today to de-
termine If possible clue that may lead
to the identity of the murderer.
The body of Dolph was found in an
unused shed on the farm, with his
head shattered by charge from a
shotgun and with a gaping wound
caused by some blunt instrument.
First Thought to Be Accident.
The first reports that came from
Collins were to the effect that there
but Coroner Hansen, of Cambridge,
who was called and made an investi
cation, said that in his opinion 1t was
not case of accident, but one of
murder, and an inquest was ordered.
While none of the neighbors or
friends had seen the young man since
about Friday, nothing strange was
thought of the matter until he failed
to appear at the home of his sweet
heart, Miss Hattie Cooper, of Collins,
at the appointed time to attend
church, Sunday evening. Waiting for
some time after the hour when he was
to appear, the young lady became un-
easy and prevailed upon her father to
go out to the farm and see what was
the occasion of the young man failing
to come to town, she apparently hav-
ing strong notion that all was not
right or the young man would either
have called at the appointed hour or
notified her of the cause of his failure
to do so.
Finding Of the Body.
Mr.. Cooper, accompanied by Messrs.
Granger and Ulum, arrived at the
place and finding no one at the house,
made an investigation at the barn, only
to find unmistakable evidence that
there had been no one about the place
for some little time. They made
thorough search of the barn loft, gran
aries, cribs, ETC., and failed to find any
clue to the missing man, until they en-
tered an old, unused shed, where they
were startled with the horrifying and
CHASTITY sight that met their eyes, un-
der the flickering rays of lantern.
Lying cold in death, with a ghastly
hole in his head, where charge from
a shot gun had plowed it's way
thru, was the young man. BY his
side lay the gun that had apparently
done the killing. The neighborhood
was at once aroused and Coroner Han
son of Cambridge. telephoned for.
1t was the prevailing opinion in the
neighborhood before any careful ex-
animation had been made, that the
death was the result of an accident.
1t was known that Mr. Dolph had been
complaining of skunks or some other
sort of pests that had been taking
his chickens and it was at first sup
posed that he had been in the old
shed, with the gun, probably Friday,
in quest of these thieves and that in
some manner the gun had been ex-
ploded. killing him instantly.
Accident Theory Exploded.
The examination of Coroner Han
son, however, disclosed the fact that
the course of the shot ranged down.
ward, and not upward as would have
been the case had the man been hold
ing the gun in his own hands when 1T
exploded. and that there was also evil
dence of a wound in the skull that was
inflicted with some sort of a sharp in
strument in addition to the wound
from the shot Coroner Hanson is
strongly of the opinion that 1t is case
of murder instead of an accidental
death and called an inquest to be held
in this city today.
County Attorney Visits Scene.
County Attorney E. M. Mccall and
Drs. Smith and Conner of this place,
went down to make an examinat ton of
the affair and will testify as witnesses
before the coroner's inquest. AS yet
there is no clue as to who the murderer
is, if murder was committed. neither
is there any generally accepted cause
of same. So far as is known now, the
man had no enemy who might seek
to kill him, neither was there, so far
as is known now. any evidence Of
robbery having been committed.
Dead Some Time.
Judging from the condition of the
body when 1t was found. and from the
stock about the place. it is supposed
that the man had been dead since Fri
day al least and possibly longer One
team was standing in the barn with
the harness still on and in a weaken
ed condition for the want of food
The other stock about the farm showed
evidence of having gone for some time
without food or water which confirms
the suspicion that the man had been
dead for some time before the discov-
cry was made.
The young man was about twenty
FIVE years of age, and a son OF Elmer