Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-02-25
CITIZENS HOLD
R0USINC Meeting
RAISE MORE THAN $500 TO Sc.
CURE DETECTIVES TO WORK
ON RECENT CRIMES.

There can be no installing the SEN
timent Of Ottumwa citizens as to
whether the reign of crime, especially
that type wherein helpless womankind
Of the city are the victims of the Grim
inals, will be no longer tolerated III
the city. The recent shocking crimes
that have awakened Ottumwans to
the real condition Of affairs that obtain
here at present, was made the theme
of several addresses by leading citi-
zens at the large mass meeting held
last night in the arrnory This gath
ering was called by the American
Commercial Travellers at their meet
ing held Sunday evening, when a
purse of 81 800 was raised for the pur-
pose Of reward for the apprehension
and prosecution of the guilty culprit
who assaulted Mrs. Charles Johnston
of Park avenue Sunday morning, and
fund started by subscription OF
5000, for the purpose of securing the
best detective talent possible to run
down and capture the criminal who
caused the death of Clara Rosen and
made the assault on Mrs. Johnston.
A sum amounting to 1922 was raised
at last nights meeting and the action
of the travelling men was endorsed. A
new committee for the purpose Of
handling the subscriptions to the fund
for the securing of detectives was Sc
lected in the persons of Hon. ]. ].
Smith, Major T. P. Spilman and w.
T. Archer.
BY 8 o'clock all the seats in the
house were occupied and many were
standing in the room as temporary
chairman ]. G. Consodine called the
meeting to order and stated the object
of the assemblage. He was succeeded
by Judge M. A. Roberts, who was Sc
lected as permanent chairman, and
addressed the gathering in few
words Mr. Consodine was chosei
the reading Of the resolution drafted
by the travellers committee.
Left to Committee.
Upon the reading Of the resolution
and a motion by F. T. Lynch that it
be adopted, considerable discussion
was called forth by the action of G.
w. Whitmore, who moved as an
amendment to the motion that com.
mittee be selected at the meeting to
take charge of the fund for the cap.
ture and conviction of the perpetrators
of the Rosen and Johnston horrors. In
speaking for his amendment. Mr.
Whitmore said, General Sherman
once said that war is hell, but to poor
helpless womankind of Ottumwa the
condition that obtains is worse than
he'll and it points out to the citizens
irrespective of party that in a non.
o,,Ssr {Io,
gether and guard their homes and
loved ones from the thug and marau
/ der who can go about perpetratine
Iheinous crimes in our midst" He also
stated later that out of courtesy to the
A. C. T., who took the lead in this
matter, that the selection of one mem
Der of this committee should be made
by or from the travelling men, the 9th
err two by the chairman from names
suggested by the meeting. Upon mo
ton of G. c. Porter the amendment
carried
A. c. T. Action Applauded.
At this juncture c. G. Porter, secre
tary of the A. G. T., then read the re
port of what was done at the meetings
held Sunday by the travelling men
This was the signal for an outburst o
approval by many present for the &C
tion of the travelling men and mo
| ton to that effect was carried unani
mously.
, Many speakers were called upon tt
} address the meeting before the adop
ton of the motion approving the &C
ton of the travelling men. Amons
those called upon were John F. Web
2 bar who fold the plan prasanf that al
i were responsible for the conditions