Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-03-01
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Alba. March 1.-Shortly after mid
night Sunday, John Junkin, the negro
confined in the jail here, charged with
the murder of Clara Rosen. confessed
that he killed the young woman at ot-
tumwa three weeks ago. He stated
that he was alone when the crime was
committed and that he had no ac-
complices The confession was made TO
Sheriff Griffin. The sheriff was called
from his bed to listen to the negro.
who was in a high state of excitement
and cried that he wanted to Tell all
about the crime which haunted MN.
Not at the Pen.
| .Junkin said he had trailed Miss
Rosen to the home of her sister tae
night of the awful murder, where ne
watched her till she emerged an hour
ter. and then sneaked UP behind her
ond struck her fearful blow with as
fist, knocking her to the sidewalk. ne
then crushed her skull with a stone
which he picked up. The first bloW
had knocked her unconscious. The ne
gro declares he did not assault the girl,
but only robbed her Of her purse and
diamond.
Junkin was not taken to Fort Madi-
son as stated in a previous dispatch,
which was given out by the police Cor
the purpose OF preventing possible
lynching. Junkin told of where me
stolen iewelry could be found. and
search in the home Of Frank Weaver
at Ottumwa Saturday revealed cara
Rosen's purse and gold-backed mirror
and other stolen trinkets in an attic
reached thru a trap door in the ceiling.
| .Junlsin was taken to Des Moines
early Sunday for safe keeping. Junkin
declares Weaver was not a party to
the assault.
duplicates Weaver.
| Junkin in his earlier confession told
Chief Griffin positively that he had
nothing to do with Clara Rosens muir
der, but that search of Weaver's at
tic in Ottumwa would bring to light
the stolen jewelry. This confession and
the further admission that he had only
been trying to pawn Weaver's stolen
property threw more suspicion than
ever upon him and strong guard was
placed at the negro's cell in the JAM
here It was then thought that he
would be trapped in lie. But when
the trinkets taken from the dead body
of the unfortunate OttumWa girl were
found in Weaver's attic all suspicion
Immediately fell upon the latter.
Junkin. when asked how the arti-
cles came to be in Weaver's room when
the latter was not implicated, declared
that he (Junkin) had stealthily crept
to the attic the night of the murder
, when the inmates of the house were
asleep and hid them there He said he
did not tell any one about this. but
thought later of the plot to implicate
/ Weaver. This came after he had been
arrested as suspect after trying to
pawn a diamond brooch taken from
Clara Rosen.
Junkin is considered a bad negro and
was released from Fort Madison peni-
Tertiary but a week or more before
the Rosen murder which startled OF
tumwa as never before. 1t was the fifth
TINS within two years and the citi-
ZeIlS were III I0V0T pICS1ll OfcA fLAlo heAO
ious murder.
Junkin's Crime.
Miss Rosan was murdered Friday
night, Feb. s. She had told her parents
that she was going to make a call on
her sister, who lived short way from
her home. When she did not return at
q reasonable hour an alarm was given
and scores and finally hundreds OF
friends and anxious people made an all
night search for the girl. Her body was
found in a ravine, where she had been
dragged and then assaulted. Her body
was covered with bruises and her skull
| was fractured in two places. She had
struggled fiercely with her assailant
Six suspects were arrested the follow
ing day, but all of them proved an
alibi and were freed.
Feud Hnted at.
There were hints at an old feud be-
tween the Rosen- Claridge families and
this also was exploded when 1T was
proved that the youth in question. who
was to have taken the oath of vengeance
in the case was only four years old at
the time certain wrong was done his
sister
Miss Rosen was to have been married
to Sanford Carlson, of Ironton, Wye,
IN the spring. The day Tor the wedding