Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-04-06
LIFE Term FOR
| AN iowa SLAYER
JESSE FINLEY, CONVICTED OF
NUMBERING AGED REcLusE
AT MoNTEZUMA.
CRIME FOUR YEARS AGO
Finley's Part in Crime Was Told by
Philip Martin, a Convict Who
Made Full Confession
on Witness Stand.

Montezuma April s. Guilty OF
murder in the first degree and penal
ty fixed at life imprisonment was the
verdict of the jury last evening in the
case of Jesse Finley, charged with
the murder of Thomas w. Read, the
aged recluse found slain at his home
near here four years ago.
The jury had been out but thirty
eight minutes and agreed on the first
ballot.
Finley was convicted of the crime
chiefly on the testimony of his self
confessed pal In the murder, Convict
Philip Martin, now serving time at
Anamosa. Martin made confession
several months ago which led to Fin
ley's arrest.
Both Finley and Martin will be SEN
fenced here April Z.
Judge Byron w. Preston will pro-
nounce sentence.
The murdered man was 81 years
old and lived by himself in small
house upon his farm nearly two miles
from Brooklyn. He was feeble and
had the watchful care and attention
of son and his wife living nearby,
who visited him every day and took
him food.
One morning in January, 1905, the
daughter-in-law made her usual visit
and found the old gentleman in his
usual health. The next morning as she
and her husband were driving by
they stopped to see him. Knocking at
the back door as usual, they received
no response. Thinking the father was
still asleep they started to the front
of the house, when the wife saw that
a window had been broken. 1t was
quickly seen that something was not
right and upon looking into the house
the body Of the old man was found ly-
ing on the floor. Closer examination
revealed the fact that he had been
shot. Officers worked diligently since
that time to ferret out the guilty par
ties.
The old man was known to have had
money and the disordered condition of
the house indicated that robbery
attack and that murder had resulted
from the effort to secure the property
of the aged man.
Confession Made.
| The case was almost forgotten by
the public, but Sheriff Binegar and
States Attorneys Rayburn and Boyd
kept quietly at work. The sheriff
made one trip to Seattle in the
search. Finally the matter was pre-
sented to the grand jury at the Janu-
airy term of the district court and an
indictment was returned charging
Jess Finley and Philip Martin with the
commission of the crime four years
before.
In the meantime Martin had been
making a criminal record for himself
In November, 1908, he was tried and
convicted for two separate crimes
assault with intent to commit murder
and also breaking and entering. The
court sentenced Martin for combined
term of thirty-five years and commit
ted him to the penitentiary at Ana
mosa. Martin made confession of his
connection with the murder of Read
He was brought back at this term tc
answer to the charge of murder and
also to testify in the case against Fin
tley.
Martin had been in Jail before or
minor charges and once broke Jail. He
was brought from the penitentiary
under heavy guard and has been kept
in the Oskaloosa jail for the past week
awaiting the trial.
Martin on the stand told the story
of the brutal murder in his own words
He did not seem to be at all embar
raised but told the story in a matter
Of fact way, mistaken by cross-exam
ination.
Kill Aged Man.
1 He told that on the night of the
crime he had attended dance, tina
Finley was there and about IL o'clocl
they got together and planned to go tt
Reads and get the old mans money
4 Martin had two receivers and gave
one to F'inlay. They walked to thu
house and made an effort to get thu
old man to come to the door. Failing
in this, they went around the house
Martin states that he then broke The
glass in the lower half of the win
dow. In the meantime the old MAJ
! had lighted a lamp. Finley put hi
head and shoulders through the bro
ken window. The old man had secured
a hammer and struck Finley a blow
i upon the head. Finley then fired hi
gun, the bullet striking Read in tn
abdomen. He sank to the floor, still
) holding the hammer. Finley and Mar
tin then ran from the house and int,
the pasture nearby.
After waiting for a time they return
ed to the house. The body of the oil
man remained as it had fallen. With
out knowing whether their victim
I was living or not they began care
full search of the house for the none,
supposed to be in the house. From tn
little attic to the most remote part O
the house they made an exhaustiv
and apparently fruitless search. FinaI
!, ~ they found the treasure carefuli
!; hidden in the bed ticking. 1t amounte,
to $500. After securing this they mad
their way back to Brooklyn and divid
ed the SPOIL;
This in effect was the story told b
i Martin to the jury. The court room
was crowded with people from all owe
!, the county to hear the testimony.
Martin gave the only direct eyidenc