Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-05-29

her left hand was diamond ring, the
gift of her aff1anced husband
The evidence will show that the
murder took place on Dare street and
the body, after being brutally as
saulted and mutilated, was secreted in
an abandoned excavation in the lot
just above the spot of the murder
When the body was found the cloth
ing was disturbed and torn. Her silk
waist had been unlocked and her
lower garments had been tempered
with. Near her body was found a rock
used to inflict cruel death blows. Jun
kin was arrested shortly after the
crime and questioned as to his where
abouts on the night of February 5. He
was later released.
con February 16 he pawned dia-
port Of this transaction was given the
Ottumwa police the next day. To the
pawnbroker's slip, Junkin signed the
name Walter Davis On February
II he was rearrested. On the night of
the crime, about $50 o'clock the evil
dence will show that the defendant
visited the home of Mrs. Clutter and
showed her diamond ring, stating
that he had bought it of sheeny for
twenty-five cents. After his. second
arrest more evidence was secured
against the defendant. He told the
officers where he had hid the articles
he had stolen from the dead girl. The
attic of his mothers restaurant was
searched, and the articles We're found
He endeavored. to implicate colored
man by the name of Weaver, but the
latter's connection with the case was
not substantiated.
Hunters Eloquent Tribute.
81 agree with the county attorney in
the statement that the murder of Clara
Rosen was one of the foulest crimes
ever committed in OttumWa," began
Attorney Hunter. CLARA Rosen had
lived near my home. While l never
knew her had watched her grow from
short dresses into longer ones, and
then into young womanhood. She was
good Christian girl, the daughter
of noble parents. Her church con-
nections were such as to emphasize
her purity. She was engaged to be
married. In fact the ring, as | I'M
derstand it, was the gift of her finance.
She had no enemies.
county and was the product of Grim
inal tendencies shown long before his
birth. He was raised in Smoky Row,
a spot in Ottumwa which is the black
est blotch on our fair city. 1t is
veritable nest of crime. In fact the
residents therein thrive on crime. His
poor mother gave him the best raising
she could, and she is in no wise re-
sponsible for his criminal instincts.
Smoky Row was his kindergarten, his
school, his college of crime. His mind
knows nothing else but crime. He is a
criminal in growth, a criminal by ma
ture. He was not educated along the
lines Of good citizenship, but had
cultivated his criminal life from the
time that he was first allowed to min
gle with the people of the locality in
which he was raised
1--WE have little evidence to intro
duce in this case. We will endeavor to
show, however, that the mind of John
Junkin contained only crime. He knew
no different. There will be no benefit
derived from sending him to the gal
lows. He has no sense of feeling and
the short-lived pain of the gallows
would be naught to him. He would suf-
fer death with no more pain than an
animal you would kill on your farm.
If you find this man guilty of the
crime charged, we ask you to limit
your verdict to life Imprisonment"
Fred Rosen, Jr., Testifies.
Fred Rosen, Jr., the first witness
called by the state, said that he was
a cigar salesman and the brother Of
C1oro 1act hic cicfor
the night of the crime at CPS p. M,
When advised by his older sister, Mrs.
G. o. Nelson, that Clara had not ar
rived at her home, he, in company
with others, began the long search. At
1920 a. M, on the morning of Febru-
airy 6, the body of his dead sister was
found in the vacant lot on Dare and
Cara streets. A hat pin. comb and pool
of blood, found on the Dare street side
walk, was the first evidence of crime
discovered by Mr.. Rosen. Later, in
company with officer Charles A. Pc
terson and followed by Otto Johnson,
Mr. Rosen found the mutilated body,
which lay in the southwest corner of
the excavation. The body was face
upward and the dead girls hat covered
her head Her limbs were apart and
| her lower skirts were carelessly
thrown about her waist. The body was
covered with the limb of tree and
some brush, and the clothing was sat
urated with blood.
Following this description of the
| body the witness identified the mir
ror, pocketbook, ring, diamond, brace
let and gold beads found in the Junldn
attic, as the property of his sister.
| The defense waived their right to
cross-examine the witness.
Officer Peterson's Testimony
The evidence of Officer Charles A.
Peterson, who was next called to the
stand, was in substance the same as
that given by Mr.. Rosen. Relative to
the condition of the body when found
Officer Peterson declared the limbs of
the dead girl were partially bare, as
was the upper portions of the body. In
describing the wounds of Miss Rosen
Officer Peterson said the face was a
mass of blood and the right cheek
was crushed and the eyes bruised. On
the back of the head, too, was a wound
| I, x>f1 ,,,