Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-05-29
WITH COMPLETE JURY IN BOX
ATTORNEYS MAKE OPENING
ARGUMENTS AND INTRODUC.
TON OF TESTIMONY BEGINS.
FRED ROSEN. JR.,
ON WITNESS STAND
BROTHER OF MURDERED GIRL
TELLS HEARTRENDING STORY
OF DISCOVERY OF BODY OF Me-
GRo's INNOCENT VICTIM.
[BY E. G. DoUGHERTY]

[BY E. G. DOUGHERTY]
Centerville, May 81. Especially -
Graphic descriptions of the brutal muir
Ter of Clara Rosen and of the finding
9f the body after an all night search,
Ind the testimony of brother of the
murdered girl of the sweetness and
purity of her character these on
The one hand, were features Of
the opening day of the Junkin
trial proper. On the other,
and affording striking con-
trast, were denunciations of the brute
murderer and his revolving crime.
Through it all Junkin sat with stolid
Indifference and apparent unconcern,
although seated not far away we're the
aged parents of the girl he had muir
dered, with heads bowed and eyes
dimnned with tears.
While County Attorney Cornell was
addressing the jury on behalf of the
state, setting forth what the prosecu-
ton intended to prove and while At
torney F. M. Hunter for the defense
was making his opening statement,
Mr.. and Mrs. Rosen tried to bear up
bravely, but the touching references
made to the dead girl by the two at
torneys were more than they could
stand and they could not hold
back the tears that welled in their
eyes. In the absence Of Judge j. G.
Mitchell, who was confined to his
room by illness, his law partner prs
scented the case for the defendant,
Mr.. Hunter had no words of praise for
his client-in fact he showed nothing
but contempt for him-and his one
plea was that life Imprisonment would
be more punishment to his crime low
ing instincts than the gallows.
Fred Rosen, Jr., Officers Charles
Peterson and William Black occupied
the witness stand during the morning
session, and Immediately after court
convened at 1870 o'clock, Walter N.
Roscoe began his testimony relative
to the condition of the body when re-
ceived at the undertaking rooms. DR..
A. w. Slaught will follow and aftec
the coroner Is questioned the wit
nesses who saw Junkin in the vicinity
Of the crime will be called to the
stand
Through the entire proceeding,
even during the period when the
bloody condition of the murdered girl
was being graphically described by
the witnesses, the defendant Junkl1
sat with his eyes fixed on the jurors.
Never once did he remove his gaze
from the men who will declare
whether his neck will answer for the
life of Clara Rosen, or whether ne
will be allowed to spend the balance
of his existence behind the walls Of
The Fort Madison penitentiary.
Cornell Makes Address.
Immediately following the opening
Of court, the prisoner, accompanied by
Captain William Bray and the same
guard he had yesterday, came into the
court room and was seated. Mrs. Amy
Junkin sat near her accused son.
: Throug hagreement of attorneys there
was no bar on the witnesses and they
were allowed to remain in the court
room.
County Attorney Cornell, in behalf
of the state, read the indictment to the
jury, in which Junkin is charged with
the crime of murder in the perpetra-
ton Of robbery. He stated the act
was done wilfully feloniously, deliber-
ately and premeditatedly and the In
strument of death was described as a
huge rock, with which the defendant
inflicted mortal wounds on the head
and face Of the dead girl.
"The murder of Clara Rosen," con
tinued Mr.. Cornell, twas the most
brutal and most heinous crime ever
committed in Ottumwa. Miss Rosen
was born and raised in our city and
was about 20 years old. She was of
frail body and health, and weighed
about 10 pounds. She was Christian
girl, prominent in the Swedish church
and beloved by all who knew her. The
crime for which we ask the death pen
atty was committed near the corner OF
Dare and Cara streets while Miss Ro
sen was en- route from her home on
Locust street to that of her sister
Mrs. G.. O. Nelson on Dare street. The
evidence will show that the defendant
was seen a short distance behind the
murdered girl on Jefferson street neal
Cara, presumably following her. Two
witnesses will show that they saw
Junkin coming from the scene of the
crime. Miss Rosen carried hand
purse containing moneys and other ar