Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-07-03
INFLICTS DEATH
WITH LOVERS GUN
YOUNG MAN TEsTIFIEs BEFORE
coRoNER's JURY THAT DEAD
GIRL TRIED TO SECURE NOR
PHINE FOR HEADACHE.


progress this afternoon In Abba
over the body Of EmlIyn kester.
Clarence w. DItz testified that
Miss kester had complained Of
severe headache this mornina and
had tried to secure some morphine
at Reels drug stores This was re-
FUSED her and she took bromo
seltzer. He also stated that their
VISIT TO Abba was for the purpose
OF collecting bill for Cooper e
Son. He also stated that he and
Miss kester had been engaged
and were to be married In two
years.
When shown the contents Of
Miss kester's purse and seeing
that she had brought her own gun,
he expressed some surprise.
Miss Emilyn Kester, for the past
two years bookkeeper for w. n. Coop
er & Son, committed suicide this
morning at 10 o'clock in the rest
room of the Abba court house. Fifty
feet away in the corridor OF, the build
Ing stood Clarence w. DiItS, with
whom she had kept company for over
year, and who accompanied her this
morning. One bullet from q 90 calibre
Colts revolver penetrated the heart.
and death followed shortly after the
firearm was discharged.
The cause Of the rash act OF the
dead woman cannot be definitely as
certained. although her mother, Mrs.
Frances M. Kester. 213 North Washing
ton street, stated this morning that
she cannot account for her daughters
suicide as resulting from anything
but disagreement with her suitor,
young Diltz Diltz is now In Abba and
cannot account for the action of his
sweetheart
The coroner's jury is now in session,
and Diltz Is being held there to give
his testimony. The body of Miss Kes-
ter was first seen by Mrs w H.
Stevens, lying on the couch in the
court house rest room.
Miss Kester and Mr. Di1tz went to
Abba on Burlington No. this morn
ing. They visited the home OF Miss
Kester's brother, George Kester, and
then proceeded down town. When the
court house was reached, Diltz, in
company with Bert Lewis, engaged in
a conversation in the corridor. while
Miss Kester proceeded to the rest
room, where shortly after her tragic
death occurred.
Was Unrequited Love the Cauee7
Disappointed in her love affair with
young Diltz Is one theory advanced
as the cause OF Miss Kester's rash
act. The last time the two were to-
gether previous to this morning was
last night, when Mr. Diltz called at
the Kester home, but left there at
$3.50 o'clock When Miss Kester left
home this morning, her mother under
stood that she was going to her work
at Cooper's as the girl then made the
remark to her parent that she would
| stop at the store on the way down and
order groceries for dinner. The first
news of the suicide reached the be-
reaved mothers ears at IL o'clock,
when relatives from Abba communi-
Gated with friends here. Mrs. Kester
| this morning stated that Duke" as
Diltz was familiarly known, and "Em,
her daughter. had some words last
night, and that she knew of no other
cause for the suicide.
EHllyH mas worked mere Tor the
past two years" said Mrs. Kester @and
had prevailed upon me to come to OF
tumwa and live. have been here
but week, and have fitted up this
house for myself and daughter.
prepared her breakfast this morning
while she dressed for work, and upon
leaving me she said that she would
stop in the store on the way down.
knew nothing Of her going to Abba.
Young Diltz had been employed as
assistant to City Engineer John Brady
| for the past two years, but had re
Gently resigned to take an extended
vacation in the west and then 10 10
cate in some northwestern state, where
he had the promise of employment or
the Milwaukee road. He had intend
4 ed to leave soon for the west. His
| father. j. M. Diltz, with whom he lived
stated this morning that Clarence haf
4 slept down town last evening SO as Il
4 be up In time to catch an early trair
for Abba. The elder Mr. Diltz denied