Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-06-01
SWORN STATEMENT MADE BY
JUNkIN IN ALBA JAIL IN WHICH
HE ADMITTED BEING MURDER
Err GOES BEFORE JURY.
HARDFIGHT AGAINST
1T MADE BY DEFENSE
JuNklN's ATTORNEYS SOUGHT
TO SHOW THAT CONFESSION
WAS SECURED BY COERCION,
BUT COURT ovERRULEs.
[BY r. G.. DouGHERTYl

[BY E. G.. DOUGHERTY]
], John Junkin, do state that on
February S, 1909, | left my house
at $50 p. M, and walked north on
Jefferson street over the hill to
Dutro's grocery and met woman
at the corner of Dare and. Cara
streets, whom struck and robbed
of eleven dollars and seventy-five
cents, diamond ring, hand bag,
bracelet, a string of gold beads,
mirror, pocket knife and stick
pin. These articles | took home.
The same night at $50 p. m,
went to Mrs. Cutters home and
showed her the ring, telling her !
bought it of sheeney, giving him
twenty-five cents for it. On Febru-
airy 16, Tuesday, took the stone,
which removed from the ring, to
Redman's pawn shop and sold 1t
to him for $5.75, getting $2.75 in
cash, the balance, $500, allow
ed on suit of clothes, which |
had in pawn at the store. The
bracelet, stick pin, beads, mirror
and pocket knife | secreted In the
attic of my mothers house on
Mill street. No one knew those ar
ticles were there except myself. |
had been drinking considerably
during the evening. 1t was about
Up. M, when | murdered the girl,
whom afterwards threw in an
old cellar on the hill above where
committed the deed. The ring |
threw in the catch basin in the,
mems toilet room of the Wabash
depot.
This statement make voluntar-
ily without any promise of Glenn
ENJOY or any inducements being
offered to me whatever.
(Signed) John Junkin.
Witnesses - B. D. Way, Peter
Gallagher, II. c. Williams, w. B.
Griffin, John w. Gray, Ed Webb.
Centerville, May 29.-(speciaD-
The above confession of the murder
er, John Junkin, signed in the pres,
ence of six witnesses in the Abba jail
upon the evening of February 81, just
twenty-five days after the commission
of the crime, was made the basis of a
bitter legal war before Judge M. A
Roberts yesterday afternoon, and after
the thorough examination of Wit
nesses H. c. Williams and John w
Gray by the defendants counsel in
the hope of substantiating their claim
that it was secured through coercion
and not voluntary, the court ruled the
statement admissible. All the clever
ness of Attorney F. M. Hunter anc
httorpa1- Canaan Cnrpol1 WhC
were the principals in the legal bat
tie, was used-the one in an endeavol
to show that John Junllin through feal
and under duress, signed the state
ment-the other to combat this by Sc
curing admissions from both vii
liams and Gray that only Junkins owl
free will was exercised in the signing
Following the ruling of the cour
whereby the confession was made
part of the record, the state continued
with the examination Of it's witnesses
H. c. Williams, John w Gray and Pc
ter Gallagher, who testified to the cir
cumstances surrounding the damagin'
statement from Junkin. +
Through all the proceedings the al
torneys for the defendant lost no or
portunity to show that their ellen
never once expressed sorrow for hi
deed or sympathy for the girl and he
beloved parents, or remorse at tn
cruel act. And they succeeded, TO
neither Williams, Gray nor Gallaghe
stated that they heard the negro ute
one syllable along this line. Afte
County Attorney Cornell showed b
the citation of the case of the Stat
vs. Storms, wherein a confession wa
secured in similar manner as tn
Junlin confession, that the burden c
proof rested on the defense to sho7
the inadmissibility of the statemen
Judge J. G. Mitchell began the direc
examination of the defense.
Mitchell VS.. Cornell.
| The examination of H. c. William
resulted in merry war between cou1
sci, with Judge Mitchell arrayed Q
! one side and Seneca Cornell on tn
other. The former used every possibl
subterfuge to get Williams to adm
that force was used in securing tn
confession. Witness Williams state
that his first active connection wit
the case was on the Friday previor
to the day Junkin confessed, when h
in company with T. E. Kirby, Chic
Gallagher, John w. Gray and Pinke
ton Detective B. D. Way, went to A
bia. Judge Mitchell got the admissic
out of the witness that Way had sla
ped Junkin on that day and that {
the following day, when the accuse
man was again sweated, Way pushe
| him These were the only dana pir
admissions made by the witness. H
other answers we're confined to II
statement that they confronted Ju