Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-03-02

! rest for tho murder of Miss Clara
Rosen in Ottumwa on Friday night,
February 5th, made complete con-
fession in the Monroe county Jail at
Abba last night to Sheriff Griffin,
Chief of Police Gallagher, and Ex-
Chief of Police John Gray of OF
tumWa, and B. D. Way, Pinkerton
detective of Chicago.
On Saturday night, February 20,
horrible outrage was committed
by negro on Mrs. Charles Johnston,
and for fear that mob would lynch
Junkin he was brought to Abba and
placed in the county Jail. A mob was
organized in Ottumwa Sunday and
came to Abba on the night train, the
particulars of which were given in
The Union of last Tuesday.
1t was the protection Sheriff Crit
fin gave to Junkin from this mob that
first unsealed his lips. He is an ig-
norant negro, stepped in crime, and he
thought that since Griffin had saved
MIN from being swung up by an angry
mob he could also save him from be-
ing legally hung, by placing the re-
sponsibility of his awful crime on the
shoulders of another negro by the
name of Frank Weaver, who had been
boarding at his mothers restaurant.
Friday morning Chief of Police Gal
lagher, John Gray and Detective Way
came to Abba and put John Junkin
through the sweat box without obtain
ing any results. They returned to
Ottumwa on the 1870 passenger train
In the afternoon. About 2:30 Mrs
Griffin telephoned w. B. at the court
room that Junkin wanted to see him:
me sheriff responded and Junkin
told him that Frank Weaver came to
his mothers restaurant about 500
O'Clock on the night of the murder and
gave him a diamond ring and asked
him if he would peddle it for him. He
dressed and went to Mrs. Cutters
home and tried to sell her the ring.
Weaver was standing on the outside.
Mrs Clutter said it looked nice after
which he told her he found it in front
OF Mrs. Cooley's house, and they re-
turned to his mothers restaurant.
Two men called at the restaurant
and wanted rooms. My mother could
not accommodate them and I took
them to the Laclede hotel and then
went and purchased half pint of
whisky, drank 1t and went to bed I
told Weaver the next morning that 7
would sell the diamond for him" In
this confession he told Sheriff Griffin
that Weaver had on his person a mock.
ct book, bracelet, string of gold
beads and other articles that he could
not describe. He said he sold the
diamond and signed his name as Walt
er Davis. After disposing of the dia-
mond he was placed under arrest by
Chief of Police Gallagher
After making the confession to the
sheriff and informing him that the
articles were in an attic of
his mothers home Griffin telephoned
Gallagher to arrest Frank Weaver
The sheriff went to Ottumwa on the
10:4O train Friday night and with the
assistance Of Gallagher, Way and Gray
made search of the premises. Griffin
went into the attic where he found
Miss Rosen's pocket book, gold brace
let set with pears and rubies, a string
of gold beads, stick pin, pen knife,
hand mirror with gold back and
handle
Weaver was put through the sweat
box in Ottumwa and Saturday morn
ing Sheriff Griffin brought him to
Abba
Saturday forenoon representative
Of The Union went to the jail with
Griffin, and on questioning Junkin
he told the same story, but his de-.
meanor was that of man who want
ed to shift the responsibility of his
crime on innocent shoulders. After
leaving the jail Sheriff Griffin told us
that Junkin was the murderer and he
would have confession out of him
before the close of the week.
The Ottumwa officials came to Al
bia Saturday evening and after sup
per put Junkin through an awful
sweating process. They almost ham
mered the life out of him and be-
fore they got him to unseal his lips
the entire squad, including the Grim
lnal were exhausted. Junkin's lips
were parched and resembled leather
that had been burned to a crisp.
The last time he was knocked from
his chair and the articles he had
taken from the murdered girl were
placed before him. He made a full and
complete confession, which was about
as follows:
The Confession.
Junkin said he left his mothers
restaurant at $50 Friday evening.
February 5th and went north on JET
ferson street to Dutro's grocery,
and met woman on Dart and Cara
streets. He grabbed her hand satch-
Ell and she resisted him telling him
to leave her alone as she was a
Christian girl. Junkin knocked her
Town and tore the hand satchel from
aer, the handle becoming detached
and remaining in her hand where
It was then her body was found He
hen dragged her to an old cellar
where he left her and went home.
He took the hand bag which con-
aimed pocket book. a string of gold
beads. pocket knife, stick pin and |
land mirror. He also took diamond |
ing from her finger, and it was the
sale of this stone that led to his ar
est by Chief of Police Gallagher.
About $50 he took the ring to Mrs
Cutters home and tried to sell it to |
Ter. but she was suspicious and |
would not invest. He told her he
bought il from Tew for tu,ootv