Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-06-01
STATE RESTS IN MURDER TRIAL
THIS MORNING AND DEFENSE is
GIVEN ITS OPPORTUNITY TO
PRESENT ITS CASE.
PRISONER MADE
ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE
JUNkIN TRIED TO JUMP THROUGH
WINDOW IN COURT HOUSE
LAST NIGHT, BUT WAS PRE-
VENTED; NOW IN CHAINS.
[BY E. G. DoUGHERTY1

[BY E. G. DOUGHERTY1
CenterviIIe, May 29.-(SpeciaI)-
An attempt was made by John
Junkin to escape the qaIlows late
last night when he refused to re-
move his clothes, abusing his
guards when they insisted upon
II, and accepting an opportunity,
made a daring leap for window,
through which he hoped to gain
liberty. he was nabbed by Chief
Guard Bray and pinned to the
floor, where the other guards at
tached the ball and chains to his
limbs. He Is being kept in ball
and chain when not in the court
room.
SCenterville, May 29.-(SpeciaD--
That he was addicted to the excessive
use of whisky, morphine, cocaine and
opium before he went to the reform
school when just past 9 years of age.
and that the cocaine habit was con
timed while he was serving a term. in
the Fort Madison penitentiary, was
the sworn statement made by John
Junkfn this morning before the Jury
which will declare whether or not his
life will be the penalty he will paw
for the murder of Clara Rosen. The
state, following the examination of
Dan Harmon, rested it's case early this
morning, and Immediately following,
the mother of the accused negro was
put on the stand to tell Of his early
history. After Amy Junkin was ex-
cused, the prisoner himself was called
and seated on the witness stand with
guard on either side of him. he sol.
EMMY swore that he had used intoxi.
cants and dope" since his early child.
hood until placed in Jail for the crime
he now faces.
County Attorney Cornell, using all
the STACEY at his command, tried
hard to break down the testimony OF
the negro. and in some instances ne
succeeded. Junkin told a straight
story as to his whereabouts after ne
escaped from the reformatory at Ell
dora. He told of touring the east, por-
tering and gambling In Chicago, work
Ing In Sheridan Wyoming, and re-
sAS"Su ShS lllS uS lSu lTOUl
the time he was sent to the reform
school until he killed Clara Rosen. He
was not questioned relative to the
crime, the defense introducing him
for the sole purpose of showing how
his mind had been affected by the use
Of liquor and drugs.
During the defendants examination
by Judge Mitchell, he was asked to
stand up and show the jury what
sized man he was. His attorney also
had him place out one foot, show the
jury his hands, back Of neck and both
sides Of his face. In fact, the defense
let no opportunity slip by to impress
the jurors with the brutal appearance
Of the negro and his general rough and
burly makeup. Junkin was guarded
by William Bray and Lem Dale. He
wore dark suit, no vest and had on
a white figured shirt with small bow
tie.
Tells Of Drug Habit.
Judge J. G. Mitchell in examin.
ing the defendant, reviewed his
history from before the time he
entered the reform school until he
murdered Clara Rosen. The pris.
oner acknowledged that he was
sent to Eldora because he was
"ornery" and thieving and wouldn't go
to school. He said that when he was
nine years old he used to pick up
partly filled bottles of liquor in alleys
and drink the liquor, and that money
he received for junk, rags. etc, he
used in purchasing whisky. He also
stated that he, with other boys, stole
some whisky from the Baker house in
Ottumwa. He never used cocaine be.
fore he went to the reform school, but
monty called hops, in Smoky Row, in.
stead Of going to school.
After running away from Eldora
some seven years after he was sent
there, Junkin went to Marshalltown
Tama, Muscatine and Centerville, not
returning home at once as he knew
the officers would be looking for him.
He portered in saloons and hotels and
in Muscatine was member of an old
plantation show. After remaining IN
Ottumwa two months, working at the
packing house, he went to Des Moines
and did porter work at the dives of
White Chapel. 1t was in Des Moines
that he acquired the cocaine
habit. From Des Moines he
went to New York state, Pennsylvania
and Ohio to see the country, working
his way by gambling and doing porter
work
The defense brought out through
Junkin that most of his life was spent
in doing porter work around saloons
and bawdy houses, and that he had
been gambler, user of cocaine, opium
and morphine, and had drunk consid-
cradle whisky He told Of working
in Sheridan, Wyoming, OF visiting in