Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-03-09
YoHh JuNklN MUST ANSWER TO
CHARGE WHICH HAS A PENAL.
tn OF DEATH BY HANGING
VERDICT RETURNED SATURDAY
NEGRO DENIES HIS
ALBA CONFESSION
SAYS He WAS DoPED INTO
SIGNING THE SWORN STATE
MENT-s,NGs III ARMY sERv-
IcEs-WARDEN GIVES VIEWS.

Almost simultaneously with the re-
porting of the grand jury Saturday aft
ernoon of an indictment against John
Junkin for murder in the perpetration
of robbery, which is first degree Of
Tense, the negro murderer gave out an
interview in Des Moines denying the
confession he had signed in the Abba
Jail. There h'aint nothing to that
Griffin confession" says Junkin. THAT
Pinkerton niger sleuth they put in
my cell down at Abba kept giving me
whisky all the time, and l know he
put dope in it. They got me stewed on
that combination and then talked me
into signing that confession"
County Attorney Seneca Cornell
states that he has tried four murder
cases during his three administra-
tions as prosecuting attorney for the
county and In each he has requested
the jury to limit their verdicts to life
imprisonment, but in the Junlzin case.
which will not come up for trial until
the next term of court, he will make
strong plea for death by hanging.
Mr., Cornell has always been ayerse
to capital punishment, but the brutal
and heinous manner in which Miss
Rosen was murdered, as shown by the
evidence before. the grand jury, has ac-.
tuated the prosecutor in deciding to
ask for verdict Of hanging. In the
event that the safety of Junkin be-
comes doubtful County Attorney Cor
nell will ask the Wapello county
court for an order authorizing the ne
gro's removal from Des Moines to the
Fort Madison penitentiary for safe
keeping
Denies His Confession.
John Junkin, says the Des Moines
Register and Leader, Saturday after
noon came out with the assertion that
he does not remember signing any
confession for Sheriff Griffin of Abba,
and that if he did sign one it was
while he was intoxicated and under
the influence of dope, which he
charges the officers placed in the whis.
ky they gave him.
There h'aint nothing to that Grif-
fin confession" said Junkin. THAT
PinlSerton niger sleuth they put in nv
cell down at Abba kept giving me
whisky all the time, and I know he
put dope In it. They got me stewed
on that combination and then talked
IL.
II just come to enough to under
on the train coming to Des Moines
last Sunday morning. I was sure dopey
Saturday, when I made that confession
If made one"
Says He Did Not Know.
In addition hiscmfwypshrdlueet
In addition to this new story Junkin
again reiterated his assertion made
several days ago that he absolutely
did not strike the blow which killed
Clara Rosen. He declared that she
was not yet dead when he left her
with the two white men
If I should be struck dead right
now" vowed Junkin, 'I swear l didn't
kill that girl and that l didn't know
she was dead uitil I read about it in
the papers the next morning"
Junkin laughs at the report which
has gone out that he would commit
suicide before being taken to Ottum-
wa.
TITS fat chance anybody has got
Of committing suicide when one is
watched as close as these Des Moines
jailers watch me. And anyhow,
wouldn't commit suicide I'm going
down to Ottumwa. make fight In
court, and then take my medicine"
Attorney Walter McHenry. who has
about decided to represent Junkin
when his trial is called, visited the ne
4 gro in the Jail Saturday. He will send
for Junkin's mother to come to Des
Moines as soon as she has recovered
sufficiently from her breakdown tc
make the trip.
Not Afraid of ottumwa.
Junkin does not mind the trip he
will have to make to Ottumwa to plead
TO the indictment returned against
him. But ha does not relish the
thought of being kept in the Ottumws
Jail.
II hope they will bring me back tt
Des Moines after have been arraign
ed said he. II don't want to be in OF
tumwa, although am positive IL
had been kept in Ottumwa all the time
after my arrest and had not beer
taken to Abba would be a free mar
today or would not have been held OF
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