The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1909-08-19
TOM CURR|ER WAS
SLAIN BY STEPS0N
Warren County Tragedy Of March
Explained.
THE YOUTH ADMITS HIS GUILT
Full Confession Made to New Step
father-Western Cowboy, Who
Married Rich Widow, Gets
Story of Crime.


lieyed to be the solution of one of the
most remarkable murder mysteries in
the annals of Iowa has been reached
here through the confession of Harry
Hutchinson, a 12-year-old boy, that he
killed Thomas Currier, his step-father,
wealthy farmer, at his home near
New Virginia, in this county, on the
night OF March l, last.
Strange as Is the story of the trag,
edy itself, there is involved in the un.
raveling of the mystery, bit OF
romance even more remarkable, the
boys confession having been made, to
no less parsonage than Mr.. George
Brand, who recently became the sue.
cessor of the late Thomas Currier as
his stepfather
Finding Of Curriers' Body.
The story of the finding OF the body
OF Curier in a ditch near his home Oh
the morning of March 3, last, is still
fresh in the memory OF the people OF
this county.
Mrs. Currier, accompanied by TWO
of her children, boy and girl, had
gone to an eastern state for the pur
pose of settling an estate, having left
Harry, her son by a previous mar.
rage, and Fred, his halfbrother at
home with Currier. On the morning
OF March 2, the boys aroused the
neighborhood with the story of the
disappearance of Currier. They show,
ed note reading, Goodbye boys, |!
am gone" purporting to have been
signed by Currier, and the neighbors
surmising at once that it probably
was a case of suicide, began search
OF the premises for the body. p
Word was carried to New Virginia
and the people of the village Joined
the search which continued all that
day, and far into the night Resum-
ing the search early the next morn
ing, the body was found in a ditch
some distance from the house. 1t had
bullet wound in the body, and deep
cut in the head. Examination of the
body also revealed numerous bruises.
Boy Chung to Story.
Alt his tended of course to discred.
it the story OF the Hutchinson boy,
but though he was questioned again
and again, he chung tenaciously to his
original story, never varying from il
in the slightest degree. Curriers'
own son, Fred, assented to the Hutch
inson boys story when the neighbors
were first aroused, but owing to his
tender years, the officers in later in.
vestigations did not examine him
closely. ..
Then suddenly there came another
chapter in the tragedy when this lad
OF years, become i'll OF diphtheria
and died, the only eyewitness OF the
murder, il murder it was, thus being
removed.
Briefly the Hutchinson boys story
as told to the neighbors and later to
the coroner's jury that he and Fred
had foundt he note from Currier OIL
their return from New Virginia where
they had spent the afternoon OF
March /.
The coroner's jury reached no con-
clusion in the case. The verdict was
tot hee fleet that Currier came to his
death by means unknown to the jury.
,.f,, Sheriff Never Doubted.
But Sheriff G. l.. Kimes was cob.
WINGED from the moment the body was
found that Currier was slain by his
step-son, and continued to work quiet
ly but diligently from that day until
When the mother erturned from the
east few days after the murder she
was frankly told OF the sheriff's sus-
picions, and promised to cooperate
with him in his efforts to bring oht
the truth. .
Accordingly she undertook a little
detective work on her own account
but question the boy as she would, his
story of the tragedy was always the
same.
Sheriff Hines heard suggestions
from time to time that the boy should
be put through the third degree," but
4. this he persistently refused to do,
holding that the boy was too young
to be subjected to the regulation po-
lice "scwating" process. But he new.
gcr despaired of finally getting the boy
TO tell the truth. and now his judg.
ment and the use OF gentler methods
have been indicated.
Cowboy On the Job.
Mrs. Currier needed some one to
operate the 2S0-acre farm and Sheriif
Hines searched long and diligently
for man who could do that and al
the same time play the role of Sner.
lock Holmes. But the right man could
not be located. Finally a want ad
was inserted in the Des Moines pa.
pers and came to the notice of George
Brand, then in Minnesota, who had
had large experience as a cowboy on
the western plains. Negotiations re-
sulting in his coming to Clarinda and
taking the job.
After conference with Sheriff
Kimos in which he was told OF all the
circumstances In the strange case he
went out to the farm near New Vir-
ginia and got on the job.
Brand Marrles Widow.
Here also Is where Dan Cupid got