Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-02-09
CRIME COMMITTED ON DARE
STREET SHORTLY AFTER DARK
body SEcRETED IN BRUSH IN
AN ExCAVATED LOT.
BIG STONE INFLICTS
THE DEATH WOUNDS
TALENTED YOUNG WOMAN WHILE
ENRoUTE TO HOME OF SISTER
is ASSAULTED-HER BROTHER
MAKES GRUEsoME FIND,

From Saturdays Daily.
The discovery after an agonizing
search of hours Of the dead body of
Clara Rosen, daughter of MIR. and Mrs.
Fred Rosen, 1011 Locust street, multi
lated and bearing evidence of fearful
death struggle, brought to light prob
ably the most fiendish murder Ottum-
wa has ever known.
The crime, was committed near
the corner of Dare and Cara streets,
about Z o'clock last night, and the
assailant who Is unknown and now at
large, not satisfied with crushing out
her young and beautiful life, com
pleted the heinous crime by carrying
or dragging the bleeding form a dis
lance of twelve feet above to the
uncompleted excavation of a house,
where the assaults were continued I'M
til death ended girls struggles.
The body was discovered about 4
O'Clock this morning by Fred Rosen.
brother, and Otto Johnson, who, with
numerous other friends and relatives
had made an exhaustive search since
7:15 o'clock when the family was ap-
prised Of her failure to arrive at the
home of her sister, Mrs Gust Nelson
on Dare street. where her sister was
waiting to accompany her to lecture
The body was mutilated beyond rec
ognition, particularly in the region OF
the head. The assailant employed a
stone fully eight inches square, with
sharp corners, to accomplish his pur-
pose, A diamond ring, small brooch
and a pocketbook, containing some
small change, were missing. The as
sault was first made on the brick side
walk on the east side of Dare street,
not fifty feet distant from Cara, and
within the same distance was the
home of Mr.. and Mrs. Frank Will
Jams. Following the blow in the head
which from all indications came from
the rear, the assailant carried or
dragged his victim up the slight in.
cline to the lot above, and in the ex-
cavation, some four feet deep, he
continued his brutal work. The
right side of the head was mashed;
the cheek and nose were broken and
portions of her garments showed by
dirt and rents that struggle was
made. The lifeless form lay under a
portion of dead limbs of tree, and
some grasses were also thrown over
the body to further conceal it. From
| INF in, hn 1j,t i1
the murderer escaped in southeast
erly direction. The footprinte denote
his progress from where the body lay
to distance of some 200 feet east,
to the Blake's branch sewer.
Left Home Early In Evening.
Clara Rosen, totally ignorant of
any impending harm, left her
home on Locust street at 6:25 o'clock,
and so foreign to her mind was the
thought of imminent danger, that she
declined her brother Fred's assistance
to accompany her to the home of her
sister. She walked north on Cherry
to Fourth street, and west on JET.
ferson until Cara was reached, when
she again turned west and began the
ascent of the slight incline Upon
reaching Dare street, Miss Rosen pro.
ceeded less than hundred feet when
her progress was stopped with a
vicious blow on the right side of the
head. She fell, stunned.
From indications there was no strug
gle on the sidewalk, there being NO
signs of a disturbance except pool OF
blood probably a foot square. Fearful
lest his crime should arouse the
neighbors, the murderer carried OF
dragged his victim up the embank
ment to the secreting place in the ex
cavation Their progress shows small
signs of struggle, although the posi-
ton of the grasses argue that the I'm
fortunate young woman fought hel
fiendish adversary with weakened eff
forts.
Neiehbors Not Aroused.
The most remarkable thing abou
the awful tragedy is the absolute igno
rance Of all neighbors, residing in the
, vicinity, Of the crime. Mrs. Franz
d Williams, 102 Dare street, not more
: than thirty feet away, states she wa
q entirely unaware Of any crime until al
|, officer aroused her this morning to us'
ueI te1epuOue. MI. WllidIlS Was avid.
It during the evening at work, and hi
e wife, together with their children
were at home. The curtains of TIL
: windows on the south side of the Will
q Jams home were raised, and Mrs
e Williams, after finishing her kitche
work was seated in their living room
S, directly off which was bay window
From this window, the entire yacan
! ! lot to the south of the home could
viewed. Miss Rosen's death evidentl