Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-07-30
EXECUTED MANS
MOTHER IS WITNEss
MADE DYING STATEMENT 70
REV. FATHER zAIsER IN WHICH
ADMITTED KILLING GIRL AND
ASKED FORGIVENESS.
(BY E. G. DoUGHERTY, !,

state Prison, Fort, Madison. .Julv %
With never a atauiver Of fear John
Junkln, murderer OF Clara Rosen Of
ottum wa, paid tj\e penalty for his
crime In the presaNce Of witnesses n
the enclosure Of TN uncompleted cell
house at the Fort Madison penitentiary
shortly after noon. A,Rev. Fathers a
=. laiser and Peter Thurman 81 sE,ort
Madison. and Rev. Father Foley 81 81.
tumwa recited the act OF contrition.
sheriff Clark of Appanoose county
severed the rope that beld the trar
and the blackcapped and trussed bod,
OF the negro dropped through tl1s
tne opening into eternity. The dror
was SIX feet, but 1t failed to break ths
victlms neck and for twenty-four min
utes lie IVES apparent At the end q,
tnat time, Drs. r. E. Bamford of Cen
teIVllie and J. A. Hull and j. G. Box o,
ottumWa pronounced life extinct from
strangulation. Undertaken r. E. Stern.
Derg OF Fort Madison severed the rome
that held the body suspended
Rosen Glad Of Execution.
Immediately after the body Of the
negro fell through the trap a state.
ment was requested of Fred Rosen
whose eyes We're focused on the swing.
ing body Of the murderer.
am satisfied now" said Mr.. Ro.
sen; Il am glad he's done away with
was never more glad than am now.
When see with my own eyes that he
has gone.'' - -
When asked IL his satisfaction wa,
any greater because Of Junkin's suffer
Ing torture instead of instant death
MI. Rosen said he was glad to see him
suffer. 80 l-il
The aged father of the girl said Jun
kin had made him suffer more thar
anything else.
After shaking the hand Of sherif
Clark, Mr. Rosen progressed little
nearer the scaffold and remained
there with his eyes on the form a
Junkln until he was called away to
listen to the last statement OF the
negro dictated to Father Zaiser.
Sheriff Clark entered the neero's
cell at 9:12 o'clock this morning. Jun.
kin had called for him. AS the officer
approached, Junkin advanced at the
side OF the death watch and shook the
sherfff's hand warmly.
What are you going to do with NV
body?" asked Junkin. The sherif,
evaded the question. This is the 1ast
talk Clark had with the prisoner be.
fore the execution. The twelve legal
witnesses were J. I. Hamilton of
Numa, Val Minear of Mculton. sber.
man Clark Of Moulton, George Pajken
OF Centerville, William Thomas Of Gem
terV1lle, Harvey Stevens Of Cincinnati.
Harry Moore Of Brazil. William Ward
OF Lorlmor, George Huston OF Mystic,
William GARNER Of CentervilIe, ]. j.
Waters of Moulton and Officer Frank
Harris of Ottumwa.
At noon when everything was in
readiness, four guards went to Jun
kln's cell and brought him out, reach
ing the cell house at 1906. There was
no sound from those assembled and
the frightened negro rolled his eye
and contorted his features. Behind
him was Sheriff Clark and his depu.
ties, and with him was Father Zaiser,
the Catholic priest. At 1910 the negro
and Fathers Foley Of Ottumwa and
Zaiser and Huffman of Ft Madison
mounted the scaffold and Father Zai.
ser offered prayer:
Let Jesus come to thee this day"
he said.
Junkin was dressed in a dark blue
suit and wore patent leather shoes.
Death Watch McClain shook hands
with him and said goodbye" and
Junkin was asked if he had anything
to say He shook his head and said:
.-.--l-.-. Continued on Pa cra (