Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-03-26
DR.. WHITAKER
IN Innl1M,'ts5 v.sm
~ U-.DTU1LU
FOR MURDER
GRAND JURY RETURNS BILL
AGAINST oTTUMWA PHYSICIAN
CHARGING HIM WITH THE
DEATH OF MRS. HAMMERsLEY

The charge of murder because Of an
have been performed January 25 on
Mrs. Ella Hammersley who died at
the hospital February 27, was the
finding of the grand jury in the ex-
animation of DR.. T. B. Whitaker.
Bonds in the sum Of $4,000 were given
by the wife Of the accused this morn
ing in the Office of the clerk Of court,
and he was afterwards presented in
court for arraignment Asked by the
court If record be made of the ar
raignment, his counsel declined and
the arraignment followed whereby
County Attorney Seneca Cornell read
the indictment and the time for the
plea was set for next Wednesday.
Criminal Operation.
The indictment charges I. B. Whit
aker with the use Of an instrument on
the person of Mrs. Ella Hammersley
for the accomplishment Of purpose
that is contrary to law and the same
was not necessary to save the life Of
the patient. The criminal operation
was said in the Indictment to have
been committed January 25, death re-
sulting from the operation February
~. The language Of the Indictment
charges DR.. Whitaker with murder in
that he did willfully, maliciously and
feloniously kill Mrs. Hammersley.
Arrested February 90. s
The arrest of Dr.. Whitaker took
place February 2S, the day following
the death Of Mrs. Hammersley and
was caused by Constable w. A. Derby,
Lof G.. B. Melick's justice court upon a
warrant issued by Coroner A. W..
Slaught following the verdict reached
by the coroner's jury in the inquest
held over; the body, Of Mrs. Hammer
Esley. The verdict charged the physl-
clan with criminal operation on the
woman which resulted in her
death. DR.. Whitaker was arraigned
in Justice G. B. Melick's court upon
the charge of murder in the second
degree He waived examination to
the grand jury and was placed under
"a bond Of $1,000, which his wife was
the surety on.
Inquest Charged Murder.
Mrs. Hammersley was the wife Of
w. S. Hammersley, 239 Mcpherson
street, and prior to her death made
an apte-mortem statement to Assist
ant County Attorney E. r. Mitchell in
the presence Of several Witnesses,
stating that DR.. Whitaker had per-
formed criminal operation on her. A
post -mortem examination was held in
the morgue Of c. T. SULLIVAN ~ Doc
tors E. A. Sheafe, M. Bann'ster and
F. w. Newell in the presence of Cor
oner A. w. Slaught The examination
showed by the testimony Of the ex-
amining physicians at the inquest.
that death resulted from septicaemia
or blood poisoning caused by the Grim
inal operation. The finding of the
coroner's inquest was as follows:
We, the jury do find that the said
Ella Hammersley came to her death,
between the hours of 12 M, and 1
o'clock p. M, on the 9th day Of Feb
ruary, 1910, from septicaemia, caused
by criminal operation performed by
Dr. I. B. Whitaker on or about Janu-
ary 25, 1910, said operation was for
the purpose of producing and did pro-
duce abortion
Will Be Heard This Term.
The time for making the plea for
the accused was set for Wednesday
morning, March 80 in order to give
the counsel for Dr. Whitaker time to
prepare his plea. The case will come
up for hearing in the present term Of
court unless some unforeseen obstacle
arises to prevent 1t.
.