Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-10-08
LEFT NOTE BLAMING
A RAILROAD NAN
SHOWN TO BE CASE or SUICIDE
RY LETTER IN WHICH CHE Ex,
PRESSED INTENTION OF KILL.
ING HERSELF.

o'',d, oesd, Oct. 7.-(Special. - A
young woman known as Miss Hattie
Slders, formerly Mrs. De Holt. ared
u, shot and killed herself here last
nlght while In room In the Gentry ho-
.el with Homer. Wooster, an oficer
from Abba with whom she had beeI,
keeplng company. She took the on.
GERS gun to shoot herself through the
neart. wooster has a wife and one
child In Abba. Wooster is beina
ned during the investigation. In let.
ler 70 her mother, she blamed another
man Tor her downfall and for this rea.
80, son ,sne decided to take her own life.
wooster and the woman registered AZ
sne hotei under the assumed name az
Mr. ana Mrs. Harvey Fisher.
A Clear Case Of Suicide.
That 1t was case of suicide was
| made practically certain BY letter Is
| her mother found in handbag beside
the bed The letter was dated Octo-
Der 6 and said:
Dear Mother-F an qoInn "a
XII myself tonight. love Ralph
/ Graft. Sod knows how love him
| ana ne ls the cause Of my death.
ne lived with me as my husband
and never was with any other
man all the time | spent with
him. When I'm dead tell Ralph
to look what he had done. a
told him ! would kill myself III he
left rne-"-Hattie.
Graft Is an Iowa Central engineer
and well known in Oskaloosa.
80 Wooefnr Tall ck~...
Constable Wooster came from Abba
yesterday to testify In a divorce case
here and met the woman during the
day. They came to the hotel together
during the evening and after register
ing as man and wife went to room.
wooster this morning said he was
asleep when he heard a shot and
awoke az l. to find the woman beside him
shot through the heart with his re-
volver. The bullet went entirely
through her body and was inbedded
in, the mattress.
Wooster, his clothing covered with
blood. ran down into the hotel offic0
and tore off the page Of the register In
which his name was written with that
to officers who were attracted by the
shots and asked for protection.
He was arraigned this morning ana
placed under 5000 bonds, which he did
not furnish. and went back to jail. His
Wife was present during the hearing
The coroner's inquest will be held thia
afternoon.
Causes sensatIon at Abba.
Abba, Oct T. Especial. Another
sensation was caused here last night
when word was received from Oska.
loosa that Constable Homer Wooster
Of this city was being held by the
police at Oskaloosa, as knowing some-
thing Of the tragic death Of Miss
Hattie Siders who shot herself through
the heart with the oflcer's revolver d
the Gentry hotel there. Wooster ID
one OF the most highly respected citk
zens Of Abba and at the June primary
was candidate for sheriff. Constable
Wooster had told Abba friends that h4
was going to Oskaloosa as a witness
in a divorce case. He has wife and
one child living here. The woman who
committed suicide was a widow, her
name having formerly been Mrs De-
Holt. She had worked In Abba at the
Monroe hotel and while here 1t il
claimed that she and Constable Woos-
tear became acquainted. She was seen
lin Abba during the Monroe county
fair last week and it is said that Woos.
ter was in her company while here.
She was a tall handsome woman with
dark hair and good fe-tures Accord.
ing to word received from Oskaloosa,
Wooster and the woman registered al
the Gentry hotel as Mr.. and Mrs.
harvey Fisher Of Hooking About
$50 O'Clock, the woman committed
suicide, while with Wooster In the
hotel room. Following bis arrest, Mr..
Wooster called up Horace Barnes
editor of the Abba Republican and told
him Of the shooting affray and party
of his friends composed Of Fred
Eyerette, Mr.. Wooster's attorney.
County Attorney D. W. Bates, Sheriff
w. b. Griffin and MIR. Barnes left at
midnight for Oskaloosa in an automo-
bile to confer with him and render him
aid in his trouble.
LaFoiIettee Is improving.