Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-06-30
JACOB REDMAN
GIVEN DECREE
PAWNBRokER AWARDED THE RE.
WARD OFFERED IN THE RosEN
MURDER CASE.
HELD PERSONALLY LIABLE
Court Holds Mayor r. J. Phillips Re-
sponsibIe for $500 With co-defen-
dants Sharing Costs Of the

sponsibIe for $500 With co-defen-
dants Sharing Costs Of the
Case
/. The returning Of ruling this morn
ing by Judge G. w. Vermillion Of Cen
terville in the Redman-Phillips case
better known as the Junkin reward
case, created no little interest. The
finding of the court is that Jocob Red.
man is entitled to the sum Of $700. as
the reward offered for information
leading to the arrest and conviction OF
4 the murderer of Clara Rosen, Febru-
airy 5, 1909, and for the commission OF
which the murderer John Junkin, will
hang at FIT. Madison penitentiary
July 20.
Phillips Liable Personally.
Perhaps the greatest interest at
taches not so much in the reward be-
ing awarded to the pawnbroker Red
man, but to the fact that Mayor T. j.
Phillips is held by the ruling to be
personally liable for the $500 offered
by him as mayor the day following the
crime. The 500 paid by c. O. Nelson
a brother-in-low g the murdered girl
in the hands Of the court for disposf-
tion to the party to whom the court
should make the award, as we'll as the
$500 given through the mayor by DR..
ID. C. Brockman whose name was with
held at his request in the offer, is
awarded Mr. Redman The costs of
the case are also to be borne by the
defendant, Phillips, with Nelson and
Brockman, where they have been re-
sponsible for any cost to plaintiff
Redman.
Many After Reward.
The opinion of Judge Vermilion is
a very lengthy document covering
some eight of ten typewriter pages
in which are cited several cases of a
similar nature to support his ruling.
In the opinion each phase of the case
is taken up and threshed through and
herein is the disposition made OF other
claimants who entered the case during
its hearing.
Other Claimants Ignored.
IN the course of the trial there en-
tered among the claimants for the re-
ward: Sheriff W. B. Griffin of Abba,
Dan Harmon, Officer Joe Beeman, j.
w. Gray, H. c. Williams, Mrs. r. Clut-
ter and Frank Logan. All of these
parties are disposed of in the ruling.
The opinion states that Jacob Red
mond furnished the information that
caused the arrest of Junkin and that
notwithstanding the aid given by
Messrs. Harmon, Williams, Gray and
others, the court finds that the first
information leading to the arrest Of
the murderer entities the person CIV
! ing this information the reward Of
fered AS to the claim of Officer
| Beeman, the opinion does not recog-
nize that he furnished claim for the
reward because as an officer he is not
entitled to any reward for perform
ance of his duty, nor does the court
consider that the arrest by Beeman
was q prior information against Jun
kin than that furnished by the plain
tiff Redman. The part played by Mrs.
Ray Clutter. Coleman Davis and Ed.
Steller Is not considered as entering
the case with any claim to the reward
because Of the fact that the informa-
ton given by Mrs. Clutter did not
reach the chief Of police until two
DAYS after the second arrest of Jun
kin.
Had No Authority.
In fixing the liability of the rewards
offered, the court takes the position
that the city is not empowered to use
it's funds for such purposes. and that
Mayor T. J. Phillips had no authority
to make such an offer. That the ad-
dition of the words, mayor of the
City of Ottumwa," affixed to the re-
ward, were merely descriptive and
that he, the defendant was personally
liable for the amount offered by him
as mayor OF Ottumwa. In summing
up the reasons for finding the opinion,
Judge Vermilion closes with the fol-
lowing words:
Issues Decree.
plaintiff will take decree dismis-
sing all cross petitions and petitions
Of intervenors on their merits with
Judgment against each Of the cross pc
titioners and intervenors respectively,
and for one-twelfth of the reporters
fee. Plaintiff will be decreed entitled
to the 800 paid into court by G. O..
Nelson and to judgment against de-
PENDANT D. G. Brockman for 800 and
any costs made by him, and judgment
against defendant T. ]. Phillips tor
$500 ssnd all other costs. A decree pre-
pared by counsel for plaintiff, saving