The Oskaloosa herald., 1910-10-20
WAS IT MURDER?
WAS IT SUICIDE?
Death Of John Stoker Under Com
plicated Circumstances.
MAN WAS RoBBED OF $4,000
He Leaves letters Indicating Suicide
Because Of Domestic Troubles
scruzen and johnson Confess
4. TO Having Robbed Him.

1
TO Having Robbed Him.
John Stoker, aged about Sc years,
formerly a wel-to-do farmer, was
found dead In his bed at the boarding
house of Mrs, Fannie b. Ellison, No.
3O7 First avenue west, where he had
been living since returning from the
west several weeks ago. Stoker was
found by George w. Whitacre, of No.
BIC Ninth avenue east, who came to
the house to Keep an appointment
with Stoker about two o'clock Sunday
afternoon. On going to Staker's room
he found the door secured. Mrs. Ell.
lison stated she had not seen Mr..
Stoker at any time during the day
and did not think he had left the
room. No sounds were heard in the
room since early in the morning,
Whitacre looked over the transom
into the room and found the light
still burning. Mrs. Ellison advised
forcing the, door, which Mr.. Whitacre
did, and the man was seen lying on
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the discoloration due to some kind Of
poison that had been taken. A
flask containing a small quantity of
some kind of liquid was found in
the room.
Whitacre did not think the man
could be dead and turned the body
over. BY the side of the dead man
were couple of letters, revolver,
bunch of keys and other articles. The
man had been dead a number of
hours. He was heard talking and
muttering incoherently to himself be-
tween four and five o'clock. Some
one was heard to leave the room about
this time and then all was still and
no further noise or disturbance was
heard from the apartments.
Mr.. Whitacre, after reading the let
! tiers and making an examination, went
to the mayors office and reported
what he knew of, the case and police
officers went to the room and took
charge. Coroner J. c. Barringer was
summoned and as careful an examin-
alton as possible was made of the
room and effects at the time.
The letter indicated that the man
had suicided. The writing in the
note was identified by the son, Lester
Stoker, as that of the father. The
cash, mentioned in the letter, how
ever, could not be found, although
careful search was made for it. This
fact aroused the suspicion of foul
play. The door of the room had been
locked from the inside, but a careful
search of the effects failed to reveal
the key. Another thing called for
explanation. The screen at the win
dow had been removed and some per-
son or persons had either climbed up
or down the column of the front
porch where marks were plainly Wis
ible.
Stoker had been intimate with the
police officers of the night force and
had told them much of his trouble.
They knew that he was Respondent
over his domestic affairs and that
he had large sum of cash about him
tween eight and nine hundred dollars.
investigation Started.
An investigation and closer eXamn-
alton was Immediately started by the
officers with the result that two
young men, Red" Johnson, a painter
by trade, and Glen Cruzen were arrest
ed at Ottumwa about one o'clock this
(Monday) morning by Officer John
Ruggenberg and Detective Muir of
the Iowa Central, whose services were
solicited in the case. The boys drove
to Ottumwa between two and three
o'clock Sunday morning and they
known to have had a large sum of
money with them when they started.
The officers went to work on the
smallest possible clue. 1t was found
that two boys had hired a rig early
Sunday morning at the Earle Henness
livery after having been refused a
rig at the Walter Williams barn. The
furious driving of the boys killed the
horse about two miles south of town.
They telephones for another horse,
saying that they would pay for the
one killed. Another rig with driver
was sent out and the boys paid one
hundred dollars for the dead animal.
They gave the driver a ten dollar bill
for driving them to Ottumwa and told
him that they had plenty OF money,
four hundred dollars each. that they
were going to get suits alike and do
other things. The identity OF these
boys was established as Red" John
son and Glen CruZen.
Boys Arrested in ottumwa.
Chief OF Police Ruggenberg started
Immediately for Ottumwa. Detective
Muir was in town and he was press
ed into service for the time being.
The Ottumwa officers were notified
and met the men from Oskaloosa at
the train. The boys We're located at
a rooming house. AS soon as possible
the lads were taken to the police head
quarters and the night was spent in
sweating them, with the result that a
signed statement. appearing below,
was secured from each of them. Thel
statements made last evening have
been supplemented by other state
ments made to the county attorney,
James Patterson, this morning, In
latter etatAments Johnson makes n |