Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-11-29
WOMAN SHOT BY !
her | TILTED I |: J
MRS. BESSIE PERTuM IN sPREcAR-
Ious CONDITION AS RESULT
or ARRAY.
AsSAlLANT IS HELD
HELD
Elijah Miller, Negro suitor, Admits
Shooting Woman, Declaring That
he Could Not Bear to See Her
in Anothers Company.

Mrs. Bessie Perturn, aged So, colered,
lis lowering between life and death at
her home near Caldwell park, from
lover. Elijah Miller, also cOlored. MIL,
Ter is incarcerated in the city jail upon
the charge OF assault with intent TO
kill, which may he changed to that OF
murder If his victim should die. The
shooting occurred Saturday evening
about 8 o'clock, in Caldwell park. Mrs,
Pertum was being accompanied to her
home at the edge Of Caldwell park by
Cal Rocks, another negro, according
to the stories Of the police, and Miller
seeing the couple together, became
jealous. He hurried down town, pur.
chased 38-caliber bull dog revolver
and returned to the park to lie in walt
for the couple AS the Pertum woman
came by his he shot her twice. One
bullet passed through the fieshy part
Of her right hip, while the other
shot struck her in the left shoulder.
hit the bone and yeered downward.
With blood flowing profusely from both
wounds and weakened from loss OF
blood, Mrs. Pertum wrestled with her
assailant, and after a strenuous strug-
gle secured the gun from Miller. When
the gun play started Rocks ran away,
The injured woman was carried to her
home nearby and physician SUM
moned He expressed fear that the bull
let which took effect in her shoulder
may have lodged in her lung. II this
should be the case the womans death
is imminent.
confesses to shooting.
Miller, after shooting the woman,
made his escape from the scene Of the
ARRAY. He was arrested about 2 o'clock
Sunday morning by Patrolman Frank
Harris while standing in front OF the
Gilbert restaurant on South Market
street He meekly submitted to ar.
rest and was lodged in cell at the
police station. Miller confessed to the
police that he did the shooting, declar'
ing that he could not stand to see the
woman in company with another man
He asserted that he had been living
with her for four or five years and had
toiled and made the money with which
she had furnished her home. Miller
asserts that Rocks came to board at
the place. and that Mrs. Pertum was
planning to drive him out and have
Rocks take his place.
Miller has been In police court be-
fore on lesser charges. Chief Gala
CHER declares the Pertum woman has
been living with several different men
since her husbands death number Of
years ago. Miller has been living in
Ottumwa for a number OF years. OF
late he has been working on the new
postofice building. His folks live at
Colfax, la.
Miller Refuses to Talk.
When seen in his cell at the police
station this morning, Miller refused to
talk, declaring that he was telling
nothing to the newspapers as they had
often convicted men OF crimes. He
appears sullen and refused to make q
plea in police court this morning UNI
til he received the advice Of his at.
torney. It is understood in police
circles that Mrs. Petrum will not
prosecute Miller, but in case she
should die, the state will take charge
of the case.