The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-03-15
Negro Who Killed Moses Jordon of
New Boston in April 1910, Changed
Plea and Was Given
Ten Years.
MURDER SECOND DEGREE
Change Plea From Not Guilty Of
Murder in First Degree to Gull.
ty of Lesser offense-Par-
ents Were Present.


Abe Anderson, colored. who killed
Moses Jordon, a Lee county farmer,
near New Boston, in April, 1910, enter.
ed plea of guilty to murder in the
second degree, in the district court at
3 o'clock this afternoon.
He was sentenced by Judge w. S.
WithroW to ton years at hard labor
in the penitentiary at Fort Madison.
His first plea was that of not gull
ty of murder in the first degree, for
which crime he was under indidt-
Iment
The statutory time for passing the
sentence was waived by Anderson.
The sentence was heard by Mr.. and
Mrs. Nelson Anderson the defendants
parents.
Anderson is thirty-two years old.
He killed Jordan while under the in
ifluence of liquor.
Judge Withrow stated to the de-
| fencant that he could have the statu-
tory time of three days before sent
ence was passed.
:" guess III be sentenced immed-
lately said Anderson.
Before passing the sentence, court
said:
you have plead guilty to murder
! in second degree. Under such circun1-
stances that requires severe punish
ment. The result of this trouble was
brought about by drunken brawI. I
cannot find that there had been any
! hatred against the man by you, nor
was there any generalization on your
part; but that you were inflamed by
liquor Thu law requires that the
| crime must not only be considered,
4 but the circumstances. Therefore
\ you are not charged with the most
serious crime under the class Of
murder. Yet, though the sentence
may be somewhat light, it must be of
sufficient severity to impress upon
4 you the act you have committed. You
must feel that such deeds must be
/ punished. The law is wise in its pur-
4 pose Of first furnishing the offender,
and then throwing out a warning. Con-
sidering the case reached the con-
clusion that your crime is nearer
manslaughter."
District court reconvened this morn
i ing at 9 O'Clock. and the early part of
the day was given over mostly to
! minor court matters. Abe Anderson,
i colored. who is under Indictment for
1 murder, was brought into court. but
was later returned to his cell with the
prospects OIL his case being begun this
4 afternoon In court this morning
negotiations were under way for
plea of guilty, but it was not brought
about Anderson is represented by
Hollingsworth and Blood
Anderson is charged with the kill
+ ing of Moses Jordon, Lee county
farmer residing near New Boston. The
two men were close friends, although
one was white and the other colored,
and were seen in each others COM
pany in Keokuk on numerous occas-
7. ions. They are known to have quar-
relied early on the day on which the
4 killing occurred, but what precipitated
the alteration that night is not
! known. .Iordon was killed by blow
from heavy iron weapon. There
were no eye witnesses to the tragedy
Anderson's arrest followed very short
ly and he was hurried to the county
Jail here to escape mob violence that
threatened at the time. Anderson
. has been in Jail for nearly year.
Motion In Saloon Cases.
In the saloon case of e. E. Meeks
vs.. B. e. Fuller, motion to strike
part of the plaintiffs amended Pc
tition was filed, aid asks that it be
made more specific. in that he be re-
quired to state what papers have not
at all times been kept on file with the
county auditor as required by law.
similar motion was filed in the case OF
Meeks VS.. &c rye E. Lock
In the matter of the estate OF Louise
]. Shelley, deceased, it was ordered
that the special administrator pay
certain taxes and other necessary eX
penses specifically set forth.
In the matter of the claim OF John
q. Craig VS.. the estate of Amanda 4
Il Hughes. Rice n. Bell was appointed 70
represent the estate in relation to this
7, claim. The claimant was the admin
istrator of the estate.
The following divorces have been
granted. Florence 2. Haulk from
Archie R. Haulk, Elizabeth Treutel
from Jacob S. Treuter and Helen
Rains from William Rains.
Bridge Tax Question.
The bridg tax question, over which
Keokuk and Fort Madison attorneys
have been fighting in legal confess
involving the city of Keokuk and the
Lee County board OF supervisors, vii
come up for final hearing during tht
present term of court, If possible, ae
cording to Attorney Hollingsworth