Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-02-28
running lines and locating claims. He
became afflicted with asthma and

became afflicted with asthma and
catarrh. so severely that he was com.
PEELED to retire. No better man ever
held. public position. He was the
father of my old schoolmate in the
days of little sawed OF Bozarth, peda.
gogue who taught me at least to not
waste time on fractions as they were
Of no consequences vicious training
that has risen up to torment me thou
sands of times, and even now have
| to get my wife to do 'em-I don't know
that he will be elated when refer to
James r. Hackworth AZ my old school
mate, but he can't dodge the fact
though as easily as he lodged the
angry switch whose sting should have
been in Jim Hawley's shoulders but
which dashed my face In scar quite
painful for days.
Right here must digress to say
to the several parties who have writ
ten me that they are mistaken IN sup
posing that l am attempting to write
correct record history. I am not.
The heading which the editor has been
enthusiastic enough to make fine
display, is Of itself explanatory. These
are simply reminiscences-things as
remember them, not intended as his
tory from the records. II err
in any statement 1t Is because OF
faulty memory, but in the main
the incidents, accidents and per-
sons named are not mythical. l hope
my critics will bear this in mind. You,
Mr.. Editor, would be surprised to see
the mail have received and the pleas
ant comments the letters contain. Had
I purposed writing an authentic his
tory I would be amenable to much
harsher criticism doubtless. 1t makes
no particular difference, for instance,
IL Laura Harvey was murdered IN
Richmond or in the river, the tragedy
I related was relative solely to that
crime that was committed. One OF
nv friends clears up that that said
was not clear to me-that the girl who
was murderedwas named Laura Har-
yey: that the murderers name was
Grant McComb, and that all the
parties were from Rockford, ILL.,. all OF
which now remember as being true;
that McComb was afterward hung IN
the Wapello county jail, when Geo. "A.
Derby was sheriff and Bill Reed deputy
sheriff, is vouched for by my cor
respondent But that can be defnltely
settled to any ones satisfaction who
will take the trouble to examine the
Courier files.
It Is not my purpose to rehash the
exact details, but rather to refresh the
memory of the old-timers as to Incl
dents that did actually occur and OF
men and women who lived, moved anu
had their being in "auld lang syne.
II was an unfortunate expression I'M
martial and correct history" that used
in nv letter to the editor, and on &C
count of that lapus of lingua presume
7 shau be subject to all kinds Of crit
icism as to details. Let 1t now be I'M
derstood that am not writing I'M
partial and correct history" but giving
accounts of occurrences as they rise
before me now that happened between
1S4s (62 years ago) and 1878 (32 yea
apo>. o, the time of life that | spent
in Ottumwa IT thirty years. | nope 70
be able to steer clear OF any intent TO
commit personal offense to any one,
and now ask the editor to blue pen
anything written by me that resemoiee
animosity or vindictiveness.
The school over which Bozarth pre-
aided was in the basement OF inc
Methodist church, next door to the
court house. Judge Osborn lived next
door to the church. The court house
had net yet been built-that Is, the
brick on the corner Of Court and
Fourth. Court was held, and school
was kept" in the rickety two story
court house on Market street between
Second and-hold, now; was there Sf.,a a
third street? Anyhow that old house,
With the stairs running up outside was
the -all-court, school, "meet1ns
an sunday and airly candle lighting,
shows and sometimes fights. In the
school there c. c. Blake was stu
dent He is down here IN Kansas
somewhere making q living as weatn,
er nrophet-a meteorological rival
~ Rev Irl Hicks. ct i'd genius omne
7 recollect wildly SHOW given
+heTe by travelling genius on the or
Az Of the modern hypnotisnn. The
o a Of the mesmerized boys and the
snns sung by the Snowman cling IN