The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1912-05-01
Has
CARNIVAL
OF CRIME
Murder is
the Last of 13
Killings at
NoWata

lulsa, May line klilhB OF thH-
teen citizens Of Nowata, county seat
OF Nowata county Oklahoma, within
reasonably short time, and each crime
seemingly more atrocious than the one
next preceding it, has thrown the pop
ulation Of this city into fever heat, and
aid has been asked Of Coy. Cruce and
others in the protection Of life and
property Of It's citizens, while $1,000 in
cash has been raised by the towns
people as a reward for the arrest and
conviction Of parties responsible for
the crimes
! The climax was reached on April 10,
when the body of Mrs. Irene Goheen,
26 years old, was found on q Hill three
miles from Nowata, with her head
beaten TO a pulp with bloody stones
that lay scattered about the bodN In
determination to stop the wholesale
slaughter Of Nowata citizens, the peo-
pie caused Burns detectives and other
officers to be placed in charge Of the
case, which resulted in the arrest Of
H. o. JeffFies, editor and owner Of the
Nowata Advertiser for which paper
Mrs. Goheen worked as an advertising
solicitor
The clues leading to Jeffries arrest
we're the fact that Jelfries was seen
wasAing his buggy at o'clock on the
morning OF April 8. the mo-aing FOL
lowing the last night that Mrs. Goheen
was seen alive BY anyone VINO knew
her. and the further fact that he has
the only horse in Nowata shod with
race horse shoes. the imprints Of which
In the ground at the scene Of the MUIR
der, tally precisely with the shoes on
the animals feet, according to detec-
tiyes The officers say plaster casts
81 ihe horseshoe imprints at the scene
OF the murder were taken and proved
TO flt The feel Of JeffrIes' horse ex
actly
! Jeffries. besides being owner OF the
Nowata Daily Advertiser, is promi
nent in politics. He is chairman 0
she county Republican central com
mlttee. member Of the state RepubIi
can committee, and a delegate to th'
Third district convention. He is slat
ed for the postmaster's office at Nc
wata, and financially interested il
many OF the towns enterprises. He i
also said to be a cousin Of James
Jeifries. the ex-champion heavy weigh
pugilist OF the world.
Mrs. Goheen. at the time Of he
death. had been in Jeifries' emplo
about thirty days. having moved
Nowsss from Delaware, Okla.
March. On the night Of April sh
was seen at tAc railroad depot wheE
she had gone 10 see friend oil 0
the 1870 Iron Mountain train. \
one saw her alive after that excel
the party who slew her Her body va
found three days later by ee Foster,
Nowata boy while out hunting.
There could have been but one o
iect for the murder It was not re
berry. because her pocketbook was u
touched and her iewelry still in i
proper place. Neither was there al
evidence Of criminal assault but L
ground showed signs Of despera
struggle. When Mrs Colleen did n
show up for work no suspicion Of 10
play was entertained although her b
was found on a lawn a few doors fre
where she lived.
The dead woman was married B
had had become estranged from b
husband Goheen. while eating brei
fast % Colorado Springs reataura
April II. first learned Of the untim'
death Of his estranged wife, when
read a press dispatch in local pap
He Immediately came to Nowata a
has since aided the officers work.
on the case.
JefIrles has many friends amr
the newspaper men Of the state, q
his fratsrnal friends in Tulsa
shocked at bis arrest and the crl
charged to hts account