Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-03-30
may HAVE met
WITH FOUL PLAY
THEORY ENTERTAINED THAT j.
A. MCCONNELL WAS VICTIM
OF ROBBERY
MONEY WAS GONE
The $25 In Gold Which He Had Satur.
day Morning Was Missing When
Clothing Was Searched.
Pocketbook Empty

Clothing Was Searched;
Pocketbook Empty
Evidence presented to the coroner's
! Jury at the inquest this morning gives
! foundation to the theory that john
Andrew Mcconnell, whose body was
| taken from the Des Moines river yes
terday morning, met with foul play
on the night of Saturday, January IL.
When seen Saturday morning by Mrs.
Mary A. Grogan, 703 West Main street,
with whom Mcconnell boarded at
times, the man had $25 in gold and
some silver. 1t Is found by the jury
that he met his death in all probability
ten hours later, about 1880 p. m. jan
uary Is. During that time all MS
money disappeared as he had but elgnt
cents lying loose in one pocket when
his clothing was searched at the Sui
livan morgue yesterday morning. Inc
coroner's jury, however returned
verdict disregarding the foul play sns-
picions since there was no definite evil
dence as to how the man came 10 MS
death. Nevertheless the money ques.
ton placed doubt in the minds OF
the iurymen and they believe 1t IS
probable that Mcconnell was roDDeo
and thrown in the river. ,
Edgar Mcconnell, son of the dead
man, declared this morning that ne
was sure his father had been killed
by robbers. The son asserted that the
marks on the face confirm his bellet.
McConnell's nose was broken and MS
face badly mashed across the nose.
DR.. Slaught, however, asserted tnat
these marks and all other cuts ana
bruises were due to the buffetlng o!
the ice as there is no discolorat1on OF
the face. Coroner Slaught said TO-DAY
that had the wounds been inflicted BE-
fore death, the face would have been
blood clotted. In spite Of this fact, Ed"
gar Mcconnell says he can believe
nothing else than that his father met
with foul play.
Saw Him With Man.
Mrs. Grogan on the stand this morn
ing at the Sullivan establishment
stated that Mr.. Mcconnell often
STAYED at her boarding house. She as.
serted that two of her boarders SAID
they saw Mcconnell early Saturday
night with man whose name they dlo
not know and at that time Mr.. McCon'
nell was intoxicated. When asked re-
garding the money, Mrs. Grosan
stated that Mr.. Mcconnell poured MS
money out of his pocketbook on the
table when he paid her for a meal
Saturday morning. He had two ten-dot
lar gold pieces and five-dollar golo
piece, besides some silver.
It is therefore the conclusion that
the dead man might have been roooeo
and rolled into the rivre while lntoxlcat.
ed either by his companion on that
fatal Saturday, night or by others. II
NAV not have been necessary to nave
beaten him because of his condition.
The disappearance of the money is the
only basis upon which the foul play
| theory is based.
Five Witnesses Testify.
| Besides Mrs. Grogan, four witnesses
gave testimony on the stand. MIS-
Thompson, the daughter Of the deceas-
ed asserted that when he was at her
house on Friday morning, ne mad con
siderable money. She, said that her
father was inclined to drink to excess
but that he was sober that morning
! Mrs. Grogan states that the unfortun-
ate man was under the influence OF
liuuor when he came to her house Fiji
day night and also Saturday afternoon
at 4:30 o'clock when she saw him on
the street. The other supposition as &c
how he met his death is expressed as
his having accidentally fallen into the
river while wandering about. Just
| where he met his death is unknown.
Edgar Mcconnell testified to his
| fathers leaving New London and his
failure to return there.
! T. A. Wallace with Alec Cundiff, who
caught the man on his snag line, as
serted there was an eddy at that point
in the river. The water swirled In from
the current and was practically still
Mr. Cundiff corroborated this testi'
mony, stating that when his snas
caught Mr.. McConnells body. it re-
fused to give for a time. When M
strengthened his pull. the line came uI
and with it something that had loosen
ed at the bottom. When the weight wa!
brought to the surface. the appalling
discovery was made. Mr.. CundlH stat
that the body had been whirled Int
this eddy and was partly covered will
mud.
| Tho Coroner's Jury Verdict.
The following verdict of the cor
oner's iury. J. w. Ninemires, Charles
iAldridge. and N. E. Carpenter, was re
turned this morning:
! "That we find that the said ]. A. Nc
Connell came to his death on or aoou
January 10, 1912. We are of the opin
ion that the hour was near 1890 p. m
We find that death was probabl.
caused by drowning. as the body wa
found in the Des Moines river on Marcl
%. 1912. How or by what means he go
into the river, is unknown to this jury.
The body will be taken tomorrov
morning at 1905 on the Milwaukee t
Sigourney for burial. Services Will b
held there.
Cartridge Explodes; Lad Wounded.
Clearfield, March 2s.-Harold Lii
niger. son Of a prominent farmer, |
suffering today from bullet wound i
his head. The lad was shooting at
target when one cartridge failed t