Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-08-02
MOTHER OF CONVICT EMPLOYS
ATTORNEYS TO AID IN FREE.
ING SON.
NOTE LEFT IN BOTTLE IN
RIVER BEING INVESTIGATED
Mn. Whitbsek in Chicago Suburb
Pressing PrsIiminariss to Secure
Pardon Of Youth Accused Of Killing
Fathsr-Dstective corrohorates Many
Of Alleged Suicides Statements.

the district court or FaEette county,
Iowa. for the murder Of his father. To-
day his mother. Mrs. Arrow Whitbeck,
of haywood. and other relatives are
endeavoring TO obtain his release from
life sentence, backed by evidence
that literally may have come from the
dead whitheck is in the Fort Mad
ison penitentiary.
A confession In bottle-the pur-
ported last message Of Mississippi
river suicide, an ex-convic- and muir
derer by his own statements the
curious factor that may clear Walter
whitbecks name and give him free
dom.
The existence and criminal career
of Jesse Miller. a self confessed muir
derer, has been proved by police rec
ords. He IS known to have been in
iowa about the time Arrow Whitbeck
was slain, and dilligent search by the
police OF the entire country has failed
TO disclose hts Whereabouts. No
prison has him within its walls and no
box car has disgoreed him into the
hands of waiting police.
Petition for Pardon Preparing.
Consequently the confession Of muir
der and the threat OF suicide are gwen
credence by Attorney P. H. ODonneA
of Chicago. and his investigators. VINO
have worked on the case for the last
three months. and u IS Incorporated
IN the application Tor pardon about TO
be presented 20 the Iowa officials.
Arrow Whitbeck and his wife mad
large family. which they reared on
their farm about twelve miles from
Fort Atkinson. Iowa. The date Of the
nrrr5er was March IS, 1908. and on the
previous day Walter had started .of
St. Paul and his father for a nearby
town to sell hogs. The elder WHIT
heck returned with the money from the
sale.
shortly after dark on March IS,
neishpor. William ]. Strickland, ap-
nrnached the whitbeck house. attract
ed by lighted lantern IN the barn
doorway. He saw a man emerge from
,ha harm. turn 4 corner. and disappear
IN the dark. Running forward he
found the body Of the elder Whiteeck
dead The victims pocket was emp
tied.
Neiehbor Accuses the Son.
Some davs after the murder Strick-
land definitely charged young WHIT
heck with being the man ne saw a
the barn. The accused was found IN
81. Paul and presented evidence 10
prove he was there al the time OF the
murder. other evidence, tina, OF neis a.
bors. placed him within three miles o.
HE home on the afternoon OF March
IS.
In September young Whitbeck was
found guilty and sentenced TO life I'M
prisonm emit, and the state supreme
court affirmed the ruins.
Three months ago Attorney oDon-
nell. al the request Of the aged Mrs
Whitbeck. who tAas come 10 haywood
began the movement for pardon He
sent an investigator 10 Iowa On 'he
return trip the detective arrived a.
Des Moines and found in the news
papers a dispatch from New Orlean:
telling Of the finding OF the bottle anC
Miller's alleged confession. He wen
south, read and photographed the let
ter. and got affdavits as 10 It's finding
Letter Which May FREQ Innocent Man
The letter is signed Jessie Miller,
the Termination of the given nam
declared probably due TO the writer
ignorance. 1t was written in scrawi!
hand, and read as follows:
ITO Whom This May Concern-Th nj
is the brief history of Man Broker
In Spirit and Health When This Note i
Picked up will Be in hell unless Tn
Good Lord has Mercy on My Poor Soul
was born In Pitts Burg 1853 or 81
was Prosperous one Time But Booz
Got The Best of me. Roamed I'M
Country over about March Is or l.
1908 Killed Man near Small Tow
In Iowa
I,f-
The old man fought me struck Hin
with a Club I did not intend to XII
him But Read in News Paper Will
81 the Omaha jail That The o!d ma
had Died l can not Speak his Name Blu
st was Something like Fishbeck
"Innoesnt Man Convicted"
81 Think an Innocent Man was Con
victed for This Crime as I herd Som
Buns Talking bout year later Tha
n Son in Law Of The old man ha
Been Sent up to The Penn for Life
he Was This Will Get him out. Thi
all happened near a Little Town Gale
fort in The Northern Part of lowe
This has Been a hell on Earth for NJ
every Since I leraned That That oil
man Died took what Money he ha
after knocked him down and 1 wake
That Whole Night long an other Ma
Came in The Barn Yard just after
Struck The Old Man and suppose he
The Man Suffering for The Crime
Committed Pray God to See Justice
done.
1.-The Finder Of This Note Will Pleas
Turn over to Proper Parties for pub
LEGATION So Good Bye All. Miss. Rive
for Me- May God have Mercy on NJ
Poor Soul.
JESSIE MILLER"
Search Leads to Omahs.
The search then led to Omaha, tn
confession having stated that Mile
was in Jail there when he heard ths
Arrow whitbeck was dead. Jesse Mi
Ger did not appear on the records. bt
there was Charles Miller, arrested G
March 80 while sleeping in box ca
No description was taken.
- II = 9is Catch 81 Salmon.
Special to Times Republican.
Mason City. Aug 1.-THE bisge
catch Of salmon for any day at II
traps of the Western Grocer Compan
srsggs m men naS IN extensive LIE ~ hnns'
IN this section Of the country. accord
snx to Manager Virgil, Of the loo
Aouoo, who received = wire that 200, %
- 80 1lnan laaAad. That q the bigge