Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-11-20
EATON TRIAL IS
NOW BEING HELD.
Man Charged With Shooting
Wife September z Faces
Charge Of Murder
DISMISSES CASE
AGAINST PURDY
County Attorney Tells Court
He Has Doubt as to the
Young Mans Guilt

The trial of s. HI. (Stub) Eaton start
ed this morning before Judge +. w.
Eichelberger in the district court about
10 o'clock. The work of securing q
jury was the chief occupation OF the
counsel for both state and defense
since the opening of the hearing.
The crime for which Eaton faces
trial is first degree murder. He is
| charged with shooting his wife to
death at their home, 421 West Main
street, Sunday afternoon September
| .. He was indicted by the grand Jury
during the present term of court after
having been In the county Jail for two
months.
Story Of the Crime.
Eaton In an interview the day follow
ing the shooting said that he had been
drinking and blamed his condition for
the rash act to liquor. The shooting
occurred in the presence of two men
who were with Eaton at the time.
These men are known as Pearl Ander-
son and Hugh Healy and are said to
have met the defendant a short time
previous to the tragedy along West
Main street In the vicinity OF Washing.
ton street. They are said to have
asked Eaton If he could get them some
beer or tell them where to get, and he
brought them or directed them to his
home.
Arriving home short time later he
is said to have addressed his wife, say.
| Ing, ~ guess you don't like i, mo any
TORS and then cyan shootfng. ThA
shots took effect III the breast, shoul-
der and arm Of his victim. 4 Following
the fleeing woman around the house
after she fled from the back door, he
Is said to have held the smoking gun
over her PROSTATE fo,m and saying,
$50 you are not dead yet" fired again.
the bullet penetrating the left temple
le then turned the now empty pistol
upon himself end snapped 1t before
making away from the place.
Jurors Hold Opinions.
The prospect Is good for a hard
fight behing made TO save the defend
ant. The examination Of the Jury Ii
being made slowly aud with much eau
tiOn by both counsel this morning anG
SO continued during the day. In the
preliminary challenges of the county
attorney there were no less than five
Jurors dismissed for cause because
they held opinions that they did not
think could be swayed by evidence
offered
The original draft of Jurors as well
as the fifteen ordered for appearance
today were exhausted early III the dav
and it was found necessary to ordnr
more The court ordered that fifty
talesmen be drawn and OF these but
fourteen could he located by n'"lonk I
this afternoon. The prosnect Of insnf-
ficiency Of jurors faced the court this
afternoon.
The defense of insanity will he r,ada
by the defendants coUnsel and an ef-
fort thus attempted 10 secure consid-
Grafton for the accused. The state
does not now intend to ask for any
special kind of punishment in the
event of conviction. leaving that to he
determined later upon the develop
ments of the trial.
Purdy Case Dismissed.
Upon the completion Of the evidence
III the case Of the state VS.. Mynard
Purdy charged with seduction. the
county attorney this morning moved
for the dismissal, stating to the court
that he had reasonable doubt as to s.
the guilt Of the young man and ques-
toned the testimony produced in the
form of certain letters offered In evi
dence. These letters purported to have Y
been sent by the complaining witness
to the defendant but we're denied by
the young woman. The county attor.
ney had the letters in question and
others as well received from the
young woman inspected by experts in
and they were declared
the same persons writing. The court
commended the county attorney for
his action in moving for dismissal stat.
ing that he would have probably taken
Aho noso fr0fn thu i1lrX him colf for