Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-12-12
NJ CORM|CK TELLS
JURY HIS STORY
CONTINUED From Page -

was in need or a GOOD i've boy IN one
of his stores at Rock Island, ILL.,. which
was the headquarters of the concern
and that he had recommended the lad
for the place and for him to go to
Rock Island and take the work.
He said that he left at once for that
place and was employed by Mr. Sossna
during practically all of the two
months of November and December.
AL the close of this work he went
home again and then in the early part
of March, 1914. met Mr.. Simons at
Quincy, ILL.,, in response to the latter's
request. to get ready to start out for
the spring work.
Meets the Woman.
It was while on this trip, Mr.. Nc
Cormick said, that he met Ruth Nc
Collough, when he and Mr.. Simons
were at Oskaloosa. She at that time
was waitress at the Brooks cafe and
he took his meals there. The witness
told THE jury that he liked the girl
very much from the very first time
that he ever saw her, thought her very
pretty and that she appeared attrac-
tive to him. He said that he went out
once or twice with her while he and
his employer were in Oskaloosa, that
he thought her to be good girl and
that he liked her in good way and did
not think that she was much older
than he Shortly after meeting her,
or after few days stay in Oskaloosa
Mr. Simons closed his season for that
spring and the lad returned to his
home.
Woman Goes to KirksvilIe.
1t was not long after returning
home that the young man secured en-
ployment with the Bell Telephone Co.,
at Lancaster, and after a few weeks
work there was transferred to Kinks
vile, to the main Office of the company
for that locality. He had conceived
the idea that he wanted to learn fix
ed trade and that the work of line
man should be his profession.
On the Monday after July 4, 1914,
the boy first learned that Ruth Nc
Collough was in Kirksville, she having
come there that day and inquired at
the telephone Office for him. In ac-
cordance with instructions left at the
office by the woman, he went to the
Parlor cafe, where she had obtained
employment as waitress. He said
that he thought more and more of
Ruth as time went on and had reasons
to believe that she thought more of
him. He said that he did not know
that she was married woman until
one day, when they were discussing
the question that they be married, she
burst out crying and said, I'VE talk OF
being married. l can never marry
you. / am married woman and now
you will never care for me any more.
The boy told her that she need not
worry about that, that they could see
about divorce and easily arrange
hat part of it, He cared for her more
man ever then, the young man said,
Tor he even pitied her.
QuarreIed Over Sweetheart.
A letter was shown the witness,
identified by him, and later read to the
Jury, which was an epistle from the
boy to Mrs Mccullough. In 1t he
told her of him and his father quarrel
ing over the fact that the girl was in
Kirksville, that he was going to Mem
phis, Mo-, and if she loved him to come
to him and tell her employer that she
had to go home. He told her not to
ouy ticket, but to pay her fare on
he train, so that no one would know
where they had gone and that ii she
lid not come that she would never see
aim again. The letter was addressed
% Babe and signed Hubby"
Started to Ottumwa.
Continuing the boy said: About
The first week in September | started
north on the Wabash for Ottumwa
where l had expected to work until
could, later, secure permanent en-
ployment with the telephone people
at Kirksville. had had letter from
Simons, in which he had offered me a
position with him, again as sample
BOY for the fall, but l told him that l
aad had promise Of permanent
place with the telephone people and as
hat was the work which l had made
40 my mind to learn, could not &C
,ept his work again as it would only
be temporary and might hold me out
of a chance at this regular job, which
I had decided to adopt as my life
work and then, again, l did not want
to leave Ruth.
ION the depot platform at Bloom
field that day, met John Moler and he
told me about being connected with
side show at the county fair which
was In session there then. Together
we went out to the grounds and I
helped him out, in taking tickets and
CRYING his show for him. In short
time he told me that he had traded
the show or a portion Of it to man
named John Harris and that he want
ed a good girl to take tickets. | i'm
mediately thought of Ruth and told
him about her, saying that she was a
good girl, and that l believed she
would come. At his request, wired
her and she came Immediately.
eve worked together at that fair,
for about week, and then we moved
the show to Milton, about the third
week of September, and we worked
there together, too. 1t was during
that week on Thursday afternoon at
the boarding house, that l first saw
and met I. w. Mellott. ! saw Jessie
Springer there too, although / had
seen her before at Bloomfield when /
worked there the summer before. l
had heard that she did not bear very
good name l saw her actions at the
Milton fair with Mellott and Harris
opd knew that she was married