Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-08-27
STRANGER DIES;
MYSTERYUNs0LVEO
MAN FOUND LYING IN CORNFiELD
WITH SERIOUS HEAD WOUND
PASSES AWAY.
SUSPECTS ARRESTED
Two Men Are Taken Into Custody But
Later Released When They Are
Shown To Have Been Out
OF Town.

The unknown man, who was found
lying in cornfleld near the Shaul
cemetery about 8 o'clock Tuesday
morning, with a very serious wound In
his head, passed away at st. Joseph's
hospital at 2:40 this morning, without
having regained consciousness The
body was removed to Moroney's under
taking parlors, and will be kept there
awaiting further developments in the
case.
The passing of the stranger, without
having regained his consciousness, on
ly helps to deepen the mystery which
surrounds his death. The few papers
and letters that were found near the
body we're not sufficient to lend any
valuable light to who the assailant or
assailants were. The finding of track
chisel not far from where the man
was lying. when first discovered, has
led the authorities to believe that he
was struck with such an instrument. 1t
was necessary to remove three good
sized pieces of the skull bone from the
left side of the head, to relieve the
terrific pressure upon the brain.
The ground around the spot where
the body was found showed signs OF
struggle having taken place. The man
was dressed in blue shirt, pair OF
striped trousers and small cap Only
the legs of the trousers showed any
blood splotches. Beside the body was
a pair of blue overalls, a coat, pieces
of shirt. parts Of pair of socks and
a part of suit of underclothing and no
marks of blood were on these.
Arrest Suspects
Two men were arrested this morn
ing as suspects but were later re-
leased when evidence showed that
they we're out of the city when the
crime is supposedato have been com
mitted These men were taken into
custody by Sheriff w. E. Knox about
Z o'clock. One was arrested at spot
short distance south Of where the
mans body was found and the other
was taken into custoGy as he was
walking west on the Blakesburg road
at a place not far from the Harsch
farm. These men we're brought to the
Wapello county Jail and an attempt
was made to question them. One
stated that he was an Assyrian and ;
the other said he was a Persian.
Aside from that no information OF
any Importance could ,be obtained from
them: They we're released this after
noon when the conductor on Mil
waukee accommodation train. identi-
fed them as being the same men that
came to the city on his train, Tues
day evening from Richland.
Find Torn Envelope.
w. H. Rodibaugh, who was on the
scene nearly all day Tuesday with his
bloodhounds, found torn envelope
and portion OF leaflet or booklet
which may shed some light on the
mystery. The envelope was torn into
many small bits but Mr.. Rodibaugh
has fitted them together in the best
possible manner. The envelope bears
the appearance of having been writ
ten in indelible pencil and as near as
is possible to decipher reads, Mr..
Hart Lester, 1414 ----- Aye !
City" The leaflet is partially printed
and partially typewriter. 1t has the
Of church announcement
or something of that nature as refer
ence Is. made several times to words
which are apparently names of the
Diety. The entire writing and printing
is in foreign language and very hard
to decipher on account Of having been |
so badly torn.