Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-12-15


strength many things we pay money TO
see on the stage. Personally it would
have flattered my vanity to have mad
a verdict of not guilty from the jury
but II concede that In a moment like
this my duty is service, more than self
praise.
II predict that after short time in
Anamosa, Clarence will come out, cur
ed of his follies and will be restored to
a life Of great usefulness. Under the
law the court commits him, by agree.
ment, to an indeterminate sentence.
This can not be longer than eight
years and he may be paroled or dis
charged on good behavior any time
when, in the Judgment of the state
board, such be wise. The parents have
expressed their great appreciation, and
I do here express. my gratitude, for the
kindly sympathy which has been uni.
versally expressed and shown toward
them and their son throughout this
trial"
The defendant took the stand for the
cross examination shortly after two
O'Clock Friday afternoon and for over
two hours answered the questions that
were given him by County Attorney
Steck. Only In some of the minor
points. did he change his testimony
any, from his six hour recital of his
own story as told on the stand Friday
morning and Thursday afternoon. The
main facts were practically the same
when he left the stand, as had been
given at first.
Met Girl as Waitress.
Tho 1ofondont hooop hn o1of 0f
his story to Attorney Steck, as the
cross examiner, by telling of meeting
Ruth Mccullough first at the Brooks
cafe in Oskaloosa, where she was en-
ployed as waitress, He said that he
had eaten at her table three or four
times and had talked to her while
there and one night just before he left
with Mr.. Slmons. as the latter had
completed his work in the city, he
asked her to go to a show with him.
that they did not go but walked about
the city for half an hour instead.
He said that she told him at that
time her name was Ruth McElroy and
that in her letters which she began
sending soon after he left Oskaloosa,
she used the same name, he not know
ing that her name was Mccullough I'M
til during the latter part Of August,
when the woman was at Kirksville.
He didn't remember who wrote first
but said that each had promised the
other to correspond after they had
parted. Sometimes he heard from
her two or three times a week and
again every day. The witness said that
he did not know that the woman was
coming to Kirksville until she was
there, although he admitted that he
had written to her to come and after
ward written again not to. He thought
that she had given up the idea and
was surprised to see her in the
Missouri city.
The woman, according to the lad on
the stand, stayed in Kirksville from
the Monday after July until about
the first week in September, working
most of the time in restaurant. Later
she went to Lancaster to visit friends
and when the lads father found out
that he had been going out with the
girl and had been writing to her, he
admonished him for being so intimate
with woman he knew so little about.
The witness stated that that was what
he meant when he sent the girl note
in Lancaster, the first sentence of
which read, "Babe:-Father and
have quarreled and am going back to
Memphis He stated that he did not
mean in any sense that he was going
back to Memphis because he and his
father had quarreled but wrote 1t tnat
way SO she would construe it to mean
that, and leave, as she knew that the
elder man was not favorable to her
friendship with the boy.
Lived a. Man and Wife.
The witness stated that he and Ruth
Mccullough first lived together as man
and wife at Milton, that he used the
name of Earl Clarke" when he reg
istered at TT. Madison hotel when
he and the Mccullough woman were
enroute to West Point to look over
lair prospects, that he had no thought
of anyone following them when they
came through Ottumwa on Monday,
October 5, enroute to Oskaloosa, but
did walk up the railroad tracks from
the Jefferson street depot to the
union station as he had been told by
Mellott that the officers here were on
the lookout for him.
He further stated that Mellott told
him that he wanted to go on to Oska-
loosa from Ollie on the night Of Oct.
6, to see a man on business at the Iowa
hotel in the former city. He said that
it was about 1915 or 1890 when Mel
lott stopped his car short distance
from Hedrick, or the spot where the
tragedy occurred. He was positive
that it did not stand there more than
fifty minutes or an hour and that he
heard no cutlery from the woman while
she was supposed to be talking 20
Mellott about settlement, that he did
not know which arm Mellott used in
striking him with the monkey wrench
and had never heard that the man was
weak in the left arm from gun shot
wound inflicted there while child.
Tells How He Had Knife.
Young Mccormick explained how ne
came in possession of Mellott's knife,
by saying that in the afternoon when
on their way to Oskaloosa, he rode,
when they left Packwood In the front
seat with Mellott and Ruth was alone
in the rear seat. A short distance out
from Oskaloosa the engine went dead
Oh hill and Mellott told him to jump
out and put stick or something I'M
dor tho wheel t0 hold If He said he