Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-12-10

! the 1Ourtn wound was through tne
bone just above the left eye. He stat
| ed that there were powder marks
about the ear but none around the
eve and that practically all of the
brain matter was gone from out of the
/ skull cavity When shown wrench
and a handkerchief which are being
used as exhibits he said that they
looked very much like the same ones
that were taken in the car to Ollie
! from Hedrick, being in there when he
took charge of the body at the latter
place. He said that Mellott's trous
ers pockets, on both sides, in front
were turned wrong side out when he
first saw the body. He said that the
dead man had on only trousers, un
derwear and shirt at the time that he
took charge of the body. He stated
that he found small 22-caliber re-
volver which he believed had the in.
itials "a. W. on it and a small
breast pin in the car, the revolver
being under the mans body and the
pin on the floor in the front part OF
the car.
He examined the revolver, he said,
and it had four empty shells in 1t and
one or two empty chambers When
shown a small gold chain the witness
was of the opinion that it was the
same one that he had found fastened
across Mellott's breast, one end being
| hooked over a shirt button and the
other dangling about loosely. AS a
revolver, being used as an exhibit,
was handed Mr.. Reynolds he declared
that it was the same one that he found
| J1y;, of hn
Mellotts body and identified certain
stains upon the instrument as being
particles of the brain matter. When
shown a locket he said that it looked
very much like the same one which
he had found in an inside pocket OF the
coat thrown over Mellott's body and
which was supposed to belong to him:
The witness said that in his duties OF
preparing the body for burial he had
stitched up at least fifteen different
wounds in the mans head and that
it was his opinion that they had been
] inflicted by blows from a blunt instru-
ment His cross examination had
mainly to do with the communica.
lions which he did have or did not
have with the coroners of Keokuk
and Wapello counties.
Boys Tell Story.
! The testimony of Paul Boughn and
Faye Caldwell was confined principal
! ly to the telling of the finding Of Mel
lofts body. These two young men in
company with Clel Bottorff, who is I'M
able to appear on the witness stand
on account of illness, were en- route
to their homes on the night of October
| 6, 1914, and came upon car standing
at one side the road, with the lights
burning. Thinking only OF youth
full prank, they jumped out of the
buggy in which they were riding and
climbed into the car. After running
it about 100 feet forward they discov-
cred the form of a man lying in the
rear seat. With this startling dis
covery they fastened to Hedrick and
summoned DR.. Porter, Mayor Bowers
and others. They both testified to
blood being on the machine and their
description of the position of the body
did not differ materially from that of
other witnesses.
Or. j. A. Porter Testifes.
DR.. j. A. Porter, the physician at
Hedrick, who was called on the night
that Mellott's body was found, told
the jury that he was summoned about
o'clock at night and that he used
flash light in making an examination
of the body which he found huddled
down between the seats of the car.
He said that a coat was over it and
that a newspaper and a hat were on
the back seat. He drew the coat back
and the face being down took the
head by the hair and turned the face
upward to make an examination.
Then he found the skull cap to be
loosened, a deep injury in the fore
head, and the hair and face in a very
bloody condition.; The right arm was
across the hips, the left under the
body and feet drawn up. The witness
said that from his professional knowl-
edge he would say that the deceased
had been dead an hour or two when
he took charge of the remains, and
that he thought the wounds had been
inflicted by the use of a blunt instru-
ment.
DR.. Porter testified to blood being
found on the wind shield, on the top
of the car on the inside, on the left
fender and to blood and brains being
scattered over the right arm, face and
hair while small particles OF brain
matter and other bloody substances
were scattered all about in the road
and on the car. He said that they
went back to the place where the car
had stood and at the time did not find
anything, but upon going to the place
later with Sheriffs Knox and Grimes,
found pool Of blood about as large
as saucer and small particle OF
skull bone was said to have been
found but the witness could not re-
member just where it was picked up.
He said that a monkey wrench and
what was supposed to be lady's
handkerchief were found there also.
This witness said that the left trous-
ers pocket was turned wrong side out
and that while he saw fine gold
chain lying across the dead man
breast he could not say What it was
attached to and did not know whether
the coat was on or thrown over MIN.
Mayor Bowers Was Called.
Mayor G. G. Bowers of Hedrick was
On the stand, also, Tuesday afternoon
and his testimony had to do, in great
extent with his being called on the