Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-12-10
Sheriff Grimes Testifies
Mccormick Was Not
Forced to Confess
SPAR ON QUESTION
OF CALLING CORONER
Different Witnesses Do Not
Agree as to Whether
Officer Saw Body

At the opening Of court this after.
noon at 1880, Sheriff Grimes took
the stand for the resumption Of
the cross examination. The wit
ness said that he heard the state
ment, said to have been made by
the boy, read over and that the
defendant was asked II sigma
ture on Il was his TO which he re-
piled that It was. Mr.. Grimes
stated that the examination Of
Clarence Mccormick was con-
Quoted by John J. Halpin, chief
OF the Chicago detective force,
and that he could not say any.
thing an to whether or not the boy
had been talked to in private by
Halpin. In regard to his CONVEX
sation on the train en- route to OF
tumWa he said that he had 40 de-
sire to "quiz" the lad at that
time and that they went into the
smoking compartment where the
conversation is said to have taken
place, at the solicitation Of Nc !
Cormick, who said he wanted to
smoke. Mr.. Grimes lett the stand
at 2:15 and was followed by D. e.
Buggie of the Chicago detective
force, who told Of the couples
arrest and circumstances sur
rounding II.
No threats were made, no promises
given nor was any violence used In
the securing Of the tatARants made
by Clarence McC C0rmick and Ruth
Mccullough in the chief detectives Of
fee in Chicago on October IA, 1914,
according to the knowledge OF Sheriff
E. j. Grimes of Keokuk county.
Such was the testimony given by
Sheriff Grimes this morning in the
direct examination by the county at
torney in the trial Of the case in which
Clarence Mccormick is charged with
the murder of l. w. Mellott, near He'd
rick, on the night of October 6, 1914.
Mr.. Grimes stated that he was pres
ent in the detective headquarters and
that both defendants were also there
when the typewriter statement was
read to them. He was also there, he
said, when they were being questioned
and heard nothing at any time which
might be construed as harsh words or
threats. nor did he see any one lay
hands upon either OF the two The
witness further told the jury that he
had two or three conversations with
Clarence Mccormick while they were
enroute to Ottumwa on Burlington
No. ] on the night of October IA,
1914. leaving Chicago at o'clock in
the evening. During these talks he
stated that Mccormick said, II think
ceived Ruth and / in various ways; he
had promised me job after job and did
not keep his promises. killed him to
get money | thought he must have
$50 or 500 upon him."
The witness stated that Mccormick
then told him about shooting Mellott
three or four times, he (McCormick)
sitting on the car door and shooting
the man in the right side Of the head
that Mellott put up strong fight and
he then hit him in the forehead with a
wrench and pulled him out Of the car;
examined his clothing, took $23 and a
gold watch when he had him on the
ground, dumped the body into the baci,
seat and closed the door. Mr.. Grimes
stated that the defendant did not ap-
pear to him to be under the influence
of fear and talked very freely, and
that the only time that he heard him
complain was to say that they p0ked
a gun in his face when they arrested
him like he was a desperate.
Tells OF Their Trip.
According to the testimony of Sher-
;fc Nr;nao Mcrorrnick tOld him fhat
after they had committed the crime.
they went to Hedrick, caught a freight
train there, and rode to Elerick juno
tion where they alighted. While there
he bought pair of trousers and shirt
and tried to buy waist for Mrs. Nc
Collough and after purchasing tickets
went to Monmouth. Arriving there he
went up into the city and bought a
waist, a comb and some face powder
for the woman While she was making
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