The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1917-03-29
MINISTER TELLS
STORY To JURY
Ill Ali
OKLAHOMA MAN FINALLY TEs-
TITLES, AT RED OAK.
AND HIS STORY is ReFuTED
Relatives OF Gerald Morrow, the
Young Blacksmith, Declare He
Was In Montana the Day of
the Ak Murders,

! was w montana the DaJ OF
the Ak Murders.
l Red Oak, Ia, March 26.-J.'J. Bur
ris, the Oklahoma minister brought
here ten days ago by Attorney Gen
eral Havner to tell the grand jury in
vestigating the Villisca murders, OF
la deathbed confession OF. the crime,
alleged to have been made to him in
Radersburg, Montana, i'm July, 1913,
Saturday night told the jurors the
story. b.. -...
4 Burris declared that Gerald Nor
row, a young blacksmith living in
| Radersburg, formerly of ViIlisca,
confessed to him to having welded
| the ak which crushed the skulls OF
eight persons in the Joe Moore resi-
dence June 8, 1912.
Relatives of the dead man scout
the Bnrris story.
Miss Izola Morrow of Villisca. sis
ter of Gerald Morrow, asserts she
was with her brother when he died.
The minister was not present, Miss
Morrow, declared
~ The Minister'S Story.
Burris told the grand jury he was
alone with the sick man. After re-
penting many acts of misconduct"
the clergyman said, Morrow fairly
gasped 4 killed the Moore family
He sank back on his pillow and
lapsed into Inconsistencies immedi-
ately after making this confession,
Burris declared. ..,
Il never saw Morrow again." con
tinued the minister. Il learned af
forwards he had relatives visiting in
the neghborhood. The attending
physician told me the man died of
delirium tremens. 4
Il know he was suffering intense
physical and mental agony. He
seemed to realize the end was near,
Il do not know whether or not!
the grand jury will regard my story
as being of any Importance. | said
at the time | saw Morrow on his
deathbed that he was totally ire
sponsible, and still am in doubt as
to whether the mans confession 10
me is of any significance in connec-
ton with the ak murder probe"
Never Back in Iowa.
Mrs. John Nelson of Villisca, the
dead mans aunt, declared Morrow
had been raised in her home.
ale left us in 1902" she said. Cup
until the time of his death in Rad
ersburg, July 8, 1913, l know to a
certainty he was never back in Iowa. |
He lived for a time in Wyoming and
later moved to Montana. Raiders
burg had been his home for less than
a year. / was corresponding with |
my nephew and know of his move :
ments.
Immediately after the murders in
June, 1912, / sent Gerald newspapers !
containing the accounts of the trag- !
edy Promptly I received letter !
acknowledging the receipt of my !
communication Radersburg is more
than 1890 miles from Villisca. 1t !
would have been an impossibility for
my nephew to have returned to Vii
lisca without being recognized"
~ Sister With Brother
Miss Morrow declared she was Wis.,
iting on the ranch of DR.. L. c. Hough |
near Townsend the county seat OF
county, Montana, and ,
about thirty miles from Radersburg.
June 5, received word to hurry
to the bedside of my brother" said
Miss Morrow. 81 arrived in RAIDERS
burg June and was with my broth :
er when he died, June 8. ] did not
see the Rev. Buris while ] was in
that part of the country. In fact ! )
never heard of him until he gave ont
his interview in Red Oak"
Miss Morrow declared the physi-
clans told her her brother died of
spinal meningitis. She said she
stayed in the home of Mrs. Elm Nor
ton while in Radersburg and visited
her brother frequently at intervals
during the day. She declared that
if the minister called at the sick
room at all it was during her alb,
sence.
The Rev. Mr.. Burris last night left
for his home in Terlton, Oklahoma.