Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-03-20
DETECTIVE WILKINSON REFUTEs
ssToRY TOLD BY EvANGE-
LIST suRRls.
GIVES DETAILS or DEATH
VI " or ALLEGED COMPRESSOR
tzsrsld Morrow, Said by eurris to Have
y Admitted Crimes, Did Not Die Of De-
Iirium Trsmsns, But Of Meningitis
& Was Native Of viIIisea But in Far
West AZ Time Of Moore Murders.

Red oak, March 20.-The story given
out here by Rev. J. J.. Burris, of Okla
11oma, to the effect that he had heard
dying blacksmith from villisca con-
fess to the murder of the Moore family
and the little Stillinger girls at Viii
Nsca is not generally believed.
J. N. Wilkerson, who says he has in
vestigated the story says:
Il have long known Of the alleged
confession and have Anticipated that it
would be sprung at some psychological
n,>ment. Rev. Burris' story is very
interesting, but the confession was
never made. H.S
gerald Morrow was born at Villisca
and was brought up by his uncle, John
Nelson, the village blacksmith at Viii
listas Young Gerald learned the trade
at This ;uncle's forge. John NELSON was
very fond Of his nephew and did good
part by him. He intended graduating
Gerald in high school and kept him in
the villisca high school until he was
IL yeal3 of'age. when On account Of a
pSeVC dI d lcdCueI, Z/cldlu HuiL SSAooA
one year before graduating and went
west.
''R. A. Dunn, the present sheriff of
Montgomery county was a classmate
Of young Morrow and well remembers
him. After going west Gerald went on
a sheep ranch in Montana where he
worked several years as herdsman.
His bJss was seriously wounded by the
cattlemen in the Jackson Hole war and
spent year in the hospital at Denver.
While he was away Gerald Morrow
was in complete charge of the ranch.
Upon the return Of the, rancher from
his long stay at the hospital, he was so
pleased with the able and efficient
manner In which young Morro~ had
conducted the ranch that he was pro-
NOTED totbe permanent ranch boss.
"a year later when the cattlemen
gained the day and the sheepmen
We're driven from the range young
Morrow drifted further westward and
was at last settled at Radersburg,
Mont, where ne took up the trade that
he had learned at his uncles forge.
Was IN Montana in 1912.
During the year 1912. Gerald was
sick from pneumonia and got down and
out, In the meantime his uncle, John
Nelson, had died in villisca.g but
Gerald was promptly given aid BY his
aunt with whom he regularly corre--
sponded thruout the year 1917 sT1aa
sank sent him copies Of the papers
conaAining the account Of tho villisGa
tragedy and ne wrote her very I1eel-.
- \, =
day that Gerald Morrow left villisza in
1902 he never again set foot on Iowa
soiL
Miss lola Morrow, the only sister
OF Gerald. remained in Villisca with her
aunt, Mrs Nelson. where she lives to-
day When she read Of the story be-
ings told by the Oklahoma preacher she
tainted. Easily she saw that it was
Gerald Morrow that the story pointed
ont as the man who had gone to his
death with the horrible confession.
Miss Izola knew that her brother had
died in Radersburg, Mont; that he
died on the 7th day Of July, 1913; that
he was from Villisca; that he was a
blacksmith and that he died in room
at the hotel. This much the preacher
had told that she could verify. but the
remainder Of the story was SO astound-
ing and to her knowledge so at var
lance with the facts that she tainted.
Just as she did so an aunt of hers who
lives in Montana and who was stop
ping Off at Villisca on her way from
a visit in the east, stepped into the
room, and when Mrs. Nelson came in,
Miss lola had recovered from her
swoon but was weeping bitterly be-
cause of the fact that she saw plainly