The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1919-07-31
ROY EMERSON SUICIDES
Escaped from Deputy Sheriff and
Hung Himself Under a Bridge
Two Miles North of keIlert0n.

Roy Emerson, convicted of the
murder of his mother, escaped from
the custody of deputy sheriff Ed
Hayner, of Creston, a short distance
east of Kellerton late Tuesday night,
and going north on the. Kel!erton
and Decatur road, hung himself un-
der a small bridge near the farm OF
Frank Allen.
On Tuesday one of Emerson's
bondsmen, Will Wallace, Of Green
field, withdrew from his bond, and
deputy sheriff Hayner went to Des
Moines in an auto and took Emerson
in custody, and was on his way to
OF Ringgold county, where he was
convicted and sentenced to life i'm
prisonment, but had been released
on bond of $4,000 pending the
appeal of his case to the supreme
court. The party passed through
Leon and when a short distance east
Of kellerton one of the he G. castings on IN
were being made Emerson got out
of the car saying he wanted to
stretch his legs, and walked around
near. the car finally strolling to-,
wards a house where they had
stopped ana before he he was pan1n missed sad
Disappeared. The officer and his
companion thought Emerson had
lodged into a corn field close by and
after a hurried search and not find
ing him, returned to the house. and
phoned to Creston- for .Alva Thomas
tinued the search and some time
afterwards, but before the blood
hounds arrived. found Emerson
hanging dead under small bridge
a couple of miles northeast of kel-
lerton near the home of Frank AL
len. He had taken his belt and a
ed it around his neck and to a raft
er on the bridge, and strangled to
death, his knees just touching the
sand in the creeks bed.
Our readers can draw their own
conclusion as to whether it was re-
er, or dependency on account of his
bondsman withdrawing and fear of
going to the penitentiary at once to
commence serving his life sentence
which prompted him to take his life.
The final act in the terrible tragedy
took place just over, the line in
tance Mssedu out uss' Of pecatar 1us' county o uS
Leon. us was asAc called to O. the scene yes s.
terday forenoon to take charge of
the body. and after the inquest it
will be taken to Emerson's former
home at Creston for burial. Mrs:
Des Moines at the time he was taken
into custody, but remained there,
and started for Mt. Ayr on the Great
Western yesterday morning.
The case of Roy Emerson has at
prominient rae%i aiei undertsKer afsoo Of creston
dying last December, then the ter
rible murder of Mrs. Charles Emer-
son on May 9Th, the arrest of her
only son charged with killing his
mother, his conviction at Mt. Ayr
and sentence to the penitentiary for
LII life Rnr and Ennsy ths ending it all
life, makes a grewsome story, and
one which will pass down in the
crime annals of the state OF Iowa.
Feeling at Creston where Roy
Emerson was born and raised, was
very bitter against him, and after
his release on bail he was advised
by friends that it was best for him
his wife went direct from Mt. Ayr to
Des Moines.
Roy Emerson. convicted at Mt.
Ayr of second degree murder, being
charged with killing his mother,
May 9Th, 1919, was sentenced to life
imprisonment in the state peniten-
tiary by Judge H. A. Fuller, at Mt.
Ayr last Thursday, Immediately af-
ter Judge Fuller had overruled the
motion for new trial filed by En-
erson's attorneys, among the princi-
pal claims for a new trial being the
fact that Judge Fuller permitted
the jury to 60 to Creston and view
the undertaking establishment
where the crime was committed, the
Judge accompanying the jury, and
every precaution was taken to pre-
vent them from having any CONVEX
sation with any person while on the
trip. The court after sentencing
Emerson fixed his appeal bond at
$4,000, which Emerson gave at
once, with @. B. Emerson, of Alton,
his uncle, Mrs. Veda Huntington, of
Creston, and w. Wallace, of Adair
county, as sureties, and he walked
out of the court room a free man
until his case is finally decided by.
the supreme court, which will prob
ably take year. When asked If he,
had anything to say before having
sentence passed on him Emerson
said he had nothing to say. He lett
Mt. Ayr in company with his wife,
and announced they would probably
90 to Des Moines, where he hoped
to secure employment in an under
taking establishment
Emerson's Bondsman Withtlraws
and He Is Again in Custody.