Omaha daily bee., 1919-05-09
iowa Man
HELD F 0 R
MURDER OF
N 0 7 H { R
Special Session Of Grand Jury
Returns indictment Against
Roy Emerson Of Creston;
Feeling Is High.

Creston, Ia, May 8.-Roy Emer-
son was arrested here at noon today
on a bench warrant issued by Judge
Fuller in the district court charging
him with the murder of his mother.
The warrant was served during the
coroner's inquest. Feeling is run
nng high as his mother, Mrs. Kate
Emerson, was prominent locally.
A special session of the grand
jury was called at 80 p. m. to in
vestigate Mrs. Emerson's death. Her
body was found lying at the bottom
of the elevator shaft in the Emer-
son undertaking establishment. OF
which she was the owner, at Sis
Tuesday night. Both legs were
broken between the knee and ankle.
and her skull fractured in three
places.
The coroner's jury after a two
days investigation returned ver-
dict that she came to her death by
being struck with a blunt instru-
ment in the hands of a person un-
known to them. The evidence at
the inquest pointed strongly toward
the implication of the son.
Testimony of Physician.
DR.. J. w. Cohaley's testimony was
the most damaging toward the son.
He testified that Roy Emerson re-
iquested him to testify that his
mothers pulse was still beating at
the time the body was found. The
reason given by the son for this re-
quest, he said, was to prevent post
mortem being held. The doctor
said he refused to SO testify, as the
woman had undoubtedly been dead
from two to three hours when found.
DR.. Cohaley testified that he was
present when the body was found
BY the son at the bottom of the ele-
vator shaft. In his testimony he
said that the other employees were
out of the building shortly before,
attending a funeral, and that he be-
lieved the mother and son were the
only people in the building at the
time of her death.
In describing the finding of the
body he said the son opened the
door to the shaft and exclaimed.
"My God. there's mother" He
stated that the shaft was dark and
the other persons present were una
bic to see the body until their atten-
ton was called to il,
Taking the stand in his own de-
Tense before the -coroner's jury
Emerson, testified that his mother
had been respondent at times and
that she was despondent on the
afternoon of her death. His testi-
mony failed to reveal any new in
formation as to the cause of her
death. Other witnesses summoned
refuted his statements about his
mother being of a dependent.
nature.
Witnesses testified that a win
dow weight covered with blood was
found in a waste paper basket COW
cred with paper on the second floor
where the body fell down the
shaft.
A towel, blood-soaked and show
ing evidence of having been used
to wipe up blood from the floor,
was also found. Spots on the floor,
witnesses said, were made by blood
which had been, wiped up. The
floor, witnesses said, showed that
a body had been dragged across it.
Disagreed Over Money.
Evidence at the inquest revealed
that> the mother and son had dis,
agreed on money matters>and that
Mrs. Emerson had stopped payment
on checks issued by her son a few
days previous to her death.
Witnesses testified that Mrs.
Emerson had told them she was
afraid of an attempt being made on
her life by her son.
Mrs. Emerson was. the widow >of
Charles Emerson, former secretary
treasurer of the Iowa State Funeral
Directors association. She was 90
years old. The son is IS years old,
an only child and partner in the
business.
Q Call.o..