The Alger Murder - 1872

ALGER, CURTIS, TOMPKINS, SMITH, DARLING, BICE, WHITE, SCOTT, STINE, DUTTON, DUBOIS, BAKER, STEVENS, POST, KNIGHT

Posted By: Cheryl Locher Moonen (email)
Date: 4/5/2017 at 22:28:09

The Clinton Age, Clinton, Iowa, May 8, 1874

The Alger Murder
END OF A MOST INFAMOUS FARCE

The case of the State vs. Jas. Tompkins, who was charged with the murder of Mrs. Lyman Alger on the night of the 25th of September 1872, closed Wednesday evening about 9 o’clock, at Wheatland. Over forty witnesses have been subpoenaed on the part of the prosecution, and the examination commenced last Monday morning at 9 o’clock before, A. Smith, Justice of the Peace. Judge Darling of Clinton and Jesse Stine of Wheatland were on the part of the State, W. W. Stevens of this city and E. C. Bice of Wheatland, for the defendant, O. D. W. White was appointed commissioner.

The first witness called was Lyman Alger, husband of the deceased, whose testimony was designed to prove the homicide, and did not differ materially from what he had heretofore stated at other examinations but gave some additional facts concerning the money – that no one but Judson Curtis was ever sent to the trunk for money, and one time he gave ‘Jed’ the key for that purpose also that there was $1,000, which was not taken, it being in a secret place, and which no one but himself had any knowledge up to this hour, that when he was on his way to the school house he looked back he saw ‘Jed’ and the bull in his barnyard. Mr. Scott’ s testimony upon which great reliance was placed, tended if anything to incriminate N. S. Curtis though nothing especially new was elicited from the witness.

Two children of Wm. Post, a boy 12 years, and a girl of 17 years, both of whom evidenced such an entire want of intelligence as to excite public sympathy, testified that Tompkins was at their father’s house in the afternoon, of the Monday, and the boy knew it was the 25th of September 1872; because he knew it. Mrs. Dutton testified that Tompkins and Dubois were in her house on afternoon of the above named date; basing her knowledge upon the fact of a certain doctor of Dewitt visiting a sick child in the neighborhood, but unfortunately for this testimony, the Doctor’s book showed the visit to have been made on the 12th, instead of the 25th of September. Wm. Alger was sworn and testified to something about seeing some tracks in the cornfield. Elder Baker testified as to what took place in the house the night after the homicide-that the defendant was there that evening, saw the latter pick up the ax in the wood pile, and the defendant was satisfied he swore to the truth as he understood the matter. Wm. Knight, nephew, by marriage, of old man Alger, did some rough and hard swearing, about a conservation he had with Tompkins prior to the murder; he swore also he had “counted money on Alger’s stand a half a day at a time, and then did not count it all.” The old man Alger swore that at no time when he counted money was anyone present except the old lady.

This is the substance of all the testimony for the prosecution. At this stage of the proceedings it had become so evident there was no ‘bottom’ to build a case upon, that all parties agreed to suspend the prosecution for the present, and admit the evidence to establish an alibi for Tompkins. Nothing but divine Providence could have furnished such an unbroken chain evidence based on business transactions, as the defense presented. He showed by the most unexceptional witness, his whereabouts during every hour from 11 o’clock a.m. Tuesday, September 24th 1872 till 4 o’clock p.m. on the 25th; when he took the cars at Clinton to Calamus, reaching Alger’s house about 6 o’clock.

Elder Curtis, Nate Curtis and all of their party, the Attorneys, without leaving their seats or exchanging a word, declared themselves fully satisfied of the absence of the defendant from that part of the country when the horrible deed was done. Thus has ended the third chapter in this awful tragedy. This last examination has cost the county not less than six or seven hundred dollars. It was a matter of pure malice on the part of someone. The people are becoming aroused; bomb shells are falling into the camp and alarm is felt in the Alger neighborhood. Alger says he has paid out five hundred dollars! Only think of it, ‘five hundred dollars’ to discover the murderer of his wife, while the county, and individuals, have spent four times that sum.