Jones, Harry 1893-1925

JONES

Posted By: Paul Van Dyke--Volunteer
Date: 6/13/2021 at 20:33:35

Source: Hawarden Independent (8-27-1925)

Born: 1893
Died: August 22, 1925

HARRY JONES, BROTHER OF HERBERT J. OSTERDAY, FATALLY SHOT--HE AND WILLIAM LAUGESON, CLERK IN SIOUX CITY HAWARDWARE STORE, ARE BRUTALLY MURDERED

Harry Jones of Sioux City, brother of Herbert J. Osterday of Hawarden, was one of the victims of the cold-blooded murder in the C.A. Larson Hardware Store in Sioux City early Saturday morning. William Laugeson, a clerk in the store, was also murdered, both men being found unconscious in a pool of blood by H.B. Larson, a partner in the hardware firm, when he reached the store a few minutes after 7 o’clock. They were rushed to the hospital, but Jones died with a bullet at the base of the brain shortly after reaching the hospital and Laugeson died with a bullet in the brain. No clues have been discovered as yet, and as neither of the victims regained consciousness after the shooting the mystery is baffling.

There have been many theories advanced as to the murder, but evidently robbery was the motive, as about $200 in cash and checks were taken from the cash box, which was found lying on the floor. When Larson reached the store the back door was open and both victims were lying on the floor side by side. Mr. Osterday believes that the murderer, or murderers, knew his brother, and that when he entered the store to make a purchase the bandits put him out of the way along with Laugeson so that he could never identify them. Police are unable to determine whether the murderers were in the store when the clerk entered or whether they followed him in after he opened the place. A friend of Jones who is a clerk in one of the Sioux City chain stores was one of the last men to see him alive, and he says that Jones talked with him a few minutes before he was killed, and stated that he was on his way to the Larson Store to make some purchases.

Harry Jones was born in Hawarden 32 years ago. His mother died when he was 3 years of age, and he went with his father to Castana, Iowa, his brother Herbert, then not much more than a year old, going to the L.F. Osterday home here to live. He disappeared from Castana when he was 10 years old and for years was not heard from. He was a veteran of the World War and one day Levi Johnson, formerly of Hawarden, then with the American Forces, saw him in France and spoke to him, thinking he was Herbert Osterday, there being a strong resemblance. This episode proved to be the first clue Herbert had found as to his brother’s whereabouts, and three years ago the brother became acquainted for the first time, as they were only babies when they parted in Hawarden. Harry visited his brother here last fall, and also met a number of the older residents here who remembered him as a child. At the time of his death he was employed by a Sioux City packing plant.

The deceased is survived by his wife and five children, three sisters, Mrs. Peter Shiner of Colton, South Dakota, Mrs. Bert Smith of Dunlap, Iowa, and Mrs. Earl Spregue of Tacoma, Washington, and one other brother besides Herbert, John Jones of Marne, Michigan.

Funeral services were held Tuesday at Sioux City, and burial was in Floyd Cemetery there.

A reward of $500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the murderer, or murderers, of Laugeson and Jones was announced Wednesday by Governor John Hammill. The reward offer was secured from the State of Iowa by County Attorney Ole T. Naglestad and Sheriff Paul T. Beardsley of Woodbury County.