Ed. Hale Suicide

HALE, DONOHO

Posted By: Volunteer: Sherri
Date: 5/12/2015 at 04:06:00

ED. HALE SUICIDES.
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The Murderer of Zora Donaho Hangs Himself in Jail at Keosauqua Soon After Being Interviewed.
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HIS LAST AND ONLY FULL STORY

Monday evening of this week Sheriff Ramsey brought Edward Hale, the murderer of Miss Zora Donaho, in Keosauqua and he was at once taken before Justice Harwood for a preliminary hearing. He waived examination and was committed to jail to await the action of the grand jury in the August term of court. It is likely he will be returned to the penitentiary previous to his trial. Tuesday we visited the prisoner Hale in jail for the purpose of obtaining statement from him, and we here give it, not as the facts but simply his statement, and the public can take it for what it is worth. We might say here, as preliminary to what he said to us, that he seemed of himself, perfectly, and in full knowledge of what he was saying. He complained some of weakness and that he did not sleep well and showed very great nervousness. The wound in his forehead still shows plainly where the bullet went in and where it came out, but it appears to be healing as rapidly as could be expected. Here it is what he said to us. We give it in a narrative form:

"My name is Edward Hale. I was born in Missouri, October 17, 1882. Came to this county a year ago last May. Worked at various places since coming here. Worked for Mr. Donoho, the father of Zora. Had been working there for several days before I shot her. Was engaged to Zora since last winter. She went back on me and tried to hector over me until she got my mind unbalanced. I got her lots of things. I loved the girl. I didn't know I shot her that day. I did not realize I had shot her until they were fetching me to Keosauqua.

Didn't know I had shot myself until the Sheriff told me after I was in jail. I think it was the Sheriff told me. I took a drink of whiskey at Mt. Sterling and took another drink after I got to Cantril. What threw me off my mind is the way Zora treated me that morning at Mt. Sterling. She turned to me at the depot and asked me to take her to Cantril. She said if I would get a round trip ticket for her I could take her. I took her to Sheets' restaurant, I think it was Sheets', and bought her a soda pop and a nickle's worth of candy. Going back to the depot she asked me to buy her an orange.

She appeared in good spirits towards me at that time. I then took her to the depot and bought a ticket for her. After I bought the orange and she ate it, she slipped away from me and got on the train with another girl. I bought the revolver that morning before she came to Mt. Sterling. I had arranged to buy it a week before, or about that time as I recollect. I intended, when I arranged to buy it, to go to my brother's in California. Zora treating me that way that day throwed me out of my wit and I didn't know anything more what I was about.

I didn't realize enough to control myself until I got to Keosauqua. I loved Zora and I am awful sorry I killed her. I bought her a hat last May and a ring in the winter. Both cost me $7 75. She made fun of me after I bought her the hat and said she was lying to me and wanted to see what kind of a lunatic I was, as she didn't intend to stick to promises she made to marry me. She said that to me when I was shelling corn in the crib in May. Sometime after that, when she was in a buggy going home from Mt. Sterling, I met her and she asked me to get in the buggy and kiss her. I got in the buggy and when I went ot kiss her she jerked her head back and spit in my face. It would take me a long time to tell you everything and take lots of paper.

No, I only shot myself once. I was shot in may left breast several years ago by a fellow I was scuffling with. If you will give me some paper and a pencil I will write all about myself and sign my name to it and you can publish it. Are you going to publish what you have written telling you? How long has it been since it happened, since I killed Zora? I don't know what day of the month this is.

We told Hale the day and date, also that he could write out an account of his life and sign his name to it and we would publish it, and he said he would do so. He followed us to the cell door where he bade us goodbye. He is a dark complexion, slender and about five feet seven inch as high and we judge would weigh in the neighborhood of 135 pounds.

HALE HANGS HIMSELF.

When J.W. Rowley took from Edward Hale's lips the foregoing statement, not for a moment did we think that it would be the last conversation Hales would have with any one in this life. We judged, by the continuous twitching of his fingers, the frequent jerking of his shoulders and the involuntary sighs that occasionally escaped him, that he was under intense mental strain and a collapse was possible at any time, but that suicide was in contemplation by him did not enter our mind.

As near as we can remember, Sheriff Ramsey admitted us to the jail and left us with Hales, about 9:15, a.m, and we were with him, taking the foregoing statement and in general conversation, about half an hour, and when Mr. Ramsey returned and let us out it was about fifteen minutes to ten. We hurried to our office and put into copy for our boys to "set up", the Hale statement here given, and they went to work on it at once, while we hastened to the depot to take the noon train for Bentonsport, there to attend the funeral of a friend, Mrs. Peter R. Keck. We refer to the time we left town, as a matter of interest to the public, because we were the last one to converse with and see Hale alive, and it was just after we reached Bentonsport that a telephone message came of his suicide.

At about fifteen minutes before 12 o'clock, following our conversation with Hale, County Supervisors J.A. Ferguson and T.L. Workman accompanied by County Attorney Harlan and Sheriff Ramsey, went to the jail to see about some contemplated repairs. When they entered the door of the cell room they noticed that Hale was not in sight, nor was he in his cell, the door of which was open. Mr. Harlan was ahead and walked to the rear of the room, where the cell room corridor turns to the left, and there near the water closet hung the murderer of Zora Donaho. What the bullet fired against his forehead had failed to do (the wound of which was unhealed) a towel around his throat had done. His feet were perhaps a foot from the floor, and the towel that was knotted around his neck was tied to a cross bar of the iron lattice work above the cell rooms. He had evidently stood on a stool, that was near his feet, to adjust the knot, and then swung off. The Sheriff at once telephoned Dr. Sherman, who was soon on hand and examined the body, pronouncing life extinct. There was no dislocation of the neck and death evidently resulted from strangulation. The (con't)

(Ed Hale cont') death had taken place an hour or so previous, which we understand is the opinion of the examining doctor and the gentlemen who discovered the body. If this is correct Hale must have proceeded to hang himself soon after the writer left him, and intended to commit the act when we were with him.

Coroner Morris, of Stockport, arrived Tuesday evening and a jury was impanneled, consisting of Judge Alex Brown, J.W. Burns and John Daughrity, and the testimony of J.A. Ferguson, T.L. Workman, R.P. Ramsey and J.W. Rowley taken, a verdict of suicide being rendered. The testimony of the witnesses in detail before the coroner's jury is not necessary, as the purport of all their evidence is given in this article; hence we do not take the time and space to publish it.

There is no regret that Hale hung himself. It is a good thing that he did. He was a murderer, and whether a lunatic or a desporado, there was no use for him in this world. If a deperado he was needed away down there, and down there he has certainly gone. If he was crazy we don't know where he is. But all do know that he foully murdered Zora Donaho and visited on a father and mother a great sorrow that will go with them to their graves.

Soon after finding his body County Attorney Harlan telegraphed the suicide of Hale to the bank at Fulson, Mo, near the village of Carrington, where Hale claimed his mother lived, and yesterday received the following reply:

"Fulton, Mo., June 10, 1902.
County Attorney, Keosauqua, Io. -
Express Ed. Hale to John Hale, Carrington, Mo. We send $30 to prepare body for shipment and guarantee express charges to Carrington.

From Callaway bank, Fulton, Mo."

In compliance with this request Hale's body was expressed to address named on yesterday's evening train.

Source: Van Buren Co. Genealogical Society Obituary Book E, Pages 57 and 58, Keosauqua Public Library, Keosauqua, IA