Murder in Belknap

The Davis County Republican - Thursday, June 6, 1907

DECORATION DAY TRAGEDY

___________

Wife of Joseph Richardson Residing North of Belknap, Shot by Ora Sample, Death Ensuing

___________

SAMPLE WAS ARRESTED FRIDAY

________

        Mrs. Joseph Richardson was mortally wounded last Thursday evening about six o'clock, death following a few minutes later, from a gun shot fired by Ora Sample.  She was in an adjoining room to escape the danger of a scuffle going on between her husband and Sample for the possession of a shot gun which Sample was endeavoring to use on Richardson.  During the fight both barrells of the gun were discharged, the second shot going through the open doorway, striking Mrs. Richardson in the right hip and severing the femoral artery.  She bled to death, living only a short time after receiving the wound.

        Ora Sample was in Ottumwa on Decoration day and had been drinking.  He was accompanied on the homeward trip by John Locker.  On the way he remarked to Locker that he intended stopping at Richardson's to settle an old score and that serious trouble might result.  Locker got out of the buggy before reaching Richardson's home northwest of Belknap.  Sample stopped in front of the house and called to Richardson to come out, but the latter scenting trouble refused the invitation.  Sample got out of his rig, went to the south door of the house but failed to force an entrance.  The door was fastened with a bar.  He went to another door, kicked it in and found Richardson.  A shot gun was standing in the corner and Sample rushed for it.  Richardson divined his purpose and managed to get hold of the barrell.  The two men struggled fiercely for possession of the gun.  One barrell was discharged but did no damage to either, and the fight went on.  As they passed the door leading to the kitchen where Richardson's wife had taken refuge, the second load was discharged, passing through the open doorway and found lodgement in Mrs. Richardson's thigh.  Neighbors hastened to Richardson's home on hearing the gun shots, but Sample had fled.  From reports Sample had no liking for Richardson and when drinking was bitter in his comment.  His dislike originated over a dispute concerning an account or debt.

The Democrat -Thursday, June 6, 1907

A BRUTAL MURDER

_________

WIFE IS SLAIN BY MAN WHO TRIED TO KILL HUSBAND

__________

      WOMAN WATCHED LIFE STRUGGLE

__________

Ora Sample Broke into Joseph Richardson's House and Tragedy Was the Result

__________

        Attracted to the front of the house by the noise of a quarrel and the sounds of her husband's voice raised in anger, Mrs. Joseph Richardson groped her way into the living room to stand rooted in terror as she heard two men struggling and cursing a few feet away.  A moment later she fell, stricken down by the shot intended for her husband, and within a half hour had bled to death.  Ora Sample, who fired the fatal shot, was arrested a short time after and was lodged in jail at Bloomfield Friday to await trial on a charge of murder.

        Ora Sample is a man of 28.  Joseph Richardson, whom he sought out and threatened to kill is past 75 and the murdered Mrs. Richardson was about the same age.  Sample had been in Ottumwa drinking.  He left in the afternoon to drive home in company with Will Locker, a neighbor.  He is said to have told Locker he was going to have trouble with Richardson.

        Arriving at Richardson's home, which is about twelve miles northwest of Bloomfield, Sample called for Richardson to come out from the house.  The latter refused.  Then, according to the testimony adduced at the coroner's inquest this morning, Sample attempted to break down the front door and enter the house.  He failed in this and went to the side door, which he kicked in and entered the house. 

        Richardson was standing in the room and the men grappled.  There was a loaded shot gun hanging on the wall which Sample secured and then they fought around the room, one load being discharged as each fought to wrest the gun from the other.

        When the first shot was heard Mrs. Richardson groped her way into the room from the kitchen.  Almost totally blind, she could just distinguish two forms locked together fighting about the room.  She screamed and stood terror stricken in the doorway.  Another moment and the second barrel of the gun was discharged, and Mrs. Richardson fell, the load striking her in the thigh and severing the semoral (sic) artery.  She was dead in half an hour.

        Three or four years ago obstructructions were placed on the Wabash track presumably with designs on wrecking a train.  Sample was suspected of this and his neighbors placed the crime at his door, but the prosecuting witnesses left the country and he was then turned loose for want of evidence to convict him. 

        Sample claims self defense.  He asserts that while he was entering Richardson's home the latter fired at him twice, one shot tearing away a portion of his coat.  The holes shot in the coat he was wearing at the time he produces in substantiation of his plea.  But the state secured evidence at the inquest that the first shot fired, which alarmed Mrs. Richardson and lured her to her death when she attempted to stop the quarrel, blew away this portion of Sample's coat and not until he had forced his way into the Richardson home with threats to kill his enemy.

The Davis County Republican - Thursday, August 29, 1907

HIS HEART WAS BROKEN

_________________

Joseph Richardson Died by the Pistol Route Wife's Death Incentive to Deed

_________________

        Joseph Richardson residing north of Belknap committed suicide Monday morning using a 38 caliber Smith and Wesson pistol, firing a bullet through his heart.  He had gone to a spring a short distance from his home to see about water for the stock and while there made an end of his troubles.  The deed was premeditated, for in his pocket book was found a note saying that his heart was broken over his wife's death.  He was about 68 years of age, a soldier in the civil war and leaves two grown daughters.

        Readers of the REPUBLICAN will recall the tragedy of his wife's death on Decoration day.  Ore Sample is now in jail waiting indictinent (sic) by the grand jury and trial for the shooting of Mrs. Richardson.  Richardson and Sample were fighting for the possession of a shot gun at the home of the former and during the scuffle the gun was discharged, the load striking Mrs. Richardson in the thigh, severing the femoral artery, from which wound she died shortly afterward.  Sample's story of the tragedy is quite the reverse of the one related by Richardson who should have appeared before the grand jury now in session to give evidence.  He was the chief witness for the state.

        Dr. Heady went to Richardson's home Monday morning held an inquest, the verdict being suicide.  Richardson had opened his shirt, placed the muzzle of the pistol against his heart, apparently very deliberate in his preparation.  The bullet passed directly through his heart.  The pistol shot alarmed friends who were at his home and they hurried to him, evidently suspecting his intention.  Richardson was in Bloomfield Saturday but his conversation gave no intimation of suicide. 

The Democrat - Thursday, August 29, 1907

JOINS WIFE IN DEATH

_______________

Who Had Recently Been Killed by Shot Intended for her Husband

_______________

        Joseph Richardson, an old resident of this county, shot himself through the heart at his home, four miles northwest of Belknap Monday morning at about seven o'clock dying instantly.

        His death removes the last witness to the shooting a few months ago in which Mrs. Richardson was shot down and killed by a bullet intended for her husband for which crime Ora Sample is now being held in the county jail.

        Mr. Richardson told his daughter that he was going to see if the stock had water and at about forty rods from the house he fired the shot that ended his troubles on this earth with a thirty-eight caliber revolver.  The girl thinking that he was gone to (sic) long commenced looking for him and finally found him some time between eight and nine o'clock.

        Mr. Richardson was an old soldier and has lived in Davis county about thirty years.

The Davis County Republican - Thursday, January 23, 1908

VERDICT OF MANSLAUGHTER

____________________

Jury Decides Ora Sample Responsible for Death of Mrs. Richardson

____________

        Ora Sample is guilty.  A verdict of manslaughter was rendered Saturday morning at 10 o'clock by the jury after a night's deliberation.  The lawyers finished with the evidence on Friday and argument ended at the night sesseion of the court the same evening.  Attorney Ramseyer represented Sample and T. A. Goodson the state.

        The case hung on the evidence of Eva Richardson, daughter of the slain woman.  She was the only eye witness of the tragedy, her father committing sucide shortly after the death of his wife.  Eva Richardson's story concisely stated reads:  About 6 o'clock on the evening of Decoration Day Sample and a companion Will Locker, drove up to the Richardson home.  Sample called loudly for her father to come out, that he wanted to settle with him, the two men having had trouble over a sale of corn.  Her father refused, whereupon Sample went to the front door, pounding and demanding admittance.  When told he could not enter he went to the side door, and finding it latched broke the lock and forced an entrance.  When Sample entered the room he grappled with her father until finally the two men wrestled to a corner of the room where a shot gun was hanging on the wall.  Sample wrenched this from the wall, and attempted to turn it on her father, but the latter kept the gun pointed from him.  It was at this juncture that her blind mother, alarmed by the noise of the quarrel, groped her way into the room, only to be shot down when the gun was discharged.  Sample then wrested the gun from Richardson and ordered him from the house.  As her father ran, Sample fired three shots at him.  She ran to a neighbor when her mother was felled, she said, and when she returned in company with others it was to find her mother lying dead in a pool of blood.  She adhered rigidly to this story.  Efforts to confuse and tangle her in the cross examination failed.

        Sample testified in his own behalf and was equally firm in his evidence.  The cross examination did not shake his story.  He made an excellent witness, considering the circumstances but failed to impress the jury with the truth of his story.  His testimony in brief follows:  went to the Richardson home without any intent of raising a disturbance, having frequently visited the place, and been in the habit of going in and out of the house at will, denied making any threats or raising any disturbance at the door, but claimed that Richardson shot at him before he entered the house and that the pocket of his coat was torn away and a whisky bottle in the coat pocket was shattered by the shot.  The coat and pieces of glass were exhibited in evidence.  Sample claims that Richardson had the gun in his possession during the struggle and that when he left the house, Richardson pursued him, firing a revolver at him.

        Justice Kelsey, who conducted the preliminary read the evidence of Richardson, who committed suicide just before time to appear before the grand jury.  This evidence was practically the same as the daughter's Eva Richardson.  Other witnesses were introduced, the large number testifying either as to the character of Sample or Eva Richardson.

        The indictment was for murder in the second degree, but the jury, in balloting to determine the degree of crime, decided that manslaughter covered the case.  The sentence may be eight years or less or a fine of not more than $1,000.

        Motion was made for a new trial.  Argument was postponed until Wednesday.

The Davis County  Republican - Thursday, January 30, 1908

Sample Gets Four Years

        Judge Vermilion heard Attorney Ramseyer last Saturday morning in his argument for a new trial for Ora Sample.  Mr. Ramseyer occupied one hour in presenting his reasons and the court gave close attention to his pleading, but did not believe Sample entitled to a new hearing.  In fixing sentence at four years in the Ft. Madison prison, Judge Vermilion was lenient.  The extreme penalty might have been eight years.  The court gave Sample some good advice and in the course of his lecture reviewed tha past reputation of the prisoner, summing it up with "you had not one friend to testify for you, all were against you."  Sheriff Wilkinson and deputy Rogers took Sample to Ft. Madison Saturday afternoon.

Records

Blankenship