Leon Reporter, Leon, Iowa
Thursday, April 27, l902

'Ira Hammond on Trial at Mt. Ayr for the Murder of Miss Maude Stone.'

The trial of IRA HAMMOND on the charge of murder in the second degree as an accomplice of DR. J.W. CROFFORD, in the murder of MAUDE STONE was commenced at Mt. Ayr before Judge Towner Monday morning, a change of venue having been granted at the last term of court by Judge Towner on a showing by the attorneys for the defendant that he could not secure a fair trial in this county, and the case was sent to Ringgold County for trial.

Our readers are familiar with the details of this case. MAUDE STONE, a beautiful young lady 2l years old, who resided with her mother a few miles northeast of Decatur City, left home on the morning of Jan. 22, l90l, ostensibly to visit friends near Mt. Ayr. Nothing further was heard of her until a week later when her mother received a note from DR. CROFFORD saying MAUDE was at his sanitarium, having been taken sick on the train, and for her to come at once. When MRS. STONE reached Lamoni, MAUDE was dead, and IRA HAMMOND and his mother, MRS. ANNA HAMMOND, were both there. Suspicions of foul play were aroused and at the coroner's inquest it developed MAUDE STONE had died from the effects of a criminal operation for abortion. DR. J.W. CROFFORD and IRA HAMMOND who was engaged to MISS STONE, were arrested, charged with murder in the second degree and when the grand jury convened an indictment was also found against MRS. ANNIE HAMMOND. The trial of DR. CROFFORD was held at Leon at the November term of court, the jury after being out a few hours returning a verdict of guilty and he was sentenced by Judge Towner to l3 years in the penitentiary at Ft. Madison, where he is now confined. Since his indictment IRA HAMMOND has been at liberty on a bond of $l0,000 and his mother on a bond of $4,000.

Special to The Reporter:
Mt. Ayr, Iowa, April 7, l902

The trial was commenced Monday morning at 9:45, and there is certainly a formidable array of legal talent in the case. The state is represented by County Attorney A.P. Olsen, Geo. W. Baker and Fuller & Fuller, F.F. Fuller being County Attorney of Ringgold County. The defendant is represented by C.W. Hoffman, Marion F. Stookey, V.R. McGinnis and Spence & Smith, of Mt. Ayr.

After the case was called, the defense moved to dismiss the indictment for the reason that a part of the exhibits used as evidence in the case had been permitted to remain in the custody of the attorneys for the state, special stress being laid on the bottle of medicine which was found in the private box of MAUDE STONE at her home after her death, and also certain letters written by defendant HAMMOND to MAUDE STONE. After an extended argument Judge Towner overruled the motion and the case proceeded.

The work of securing a jury proceeded rapidly, and at l2:45 the jury was sworn, 3l jurors having been examined. From the regular panel only 3 jurors were secured, the other 9 being selected from a special venue of 24 jurors which had been summoned. The court placed the jury under the charge of Court Baliff W.A. DeLashmett, and an order made that they be kept together and not allowed to converse with anyone outside the jury during the progress of the trial. The jury is composed of exceptionally young men and it is the opinion of the Mt. Ayr people who are posted that the jury is as favorable a jury for the defendant as could be selected in Ringgold County. The jury is composed of the following:

(Names, Townships, Addresses:)

A.J. Overholzer, Lincoln, Diagonal.
E. Stucker, Lincoln, Clearfield.
Albert Stephens, Lotts Creek, Caledonia.
J.S. Butt, Jefferson, Knowlton.
Sherman Beck, Athens, Kellerton.
Myers Judy, Clinton, Blockton.
Pat Callahan, Lincoln, Knowlton.
O.C. Hull, Clinton, Redding.
B.O. Beadle, Lincoln, Clearfield.
D.G. Northey, Monroe, Beaconsfield.
C.F. Bastow, Washington, Mt. Ayr.
E.C. Nichol, Athens, Kellerton.

Shortly after court convened for the afternoon session, one of the jurors, J.S. Butts, discovered he had lost his pocketbook containing $l70, which he thought he lost in the water closet at the court house, and the court excused him for a short time while he went to look for it, but no trace of the book or money could be found.

After the jury was selected the court adjourned until 2 o'clock, and County Attorney Olsen made the opening statement to the jury, stating that the state expected to prove the death of MAUDE STONE was caused by a criminal operation for abortion performed by DR. J.W. CROFFORD, and that IRA HAMMOND was the cause of her downfall and was guilty of murder in having been an accomplice of DR. CROFFORD in the matter. C.W. Hoffman made the statement for the defense to the jury, stating the testimony would show that IRA HAMMOND was simply putty in the hands of MAUDE STONE, who had money and the mental capacity to lead and control the boy. The evidence would show that if MAUDE STONE had prior abortions it was without the knowledge or consent of IRA HAMMOND. That they expected to show that Mike Springer had stated that he did not think IRA HAMMOND was responsible for MAUDE STONE's death, that the guilty person was DR. CROFFORD. That whatever the girl did before in the way of having an abortion performed was done on her own motion and with her own money. That to connect IRA HAMMOND with the fatal operation it would have been necessary for him to have driven from Decatur City to Lamoni and return, a distance of 28 miles, in an hour and a half on Jan. l2, l90l. That the state had practically bought the testimony of one of their principal witnesses, Emory Driscoll, the boy who was living at Crofford's sanitarium when MAUDE STONE died. That the STONES, Mike Springer and Capt. J.D. Brown had lots of money and were willing to spend it to convict this poor boy.

At the conclusion of the statements to the jury the witnesses for the state were called, but many of them had not yet arrived and the attorneys for the state began fighting for time until the arrival of the 2:30 train and asked the court to take a recess until the train arrived. Judge Towner spoke quite sharply, saying it was their duty to have the witnesses present and ordered the case to proceed.

To Be Continued . . . . "The first witness for the state was . . ."

Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert
"With permission from the Leon Journal Reporter"
December l7, 2002