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

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

The first witness for the state was:

MRS. MARGARET STONE, mother of the dead girl, who was examined briefly, testifying that her husband had been dead l5 or 20 years. That MAUDE left home in August, l900, to go to Lamoni to visit. She was in good health and was gone about a week.

ED BROWN, was the next witness. He resides at Decatur City and took MAUDE STONE to within a mile of the station at Kingston in August, l900, she riding with him to the cross roads and then went north toward the station. She had a valise. Saw MRS. HAMMOND and IRA on the road the same day, going south.

EDWARD HOWARD, who resides at Lamoni, was the next witness. He testified IRA HAMMOND was at his home in Lamoni in August, on Saturday, Aug. l8, l900, and stayed until Sunday afternoon. Saw MAUDE STONE at Crofford's sanitarium Sunday and IRA HAMMOND was with her.

GEO. F. WOLEVER, assistant cashier of the Citizen's Bank at Decatur City, identified letters introduced as exhibits as being in IRA HAMMOND's hand writing.

HERBERT DENSMORE, testified he worked at the STONE farm in l900. Knew IRA HAMMOND for a number of years and went to school with him in Illinois; identified letters introduced as exhibits as being in IRA HAMMOND's hand writing.

VERN KIER, also worked at the STONE farm and testified IRA HAMMOND kept company with MAUDE STONE. That he carried letters from HAMMOND to MAUDE and from MAUDE to HAMMOND at HAMMOND's request, about once a week.

FRANK ROBBINS, who lived in the same neighborhood, also testified to carrying letters back and forth between HAMMOND and MAUDE STONE, and said letters introducted as exhibits were written by IRA HAMMOND.

RUE STONE, a brother of the dead girl, was the last witness Monday. He testified he resided at the home of his mother and saw MAUDE every day. That she went to Lamoni on a visit in August, l900, was gone about a week and when she came home was very pale and looked as if she had been sick, but soon recovered her former good health. When she left home on Jan. 22, l90l, she said she was going to Mt. Ayr on a visit, and appeared to be in good health. Told of the finding and opening of MAUDE's tin box in which she kept her private papers, and the finding of the medicine bottle and several letters written to her by IRA HAMMOND.

At the conclusion of his testimony court adjourned until Tuesday morning at 9:00 o'clock.

Tuesday morning, when court was called, considerable time was occupied with a motion to exclude the testimony of the witness, RUE B. STONE, on the grounds he was not a witness before the grand jury which indicted IRA HAMMOND, and the further fact that he was not a witness in the preliminary examination, the defendant having waived such examination, the motion being overruled.

HERBERT DENSMORE, RUE B. STONE, C.B. TOWNSEND, MRS. M.F. SPRINGER and MRS. MARGARET STONE identified certain letters and exhibits, including the papers found in MAUDE STONE's private box after her death.

A strong fight was made by the defendant's attorneys to have the letters excluded, but Judge Towner decided they were proper evidence, and l4 letters from IRA HAMMOND to MAUDE STONE were read. The letters are not fit for publication. He addressed her as his dear wife, spoke lightly of their intimacy and of going to Lamoni for medicine, and MAUDE's trip to Lamoni in August, l900, and of his mother going to Leon to see where MAUDE STONE should go. In one of them, he spoke of being so sorry he could never see their child, but so glad MAUDE was all right again. Others of the letters referred to her going to Lamoni in January, l90l.

Exhibits "F", "H", and "I", after long argument by counsel, were by the court admitted in evidence. Exhibit "F" is a letter written by IRA HAMMOND to MAUDE STONE, January l5th, l90l, and "H" is a letter by MAUDE STONE to IRA HAMMOND, January l7th, l90l. "I" is the envelope enclosing Exhibit "H". Following are the letters in full:

EXHIBIT "F":
Decatur, Iowa, January, l5, l90l

Dearest MAUDE: -- Well, this is Wednesday evening and I am going to write you a little bit, although I am pretty d---n tired. I got home all o.k. Sunday evening, but it was rather late. How did you feel Monday morning? Let me tell you I felt pretty tough. But MAUDE, my darling, I never begrudge the time I spend with you. I hope it won't be long until I can spend it all with you. Of course, I know MAUDE you would rather wait until I am of age, but I can get as much now as I can when I am 2l, and maybe more, because we don't know what will happen between now and then. Say, MAUDE, my dear sweet girl, I would give a good deal to know how you are. I do hope that medicine will fix you out all right. I don't know how I will get away to go out there, but (*can't read) you have to go. I will take you. (*can't read) folks where I am going (*can't read) to see our (?) by Dr. A. Brown. Phone at once and do it, so let it go. If we get married this spring we won't have to do that way any more will we, darling. But MAUDE, I think more of your name than I do the child. I wouldn't have you ruined by having a child before we were married for anything. You know as well as I do what people would say, don't you? Now, look here, MAUDE, if I could work out from now till I am of age, I could make some money, but I can't because if we don't get married I have got to stay here, and I would not be a bit better off than I am now. I spoke to my father about getting married; he is willing I should. MAUDE, if I was going to marry some town girl, and good for nothing girl, I know he would kick, but he thinks the world of you; also thinks I couldn't better myself and darned lucky to get as good a one as you are. He says he will give me a good team and tools enough to farm with. What better can you ask? There is many a man that don't give their boys that much, isn't there? And I think he will give me a cow and a couple of brood sows. Now, you see if he gives me a team we will have four horses that can work besides by colt. MAUDE, if you will marry me I will work my d---n head off but what I will support you. I haven't mentioned it to my mother; it don't make no difference to her; father is the one. Father says he thinks we would have done better to gone by ourselves, but he says he won't kick, it is us for it. He said he would liked to had us come here and help him. I tell you, MAUDE, I don't do much here, but when I am gone they will miss me. MAUDE, I wish you would tell your mother that if Bony leaves we are going to get married, and see what she says, will you? MAUDE, you don't know how much I enjoyed myself Sunday night; you know when. I never had opportunity to stay that way before, did I? Did you like it better? But, my Lord, Monday night I never spent such a night in my life. The folks said they never heard such rolling and groaning as I did. I had the d-----est dreams you ever heard of. I only wish one of those dreams I had was so now, it was just as real as could be. Well, I must ring off and go to bed. I suppose you will get tired before you get this red. So good night, my dear, sweet wife, I am as ever your loving husband, IRA. C.Y.K. Ans. soon. I will be with you when you read this.

EXHIBIT "H":
Decatur, Iowa, January l7, l90l

MR. I.L. HAMMOND.
My Dear IRA: This is Thursday evening and I am going to write you a letter if someone don't bother me. How are you getting along? All right I hope. I am just the same, not a bit of change in any way. You know what. Verne and Shorty have gone to Leon. I hope you didn't go and I am pretty sure you didn't. I have been washing to-day. I never ironed a Monday as I said I was going to. I done that yesterday. RUE has been gone every day this week. He went to Mary's father's Monday and never came back till Tuesday morning and then Mary and him both went away that evening and never came back till to-day noon. They went to see about getting a place but they never got one. I don't believe they are going to try to buy a place now. I think they will build. I wish they would buy, but if they don't I can't help it. It would be a whole lot better for them to get away from here as soon as possible. I told Mary today that they had all been visiting but me and that I was going to go. I told ma that I wanted to go and she said all right. But, IRA, I am going to two places. I am going to Cainsville and Mt. Ayr. The reason I am going to Mt. Ayr is because it is right on the road to Lamoni. I am going Tuesday and I am going to start to Mt. Ayr. Of course, you know where I will stop, and as soon as I can leave there I will go on to Mt. Ayr and you and the folks will never know but what I have been there all the time, and from there go to Cainsville. I will not be gone only one Sunday. Now, IRA, I don't hardly know which would be the best, for me to go on the train or have you take me, but if you don't take me, IRA, my dear one, won't you please come out there a Wednesday and stay till I leave? Please do, IRA. I know you can go. Your folks may give you h--l but I have stood more from my folks than you have from yours so darling please go. It will be lots of company for me to have you there and I want you to be with me as much as you possibly can. I hope I can get away from there a Thursday. I am not going to take all of the money with me to pay him because I am afraid the folks will catch on about me spending so much money. I am going to write Dock a letter and tell him I am coming so he will be prepared for me. We can talk it all over when I see you Sunday night. Oh, say! Sal saw Mr. Dinsmore over in the field to-day and he was working those horses of Shields' and Sal says, them horses will kill you some of these days, and Herb says, I hope they do, or he didn't care if they did, and Bright asked Sal yesterday when he was down to the mill if Dinsmore had been over here lately, and he said no, not that he knew of, and he asked why, and they said Herb was down there the other day and said he had bought a new buggy and team of horses and that you wasn't going to go with me any longer, that he was going to start right away. I think there is lots of danger of him keeping you from coming over here or anyone else, don't you? If I was him I would either keep my infernal mouth shut or else I would do what I say I am going to. Have you been down town this week to meeting? I hope you haven't. I haven't been off the place. I want to go down to Decatur Saturday to get some things and also to get some money. I wish you would be in town. I would like to see you. Oh! IRA, you can't imagine how lonesome I get some times I can hardly stand it. IRA, you said one thing Sunday evening I think I had better do but it wouldn't do me no good if I did. I am so wicked. It was when I was getting my handkerchief from under the sofa, IRA, I was just thinking today how happy you and I could be when we get married. If RUE and Mary don't move away from here by next fall I don't know what they will do. Do you suppose your folks would care if we stayed over there till they did move out? There is one thing sure, we will not stay here as long as they are in here. If they can't get a place by thunder we can or else we can build. Stanley hasn't come home yet, has he? Has Mr. Ogylvie (that isn't spelled right) come yet? I am kinder in hopes Stanley won't come home because I know you and him won't get along. Well, my dear, sweet boy, as it is getting late and I am tired I will close and go to bed. Wish you were here to go with me. Will bid you a kind good night with lots of kisses. I am your loving sweetheart and w---. Answer soon; be careful with this letter.

MAUDE S.

Be sure and get here at 5 o'clock. If you take a notion to come sooner, all right. I wish you would take such a notion.

By by C.Y.K. I don't expect you can read this.

To Be Continued . . ."Additional Witnesses. . ."

Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert
"With permission from the Leon Journal Reporter"
December l8, 2002