Iowa Old Press
Marble Rock Journal, Floyd County
May 16, 1907
MURDER IN SMOKY ROW.
Mt. Pleasant Man Kills Ben Farrell, a Negro Porter, at Ottumwa.
Ottumwa.—Miles Morrow, a wealthy young man of Mount Pleasant, shot and instantly killed Ben Farrell, a negro porter, in a row in “Smoky Row,” over Morrow’s alleged abuse of Mary Judson, a notorious character of the row. Immediately after the shooting a crowd of negroes collected and threatened to whip Morrow, but the Mount Pleasant man eluded the crowd, gave himself up to Patrolman Beaman and was locked up in the county jail.
Farrell and the Judson woman, who is white, were close companions and Morrow is alleged to have tried to alienate her affections. The coroner’s jury returned a verdict of finding that Farrell came to his death by being shot by Morrow.
[transcribed by L.Z., May 2020]