Wapello County in Iowa

Ottumwa in Wapello County

James Chamberlain

Homicide

James Chamberlain
Wabash Railroad Trestle
Ottumwa, IA
Wapello County
May 25, 1893

Case summary by Nancy Bowers

On Thursday, May 25, 1893, James Chamberlain — a carpenter who lived on the south side of Ottumwa — was found lying in mud and water underneath the Wabash Railroad trestle over the Des Moines River in the old Richmond section of the city.

 Courtesy photo Wapello County GenWeb

This old postcard features the bridge where James Chamberlain was attacked.

While still conscious, Chamberlain told authorities he was struck on the head. He died of his injuries the next day.

An inquest showed that Chamberlain’s skull was fractured, and a Coroner’s Jury concluded he was hit on the head with a blunt instrument “in the hands of a person or persons unknown.” The death was declared a murder.

The Cedar Rapids Weekly Gazette reported:

“There is no clue to the murderer that amounts to anything more than a strong suspicion and the affair is shrouded in the deepest mystery.”

Some in the Ottumwa community saw strong similarities between James Chamberlain’s murder and that of David Sutton in Ottumwa in February of 1893, three months previous.

Any information about the unsolved 1893 murder of James Chamberlain should be directed to the Ottumwa Police Department at 641-683-0661, the Wapello County Sheriff’s Office at 641-684-4350, or Iowa Cold Cases through the Contact form.

Courtesy photo Bob Davis

Photographer Bob Davis shot this photo of the Wabash Railroad trestle from upstream on August 24, 2008. The historic bridge is still open to foot traffic.

Sources:

• “He Was Murdered,” Cedar Rapids Weekly Gazette, June 8, 1893.
• “Looks Like Murder,” Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette, May 30, 1893.

 
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