Taylor County in Iowa

Gravity in Taylor County

Jane Otis

Homicide

Jane Otis
76 YOA
Gravity, IA
Taylor County
January 4, 1921

By Nancy Bowers

At 4:00 a.m., Tuesday, January 4, 1921, Gravity resident Charles O’Brien smelled smoke and ran outside to find the home of his neighbor on fire. He tried to get into the house but was driven back by the intense flames and heat.

When the blaze died down, the badly burned body of 76-year-old Jane Otis was discovered.

Jane Otis, a spinster who lived alone, used kerosene lamps and was known to have dizzy spells, which at first seemed to account for the fire.

However, her body was draped over a trunk in a storage room; one arm and both legs were separated from her body and her skull was crushed.

It appeared that Jane Otis was murdered in a robbery and the fire set to cover the evidence.

Although she owned her home, Jane Otis was not wealthy. However, it was widely known in Gravity that she once withdrew all her money from the bank to keep in her house and on her person.

What might not have been known was that she later returned the money to the bank and there was no large amount in the house.

The Life of Jane Otis

Nancy Jane Otis (always called “Jane”) was born in Wayne, Ohio, in 1845 to Catherine Ann “Kitty” Gartrell and Edward Otis. The Otis family lived in Illinois before moving to Taylor County, Iowa.

Jane had three brothers — John, Ezekiel, and Merrill Otis — as well as seven sisters: Louisa Otis, Alice Otis, Christina Anna Otis, Marilla Otis Lavery, Sarah Ann Otis Gartrell, Mary Jane Otis Cole, and Ada E. Otis Freeman.

Courtesy photo findagrave.com

The Washington Cemetery, where Jane Otis is buried.

Her funeral was held on Thursday, January 6 at the Christian Church in Gravity with the Rev. Orr Campbell officiating, and she was buried in Washington Cemetery.

Several of her siblings preceded her in death. Extended family were scattered about in Shenandoah, Mason City, and Omaha. Jane’s nearest relatives were her sister Ada Otis Freeman and nephew Sam Freeman in Clarinda.

Information Needed

Questions and information about the 1921 death of Jane Otis should be directed to the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office at 712-523-2153 or Iowa Cold Cases through the Contact form.

Sources

• Adams County Free Press January 15 1921.
• “Burned to Death,” Clearfield Enterprise, January 13, 1921.
• Humeston New Era, January 12, 1921.
• “Iowa News,” Pella Chronicle, January 13,
  1921.
• “Woman Was Burned To Death With Home In Gravity Tuesday,” Iowa City Press-Citizen January 6, 1921.
• “Woman’s Body Was Horribly Mutilated and Also Burned,” Waterloo Evening Courier, January 8, 1921.
• Works Progress Administration 1930s Graves Registration Survey.