Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1874-07-09
The An.m... Pest esa,e. n.ssery


Office at Anamosa had been robbed.
We arc now enabled to give the fol.
lowing particulars, CLEANED from our
exchanges: 1t seems that the three
men charged with the crime went to
Anamosa on Monday and put up at
one Of the smaller hotels. They were
about town during the day and
evening, and on Tuesday they paid
their bills and left town that night the
robbery occurred. The postmaster
Mr.. Coe, had just received . lot of
stamps and quantity of money. 80
the burglars had picked fortunate
night for their raid They first broke
open the tool chest belonging to the
section men of the d. & s. W. r. r.,
and secured some crow.bars, sledges,
ETC., and also entered carpenter shop
where they provided Themselves with
chisels,-a to be used in forcing open
the safe. The Office was entered from
the rear, the safe carried out into the
yard, and ONE of the party detailed TO
watch, while the other two proceeded
to break open the safe door. The noise
made by the robbers In their work
awOke Mr.. Stickney and wife, who.
were sleeping near. The excessive
nervousness of his wife, however,
prevented Mr.. Stickney from giving
the alarm. The thieves took GEO in
stamps and $500 In cash, but NO papers.
In their haste to get away with
their booty they overlooked pocket
book containing three 80 notes which
was in the safe. The business was
done about midnight, and the burglars
went of in n0rth-easterlydi rection,-
Special Agent Van Leuven was i'm.
mediately telegrsphed to McGregor,
and he at once repaired to Anamosa,
and commenced the work of ferreting
ont the whereabouts of the rascals.
kilograms were sent in every direc-
ton, and on the afternoon of Wednes.
day the station agent ct Worthington
telegraphed Of the suspicious appear
of q stranger with satchel. The fel.
low was questioned % to his destins-
ton, and said he proposedsto 70 east
on the evening train, leaving his satch.
oil in the care Of some one at the depot
He sauntered about town and finally
wont to saloon whore he stayed un-
til the train had passed. Van Lueven
then autographed to arrest the fellow,
and started for Worthington, accom-
panied by special agent Stewart, who
had been summoned from Iowa City.
The fellow was arrested and his satch-
was searched and found to contain
$l25 in postage stamps. He then con.
fessed his participation in the crime,
gave his name as Harris, and said that
his partners were in the field three
miles to the west The government
officers, sheriff and two or three others
started with . hand car for the field in
question. A short distance ont Of
town the fellows were discovered, but
they left tho track and attempted to
hide in wheat field They were fol.
lowed and captured and taken to the
hand car the satchel found in the
possession of one of them was search.
cd, but 1t was empty. Thinking that
tho contents Of the satchel had been
secreted, q general searh was ordered
aud two packages Of $l25 each found
in pile of rails near by. After some
effort full confession was made by
each OF them. and some $500 in money
and nearly all the stamps recovered.
1t seems that sitter the robbery was
committed the party went off some
distance into the woods and sttampt-
cd to divide the spoils, but the thing
ended in . row and Harris came to
Worthington, where he Was arrested
Is above described. The prisoners
were taken to Dubuque aud srraigned
before u. s. Commissioner Hobbs.
They waived examination and were
remsnded to jail in default OF bail in
the sum Of $1,000 each. Their trial
will come OF at tho November term of
the U. s. court. Too much praise cam
not be awarded Nessrs. Van Leuven
and Stewart for the promptness and
skill displayed IL getting these ~.
laws under lock and key.- Waterloo
Courier.