St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-01-25
The Robbery Committed by
a Bold Young Man in
Woman'S Clothes.
A Still Greater Deficit Discov-
cred in the Manitoba Pro-
vincial Treasury.
A Waseca Sensation Exploded
proceedings Of Iowa
Legislature.
Special to the Globe.

ford Tanner is an old gentleman who
has been well-knOwn character for
twenty years or so in this county. He
is bachelor and seems to have no rel
atlveS or confidential friend. He stays
but few months at time in place,
being at Mona and st. Ansgar, To-, at
Austin, Chenille and Albert Lea, in
this state, most of the time looking after
his loans and collecting his interest. He
is a selfish, miserly man, and otherwise
secretive, suspicious and eccentric. He
has money boarded up in half dozen
banks, and is worth probably 100000,
and generally carries on his person his
certificates of deposits and other papers,
and considerable sum in cash. 1t is
said he has been robbed several times,
and that last spring, at Austin, he was
HELD UP FOR $1,000.
He has been boarding for month or
more with the family of j. p. Bennett,
within gunshOt of the WALLACE of Glen
vile, nine miles south of this city on
the Burlington, Cedar Rapids g. North
ern railway, and the particulars of an
other of his exciting experiences have
just become generally known. One day
during the week preceding Christmas
young, well-formed, stylishly dressed
and self-pOsSessed woman drove up to
Fred MOrriSOn'S hotel in Chenille with
horse and cutter, known there to be
from Greene's livery, in this city. She
inquired, with good deal of interest,
about Tanner, as to where he boarded,
where he was generally to be found and
other particulars. and by her strange
actions attracted much comment in this
little village. She drove out on the
roads leading to the east, south and
west of the village, being absent about
half hour on each trip, and finally re-
turned to Albert Lea. The next day
she alighted from the cars at the Glen
vile depot and, meeting Henry Cottrell,
sought to engage his services to go into
the country three or four miles. He
questioned her GROSSLY, more so than
she seemed to like, and evidently cOnsid-
ering him
TOO KEEN FOR HER
purposes. she said she would see him
again and went to the hotel. After in
quiring further for man and team to
make the proposed trip, she finally ell
gagged John ShOwerS,an unSOphiSticated
Dutchman, stranger in that section,
and they started out. They drove four
miles south to the farmhouse of Mrs.
Ann Buchanan, where the mysterious
Wohiah oloPpCu. OIlc tLoH ullCCIou
Showers to drive back to Benefits and
tell Sanford Tanner that a lady at Mrs.
Buchanan's wanted to see him. Show
ers did SO. Tanner said: 'Well, [
suppose if a lady wants to see me /
must co." and go he did. Arriving at
Mrs. Buchanan'S the strange woman
came out and got into the sleigh, taking
Tanner on her lap and instructing the
driver to drive further On, as she wan
ted to talk over some business matters
with Tanner. In Chenille she had pre-
tended to some that she was detective
working up the case of the robbery of
Tanner at Austin, and she thus partly
explained her object to Tanner and
Showers. During the drive her clothes
seemed to bother her, for once she
worked her hand under her skirts and
impatiently circulated, I'd these leg
gings, anyway" Arriving at the cross
roads, just east of Gordensville station,
she directed Showers to get out and
wait, as she wanted to drive little
ways off and
HAVE A CONFIDENTIAL TALK
with Tanner. The accommodating
driver did so. She drove with Tanner
over hill to the east and returned in
twenty minutes, when they all went to
Gardensville station. Tanner took the
train that soon came along and returned
to Chenille, and Showers was hired by
the woman to take her to NOrthwood,
where he left her. She doubtless took
the train there and has lived in clover
ever since. During the ride in the
sleigh Showers actually had his sleepy
suspicious aroused and asked the seem
ing woman what caused the beard on
her face, as it had begun to slightly
show through the well-applied coat of
paint. She answered.: "Oh, have not
shaved to-day. It's all right" The
pretended woman was in truth man
in disguise, and while over the hill he
had
ROBBED TANNER OF $4,000.
in certificates of deposit of banks of
Albert Lea, Austin and st. Paul, and
81, 400 in cash, which the old man had
on his person. He had threatened
Tanner with death if he exposed him,
and thus easily worked his bold and
successful robbery. AS soon as Tanner
returned to Chenille he telegraphed to
the banks directing them not to pay the
money on the certificates, and during
the past week they were all returned to
him in an envelope poStmarked at st.
Paul, containing also the words Lost
and found Jan. IT," But Tanner has
not yet again seen the woman who so
affectiOnately held him in her lap, nor
the S1,400 which she, with very reso-
lutte devotion, absorbed from his person
and in triumph carried away.