The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1892-08-26
THE CHASE AND CAPTURE OF
GIEFER.

l.
was three hours late, and the sheriff
did not reach Worthington until half
an hour after Giefer had taken a
freight for Spirit Lake. From Chef
er's negotiations for ticket, Mr..
Glynn was reasonably certain that he
was on the right track. When he
reached Spirit Lake he ascertained
that Giefer had Unexpectedly visited
his wife that noon and had told her
to get ready to leave at once. They
had gone to Sibley on freight train
at 2;3O o'clock, so Mr.. Glynn telegraph
ed to Sheriff Shannon at that place
to arrest the man. The sheriff had
lust come in from the country and got
the dispatch about the time the train
arrived. He had no difficulty in find
ing Giefer and took him to Jail. There
the sheriff found that his wife had
fallen down stairs and hurt herself,
and in his excitement he forgot for an
instant his prisoner, who skipped
away as quick as fash and was run
ming down street. The sheriff was
being left behind when Giefer fell,
hurting his knee. The sheriff shout
ed to the editor of paper who was
ahead of Giefer to head him off, which
he did. Giefer was then locked up
until Sheriff Glynn arrived short
time afterwards. The night was spent
there. Saturday morning he broke
down while talking to his wife, and
wa heard to tell her that "whiskey
did it,"
When Mr.. Glynn took the prisoner,
the latter pretended that he did not
know what he was wanted for. When
told, he appeared to be very anxious
to know whether Roway was dead.
He made no objection to returning to
Maukato, but denied to the sheriff
that he assaulted or robbed ROway
and protested that he had nothing to
do with the matter. Very little could
be gotten from him. When he saw
the large crowd gathered about the
train at the court house square, where
the train was stopped, he was very
nervous and frightened and after
wards said that he felt relieved to be
within the protecting walls OF the
jail. There he made the confession
which the FREE PRESS published Sat-
urday, He talked wholly voluntarily
and seemed to be glad to have his side
of the case known. His story CORRIDOR
ates that told by Roway, in all of it's
essential features, and does not de-
tract one iOta from the blackness of
the crime. His statement of the man
ner in which he met or waylaid
Roway at the brick yard is probably
in the main correct. There he pound
ed him and robbed him. He admits
that he has temper which at times
is ungovernable and renders him
wild. While he claims to have been
drunk, he admitted in his interview
that he was not so drunk but that he
knew fully what he was doing when
he assaulted Roway. He claimed
that Roway was also drunk, but this
Louis Walz, who was perhaps the last
person who saw him before the terri
BILE encounter, states is not true, and
Roway himself denied it.
Giefer stated that he is p years of
age and was born in Germany, coming
to this country four and half years
ago. He came to Mankato something
over year ago. He says that this is
the first trouble that he ever got into.
He is of medium build dark complec-
toned and has dark brown eyes, and
dark hair. His lips are thin and mo-
bile. He speaks with a brogue, and
when interviewed at first wanted an
Interpreter. He states that his wife
will remain with her parents at Spir-
it Lake. He did not tell her of the
crime which he had done, he said. Be
fore his arrival she had twice inQuir-
ed for letters at the pOStoffice and
seemed very anxious to hear from
someone-doubtleSS her husband, who
had promised her money to come to
Mankato. Giefer had spent all of his
money except Is cents last Wednes-
day, and was probably determined to
raise the required Sc in some way. He
had S.97 when arrested. He had Civ
en- his wife So, and had spent So for a
railroad ticket, besides his other eX-
penses. He claimed to have gotten
but Sc from Roway and So from the
man with whom he roomed at Worth
ington. 1t is stated that he actually
took IS from the latter, and Roway
said that he was robbed offs 18.
In his confession, Giefer stated
that he threw the hammer into a
brick kiln, where it was found Satur-
day afternoon. The handle was brok-
en- and bloody but there was no
blood on the iron. The kiln was to
be fired today, and this would have