Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1894-01-11
BOUND AND ROBBED.
An Aged Woman Visited by Robbers.
One of the Men Caught at
Martins Ferry.

This community was excited Friday
morning over the robbery of Mrs. Mllllt-
zer, an old German lady living mile and
a half north Of town. The old lady lived
in a farm house a quarter of mile from
any neighbor, and had no company save
a hired girl. The girl was at an enter
tainment at school house mile or so
distant. Thursday night Mrs. Millitzer
retired about 9, leaving the doors un-
fastened for the girl. Before she had
fallen asleep two men entered her room
and demanded her money. She told them
she had only two dollars, whereupon they
made threats of killing her. They then
seized and tied her to the bed, striking
her in the face with their fists, swearing
that if they found no money upstairs, they
would come down and burn her and the
house. AS soon as they had gone up
stairs, she struggled free from the ropes,
and without stopping to put on clothes
or shoes, ran nearly half a mile across
the fields to the home of VIM. Dunn.
Her incoherent account of the robbery
and her appearance in her nightclothes,
with blackened eyes and bleeding face,
$50 alarmed Dunn that he did not leave
the house until some men returning
from the entertainment passed, and he
could tell his story to them. They went
to Mrs. Millitzer's house, and found
things in great confusion-drawers and
cupboards emptied, beds torn up-but no
robbers.
Mrs. Millitzer came next day to town
with her story, and it was found that
two men corresponding to her de-
scription of the robbers had been seen at
various points during the preceding day.
They had come out from Bridgeport on
the Northern train, and had bought
crackers and cheese at grocery in town,
bad been seen by son of MIR. Morgan
near the Millitzer farm, and lastly, had
at about 3 o'clock in the afternoon
passed Frank Trolls home, and had
talked with him for some time, asking
where Mrs. MillitZer lived, and who lived
with her, averring that they wanted to
buy turkeys for saloon in Wheeling.
Early Friday morning Frank Troll
went to Wheeling with some produce.
Deputy Sheriff Darby, Marshal Martin
and John Martin went down Friday to
Martins Ferry, and learning that Rich
ard Klinefelter answered the description
of one of the men, they arrested him.
Troll was sent for, and positively identi-
fled the man as one of the two who the
day before had made so many inquiries
of him in regard to Mrs. Millitzer. Troll
was sure Of his man because of an India
ink sta on one hand. Klinefelter was
brought to St. Clairsville, and Mrs. Millit-
zer said he was one of the robbers. He
said he had been out here Thursday, but
had returned ON the evening train. He
had lived in Martins Ferry with w. j.
Warden, whose wife is daughter OF
Mrs. Millizer, and it is supposed that he
there learned of the old lady's wealth
and of her living alone in remote farm
house. He formerly lived in Wheeling,
is mill worker, and does not bear the
best of regulations. He said that the
man who was with him at st. Clairsyille
was Joe Bargeau. of Bellaire. The au
thorities upon looking for Bargeau,
found that he had left Bellaire Friday
afternon, and has not since been heard of.
Klinefelter was given a hearing before
Mayor Kennon, Tuesday. A number OF
witnesses were summoned and the facts
developed were substantially as above.
VIM. Schumacher testified that he had
met two men on the pike east of town,
Friday morning. and he thought one OF
them was Klinefelter. The mans claim
that he had returned to Bridgeport OIL
the evening train was not made good.
By Mrs. Millitzer's testimony it was
shown that the men had treated her with
more brutality and indecency than at
first appeared.
Kiinefelter was bound over to the
Common Pleas Court in the sum of
$1,000, which amount he was unable to
raise, and was taken into custody.