The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1895-11-08
NEWS OF OUR STATE.
TELEeRAPHIc REPORTS OF MATTERS
OF INTEREST.

Compilation os the Most Important Hap
penings of tne Week Which viii he
Read with Interest-various state News
Given In Condensed Form.
ALLEGAN, Mich Nov, 1.-The sworn con
fession of James w. Brown, who is a pris-
oner in the county Jail at Allegan, Mich,
at last clears the mystery which, for over
two years, has surrounded tho express
robbery at Kessler's Siding. At l o'clock
on the night of Sept. 12, 1898, the east
bound express of the Lake Shore was run
In onto the siding at little station near
Kendallville. The engineer was shot and
the express messenger badly hurt by mask
ed robbers, who cracked the express car
safe and emptied 1t of its contents. Since
then all sorts Of clews have been followed,
but all proved futile. Brown was arrest
ed in Michigan five weeks ago as suspect
In the attempt to loot Chicago and West
Michigan passenger train. The evidence
in that instance was not especially strong
and in his attempt to work into the SYM
pathy of Sheriff Strattan and officials,
Brown dropped some remarks about his
rovings which aroused their suspicion.
Confession of Brown.
The sympathy racket and other divices
of the sweating process finally proved to
officers that Brown had hand in the
Lake Shore hold-up. Their suspicious
rounded up complete confession, involv-
ing all the details of that extraordinary
and daring piece of outlawry. In the
confession Brown says that he, in COM
pany with John and Abe Smalley, were
living in Alleean county, Mich, just be-
fore the Lake Shore hold-up. They were
open for any kind of crime, and planned
the express robbery before entering the
Indiana limits These three men exc
cuted the robbery alone, entering the
state on foot and travelling at night only.
After the hold-up the three tramped back
across the Michigan line, tramping forty
or fifty miles. After dividing their haul
from the United States Express company,
amounting to $4,000, they separated. Abe
Smalley went up into the Oklahoma dis
trict in northern Michigan, while John
and Brown went west. All recently
worked back into their former haunts
near Allegan, and John was killed six
weeks ago while resisting arrest. Abe
disappeared after the attempt to rob the
Michigan railway train, and was last
seen in the northern distrj %
Invested His Spots.
Brown says he has his share OF the spoils
invested, but refuses to say where, and
will give no account of the two years in
tervening between the crime, to which he
confesses, and the recent one. The three
held well-earned reputation for years as
bad men in both Indiana and Michigan.
They formerly lived in the country near
Kessler's and knew the surroundings
thoroughly. Abe carries three bad bullet
wounds in his head, obtained in former
encounters. Governor Matthews signed
requisition for Brown, and he will be
brought into the state for trial. After the
robbery the Lake Shore Railway company
posted a reward of 81 900 each for the con-
viction of the criminals. This reward was
never withdrawn and the Allegan county
sheriff claims it. The confession clears
from suspicion some of the wealthiest
residents of Noble county and the region
surrounding the scene of the robbery. 1t
is believed, notwithstanding Browns as
sertions, that the party had accessories
who now hold the money obtained by the
robbery and who assisted the .en in get
ting away.