The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1898-09-30
HELD UP.
Lewis Evans Robbed OF His
Money.
He is Locked up for Drunkenness, ant
Gives Several Different Accounts
of the Affair.

The police had curious guest in
the lookup Saturday evening. He
gave the name of Lewis Evans, and
said that his home is at Blue Earth
City, out that his parents reside in
| Wisconsin. He has been working for
several weeks for farmer named
Bill Saylor, who lives three miles
north of the city, and was paid off
| Saturday, and proceeded to get drunk
with portion of his wages. He was
found lying in the road near the old
race track north of the city at shortly
before five O'clock Saturday afternoon.
The police were notified and brought
him to the city hall and locked him
I up on the charge of being drunk. He
is man about thirty-hve years of
age, and has an impediment in his
| speech.
Evans claimed to have been robbed
of his money by two men, and gave
several different accounts Of the af
fair to the reporters. He claimed at
| first to have been robbed of S35, and a
little later said the amount was $40,
and afterwards came down to SIS.
Evans says that he and Saylor came
to the city at about noon Saturday,
with load of rye. They got free
lunch somewhere and then went to a
saloon on South Front street, where
Saglor paid Evans what he owed him.
Evans claimed that the amount paid
was S19, but when asked 10 describe
he money said that it consisted of a
S. bill and $40 in silver, and after
wards asserted that it was three IS
bills. A number of .men were in the
saloon at the time, and saw the money
paid over. Drinks were taken, and
Evans proceeded to al other saloon,
where more drinks were had. He was
accompanied by two of the men who
saw him paid off. but who were
strangers to him. One of these men
was tall and the other not quite so
tall.
Evans wanted to go to Waseca, and
went to the union depot to enquire
| what time the train left. Then he
visited another saloon. His COM
panions proposed that they go to Wi
dell's stone quarry, where Evans
worked until harvest, and he con-
sented. There they found some men
with keg of beer, and Evans took
couple of glasses. By this time he
admits that he was feeling in hap
by frame of mind. The three then
got into buggy and drove further in
to the country. When in secluded
spot, under tree in hollow block
from the road, Evans companions
threw him out, and one OF them got
out and sat on his prostrate form and
went through his pockets. The two
men then drove away. leaving Evans
on the ground, where he was suisse.
quently found by the police.
Evans persists that the men order
ed him to throw up his hands, the tall
man pointing revolver at his head
to enforce the command. He at first
refused, and one Of the men hit him
over the head with club, telling him
to the ground. When asked to show
where he was hit with the club, he
was unable to show any kind Of marks.
A little girl and boy saw the three
men drive to the place, and saw one
of them thrown out by his compan
ions, and saw one Of the latter get
out and go through the pockets of the
man who was thrown out. The men |
were driving gray horse. Some of
Evans pockets were turned inside
out when he was found by the police. !
He had but five cents left.
Evans claims that he was walking
back towards Bill Saylor's place. when
he was confronted by the robbers. He
does not have much recollection of
the buggy ride. In fact, the recollec-
tion of all the events came back to
him very slowly. He says that one of
the men had a brown mustache, and
that he would know them again if he !
saw them. After the ROBBERY,
they went north along the road.
Evans says that they told him that il
he ever said anything about the af-
fair they would kill him.