The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1899-08-25
RECOVERED PART.
Alois Pietsch Gets Back Lost
Money.
Detective Work Results In the Recovery
of $3.50, and Perhaps More
Later.

man this afternoon than he has been for
the past two months. He is the man
who was doubly afflicted six weeks ago
by the insanity of his wife and the loss
of his money. 1t will be remembered
that one morning in July his wife ran
out OF his house on North Front street
and threw herself into the Minnesota
river with the intention of drowning
herself. He followed her and saw her
hands come to the surface, and then
rushed in and dragged her out after a
struggle Several railroad men assisted
him to get his wife home. That day
she was adjudged insane and has since
been in the st, Peter hospital.
Mrs. Pietsch had been deranged for
some time, believing that starvation
awaited the family In order to calm
her, Mr.. Pietsch kept the savings of
years of toll in his pocketbook and
show her the money. He had this pocket
book in his hip pocket on the eventful
July morning, but as soon as he
reached home with his wife he discov-
cred that it was gone. He went back
and searched for it, but got no trace of
the book. In the afternoon his son and
another boy. looking in the same place,
found the empty pocket book and some
type written receipts, which bore his
name. An advertisement in the papers
calling for the return of the money in
the name of humanity, as the owner
was left with family of small children
to care for, was inserted in the papers
but brought no response. The pocket
book contained $343, mostly in
currency.
Mr.. Pietsch kept close watch upon
parties whom he suspected, but got no
evidence until month ago, when he
was notified by W. G.. Hoerr that some
bills that had evidently been in the
water had been deposited in rthe bank.
With this slight clue Mr.. Pietsch went to
work. He called on the other banks
and learned that similar bills had been
deposited with them. Then he got
list of the tell tale money and sought
them out and learned who had traded
the money with them. He found that
in every case the money had been paid
over by Adam Ingerthron or his wife.
Ingerthron lives at No. 514 North
Front street and drives delivery
wagon for Paegel's. beer. Mr.. Pietsch
confided his discoveries to Chief Bruels
and the latter did some work on the
case. County attorney Hughes was
taken into the confidence of the others,
and yesterday the matter was placed in
the hands of Sheriff Gerlach, to whom
the credit for the result is due. Up
to this time Mr. Pietsch did not think
that Ingerthron was the man who
found the pocket book, as he did not
see him on the river bank on the morn
ing of the loss.
This morning Mr.. Pietsch swore out
search warrant upon the premises of
Ingerthron. 1t was served during the
forenoon by Sheriff Gcrlich, Deputy
Sheriff Stevens and Chief Bruels. Mr..
Gerlich had in his pocket bills to the
amount of 500 that were turned in to
the banks, and that had evidently been
water soaked at some previous time.
Mr.. Gerlach accused Ingerthron of
having found Pietsch's money, but
Ingerthron stoutlY denied it. When
shown the bills duly certified to by
the bankers and merchants. and threat
ened with prosecution unless he
"coughed up" Ingerthron finally ad-
mitted that he found the pocket book.
He claimed that he found it some dis
lance down the river and said that he
did not know whose it was, and had
seen no advertisement for it as he did
not take the papers. The sheriff final
ly cornered him into admitting that he
had seen the receipts and other papers
that bore Pietsch's name. Ingerthron
turned over $3.50 to the sheriff, saying
that this was all that remained. Of
this amount, $40 was in bills that had
been wet, similar to those received at
the banks, and the remaining S11O was
mostly in silver. making about all that
the big sheriff wanted to carry. 1t had
been Ingerthron's policy to exchange
the wet bills for goods, getting back
change. During the last few days the
bills were coming in frequently to the
banks. About 500 was gotten hack in
change and was being boarded,
Ingerthron was pressed by the officers
to make good the balance that he had
found, but the man said that Pietsch
would not have found his pocketbook
himself and was lucky to get as much
as he had. He refused to pay over any
more This afternoon complaint was
preferred, charging Ingerthren with
grand larceny in the second degree.
The law reads that any person who
finds property and has knowledge of
the owner or means of inquiry and does
not restore the property to the owner is
guilty of larceny.
nh VI