Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-09-14
FAVOREDPRISONLIfE
Asked Chief Of Police to Lock Him
Up.
HONESTY GAINED HIS LIBERTY.
Queer Actions of George Leslie Ross,
Alias Robert Kelly, an Ex-Convict
other Police aud Court
News Of Interest.

From Tuesdays Daily.
Tam guilty of burglary and want to
Leslie Ross, alias Robert Kelly, as he
and addressed Chief of Police H. c. Will
liams. 1t was a queer procedure and
proved to be genuine attempt to
break into the penitentiary, although
Chief Williams received a telegram
this morning which rewarded Kelly
for his honesty by giving him his liber-
ty. The facts in the case are that Ross,
alias Kelly, has served so many years
of his life in prison that he does not
know how to take care of himself now
that he has his liberty, and his case
is indeed a most pitiable one. He is
only 81 years old and yet he has served
more than eight years of this time
either in the reform school or in
prison.
He told Courier reporter who visit
ed him in his cell at the city Jail this
morning that it appeared TO be I'M
possible for him to keep out of trouble.
He could not resist the temptation to
take things that did not belong to him,
no matter. how hard he tried. That
was the only crime on which he has
been convicted, and he said that even
now he feared he would not be able
to keep out of Jail on account of his
weakness in this respect. The police
are of the opinion that he is not right,
mentally. and when ahe departed this
morning the chief advised him to go
direct to the home of his brother, who
resides on farm near Creston, and
who is the only living relative or
| friend to whom he can lay any claim
whatever.
There was considerable sympathy e.,
pressed for the unfortunate man at the
station when his release was secured IN
the form OF message from the sheriff
at Greenfield, informing Chief of Po-
Lice II. G., Williams that as the man
had served so much time in prison that
the parties whom he had robbed at that
place would not hold the charge against
him any longer, and that as far as
they are concerned he is free man.
The burglary for which Ross gave
| himself up yesterday was committed
mt the house OF man named Winston,
residing ut Greenfield, two years ago.
In 1897 Ross committed burglary at
The same place and was sentenced to a
long term at the penitentiary at Fort
Madison, but owing to his good behav-
Tor was released at the end of one year
and nine months. He said that when
he walked out the gate he confidential
lly expected the officials to place him
under arrest for the other burglary,
but as they did not he supposed that
thew had not been informed of his lib
lerty. and he accordingly took advan>
tage of the opportunity to escape and
Invent to Peoria, Ill. That was in June
of the present year and he has been
working there ever since.
| He could not dispel the matter from
| his mind. He realized that he was
guilty and had not served term for
one of the burglaries which he had
committed, and as he was hard up and
despondent, he thought the best thing
| for him to do was to surrender himself
to the authorities and put himself tjn
their mercy. He came to Ottumwa to
| do ii and was rewarded for his act Of
honesty by receiving his liberty. Ross
| said that he was sentenced to the re-
form school from this ,lace when he was
lonly III years old on the charge of lar
ceny. crime which he committed at
| Chillicothe. He served six and half
years in the reform school, and soan
after his liberation from there, which
was given on good behavior, was sent
to the penitentiary ON second charge
of burglary.
1 Ross was born at Villisca, and with
the exception of brother at Creston
lis the only surviving member of his
family. He left Ottumwa with appa.
rently a lighter heart than he has eS-
perienced for many day, and with a
resolve 70 do better and try to make
a man out of himself.
4 The case of the State OF Iowa VS..
lie, Adcock and Zetta Miras, charged
with adultery, which came up before
Justice Ballard yesterday afternoon,
was dismissed for lack CT evidence.
From Wednesdays Daily.
In district court this. afternoon
Judge Sloan sentenced John Adams,
the colored man who assaulted Eliza
lHuhbartt on Wabash train near this
lefty on the night OF July 81, to five
Years in the penitentiary at Fort Mad
ison, overruling his petition for new
trial. The judge, in, pronoqncing the
penalty in such cases was ten years,
he took into consideration the fact
that there was no evidence against
Adams except the prosecuting wit-
mess. For that reason the sentence was
made only five years. Adams was con-
siderably affected when his sentence
, was announced.
j A petition for divorce, entitled Frank
Daley VS.. Alice Daley, was filed in
district court today. The petition
charges adultery, naming the cores
lIondents.
Sheriff Frank Suits received tele
phone message this morning from
. Frank Kurtz, OF Kirkrille, stating tina
he had horse stolen from his plac,
last night, and that he had tracked i
las far as Chillicothe, ald was of tn,
opinion that the intruders were headed
| for Ottumwa. The trail at Chillicoth'
!, became somewhat obscure, owing Il
the fact that the shoes on the hors,
, were removed there, and the tract
: could not be detected. Deputy Sheriff
Slavens went to Chillicothe this morn
ing. but nothing has been heard from
him at, The animal stolen is ba,
80 l. MN