Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-10-13
battle WITH R0BB[R.
Fred Stier Caught in the Act Of
Robbing Drug Store at
Mingo.
Shoots and Severely Wounds the
Proprietor and Escapes From
Officers POSSE.
The Constable Also Wounded by a
Bullet From the Thief's
Weapon.
pecial to Times-Republican.

Special to Times-Republican.
Mingo, Oct. 3.-Considerable excite
ment was caused here about IL o'clock
last night, when q young man by the
name of Fred Stier. disreputable
character living here, was caught in
an attempt to rob Elliott's drug store.
MIR. Elliott had closed his store for
the night, had gone home and retired.
He had barely gone to bed when a boy
aroused him by knocking at his door
and informing him that some one was
In the store. Mr.. Elliott dressed hastily,
took from the house q revolver and
went up town Immediately, where, he
found, guarding the store In front,
Night Operator Marshall Of the Chi
cago Great Western. Mr.. Elliott at once
unlocked the store door and entered. He
could recognize Stier in the dim light
and knew he had desperate man to
deal with. He spoke to the thief, but
got no reply, Sitter steadily advancing
toward the door. Elliott stepped behind
the end of a counter and Stier passed
him, making a break for liberty. Once
outside the store he ran around the COR
ner, with Elliott after him. Elliott cried
to him to halt, threatening to shoot, and
just at that moment Stier fired at short
range. The ball struck Mr.. Elliott in
the left cheek, knocking out one tooth
and lodging in the angle of the cheek
bone. MIR. Elliott tried to Shoot but for
some reason or other his revolver failed
to act.
BY this time considerable of crowd
had gathered, and a few We're armed.
The men followed Sitter down the street.
firing at him. He also returned the fire
as long as his ammunition lasted, but
he escaped in the darkness. II is
thought he made Immediately for his
home, secured a horse and took for the
country districts. He was followed
cled back to town, turned his horse
loose and went to his home, where he
| hid in a cyclone cave.
In the meantime Constable Byron
Beard was aroused and Joined in the
chase, going with a posse to the
Stier home, to surround the man
When the constable stepped in to arrest
him Sitter fired, the ball passing
| through the officers arm, inflicting q
| painful wound. In the excitement the
| thief escaped and is still at large. The
sheriff and posse are in search and
a reward has been offered for his cap
ture. He is a young man, we'll known
lin this community. He is about 5 fee
no inches tall, weighs between leo ant
I17O pounds and had on at the time o
his escape a common suit of ligh
clothes. Nothing was taken from thu
store, as the thief was discovered be
fore he had succeeded in his plans
Stier is considered hard case here
and has been in Jail for petty offenses
He will be remembered as having beer
lin Jail at Newton for some time a yeal
Tor so ago for barn burning. Every one
at the time was satisfied that he was
guilty, but his guilt could not be proved
Elliott was taken to Marshalltown
where, it is learned, the ball was re
moved from his jaw. The ball was O.
90 caliber.
Neither of the injured men is seri
|ously hurt, owing principally to thu
small caliber of STEERS revolver. If h,
had had weapon of a larger size h,
would have undoubtedly killed Mr.
Elliott. AS it is. it is thought that tn,
main cause for saving him was tn,
s|strking of the tooth, which swervet
4 the ball to another course.