The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1899-05-05
BRONSON ARRESTED.
Silver Dollars Found in His
Stove.
he is Believed 10 Know Something of the
Robbery of Mrs. Sylvester
Abbott.

. B.Bronson was arrested Friday eve
ming at his home. 316 Mound avenue,
on warrant charging him with grand
larceny in the second degree, signed by
Sylvester Abbott. It is claimed that
he was implicated with Edward Cas-
well in the theft of $40 from the latter's
house, which is close to Bronsons.
Sheriff Gerlich, Deputy Sheriff
Stevens and Officer Olmstead made the
arrest at about 500 o'clock, after hav-
ing thoroughly searched the house in
the hope of finding the missing pocket
book or some of the money. Bronson's
daughter, who is engaged to be married
to Caswell, denied that there was any
money in the house, or that Caswell
had given her any. Bronson admitted
that he had received from Caswell
something over dollar. The officers
finally found Miss Bronson's pocket
book in the cellar. 1t contained silver
dollar, and then the young lady for the
first time admitted that she had re-
ceived the dollar from Caswell, al
though the officers had known it all
along. In the ashes in the lower part
of the stove two silver dollars were
found. They were so hot that they
could hardly be handled. Nothing else
could be fonnd, and the warrant was
then served and Bronson was taken to
the city hall, where he spent the night.
The theory of the officers is that
Bronson knew of the robbery and that
he had an understanding with Caswell
that the latter was to hide the pocket
book under certain stone near the
Omaha trestle oyer the street crossing
and that Bronson was to go there and
get it.
When questioned by Free Press re-
porter Saturday, Bronson denied
having any knowledge of the theft. He
said that he had driven under the
trestle shortly after Caswell had been
there, but he did not know of the
pocket book being hidden there He
said that his daughter had not told him
of her receiving money from Caswell,
and that he had recently advised her to
break off her engagement, as he did
not think Caswell could support her.
Bronson explained the presence of the
two silver dollars in the stove by say
iYcr hot hn bol hnI i,
such matters before, and when he had
learned of the robbery he had conclud
ed to hide his money for fear that it
would be suspected that he had some of
Mrs. Abbott's money. He said that he
is an old soldier and receives $40 a
month pension money. He drew $50
about the middle of this month and
paid his rent, S19, and bought some
groceries. He had few silver dollars
left and hid two of them in the stove.
Bronson is teamster and works at
odd jobs, scarcely ever receiving more
than fifty cents or a dollar at time,
He has lived in Mankato for something
more than year. He formerly lived
in Clay county and was convicted there
in 1881 of being implicated in wheat
stealing. For that, he was sentenced
to Saltwater for one year, and served
out his sentence. He belongs to the 10
cal Salvation Army, and this is the first
trouble he has gotten into in Mankato.
Bronson's hearing was set for Thurs
day at 1000 a. m and he was released
on $3.50 bail. S. B. Wilson appeared al
his attorney -.