Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-10-09
IS
ON TRIAL.
Alledged Eldon Bank Robber
Recently Captured at Bal
timore, Maryland.
CHICAGO LAWYERS HERE
Attorney r. A. Wade, of Prendersast
Fame Will Defend-capt, F. w.
Forsee Here-History of the Rob.
berry.

berry.
Attorney R. A. Wade, of Chicago.
who defended Prendergast, the man
who shot and killed Mayor Carter H.
Harrison in Chicago, some years ago,
is in the city today and will assist
Jaques & Jaques in the defense of
Samuel Ritchie, charged with compll-
city in the Eldon bank robbery. Rit-
chie's trial began this afternoon, that
is the selection of jurors began at tha:
time. 1t is expected that the jury will
not be selected before this evening or
sometime tomorrow, when the opening
statement will be made and the de-
Tense will disclose what they expect to
prove, in a general way. Just exactly
what line the defense will take is not
known, but in view of the fact tha,
foreign counsel has been engaged, It
is expected that a desperate defense
will be made.
Big Legal Battle Anticipated.
Capt. w. F. Forsee, assistant SUPER
intendent of the Pinkerton's Chicago
agency, the man who is responsible
for running the criminal down, is in
the city. w. J. Wellbasky, formerly
connected with the Pinkerton's, but
who is now conducting a detective
agency of his own, is also in the city,
as is Fred Schumacher, the messenger
boy who carried some of the kilograms
sent from Ottumwa to Chicago; John
McWeeny, detective sergeant, and
the man who stood highestsin the civil
service examinations, arrived this
morning together with John Smith and
August Webber, both detective SER
geants. The majority of the witnesses
outside of Captain Forsee are suppos-
ed to have been brought here for iden-
tification. 1t is expected that Mrs.
Ritchie will also be here either today
or tomorrow. The case will be bitter
ly fought on both SIDES The Fidelity
and Casualty company has employed
Judge j. C. Mitchell to assist County
Attorney Enoch and great legal bat
tie of the rst magnitude is condently
expected
History of the Crime.
On the night of January 81, 1897. or
on the morning of February 1, Brad
ley's Bank of Eldon, was entered thru
the conniyance of c. J. Stevens, the
then city marshal. A hole was drilled
in the vault, the safe blown and sew
eral thousand dollars taken. The
burglars stole team felonging to X.
Ritz, of Eldon, rode to Sugar Greer
crossing and walked into Ottumwa,
where they stayed all night at Dick
Dodd's home in South Ottumwa. The
next evening they left the city with
their booty after having given Dodd
his share.
The bank was insured in the Fidel-
ity & Casualty company, of Baltimore,
Maryland. These people have repu-
tation of never letting up on matter
of this kind until the guilty persons
are brought to justice. Accordingly
the case was placed in the hands of
the Pinkerton people and Assistan,
Superintendent W. F. Forsee, of the
Chicago agency placed on the case.
He came to Ottumwa and spent a
great deal of time. both here and In
Eldon before getting clue. Finally
one day he was being driven from this
place to Eldon and the driver remark
ed that on certain date some parties
had hired a rig and gone to Eldon
where they left it, and where it was
later found. This is the first clue the
detective had and connecting 1t up
with other events, he soon had the
Eldon city marshal under suspicion
Stevens finally confessed the crime to
Forsee and later repeated it in the
Ballingall hotel in this city in the
presence of Chief Williams.
May 8, 1897, Capt. Forsee went be
fore the Wapello county grand jury
which was then in session, and the
next day the following seven men We're
indicted on the charge of burglarizing
the bank: Robert Durkin, Jesse K
Hamilton, D. Cameron, Thomas Mur-
ray, Joe Smith alias Indian Joe, c. j.
Stevens and Richard Y. Dodd. A
few days later another indictment was
returned against all the men charg-
ing them with breaking and entering
a building. This was done in order
to hold them on a second charge
if the first failed when the men were
brought to trial.
Stevens Suggestion.
Some time in 1896 there was a hotel
clerk in the Hotel Eldon named Felix
Berlisle. One day. it is said, C. j.
Stevens, casually remarked to Ber.
Isle that it would be an easy thing to
crack the Eldon bank. Other conver.
sations on the same subject ensued,
and it is said that Berlisle suggested
a person who would do the job in the
person of Joplin Red" Des Moines