Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-05-15
FOR FIVE LONG YEARS
Con Stafford Heard His Doom From
Judge Fee Last Friday.
TOOK THE MATTER VERY COOLLY
Mrs. Bizer Thinks Her Ex-Husband
Can Get Justice before judge Fee
and Want. Persons Who NIado
i Afiidavils in Court.


and Want. Persons Who NIado
Afiidavits in Court.
From Fridays Daily.]
Con Stafford was indicted, tried,
s ing which his father built and on
which Con was employed during it's
construction. Judge Fee this after
noon sentenced Stafford to five years
in the penitentiary on the charge of
robbery, aud Sheriff Suits left this af-
ternoon with his prisoner for Fort
Madison, being determined to keep
him. no longer than necessary and not
over night if it were possible. No one
sscan tell what was in the courts mind
when Stafford was found guilty, but
4Fsit is thought that he added just about
one year to the sentence because
I Stafford broke Jail, altho when the
jury brought in verdict of guilty it
was very often said by those who
4 heard the evidence that he would get
about five years, and it may be that
no time was added for breaking Jail.
= He took his sentence coolly and never
Z changed a muscle, keeping unsullied
81 to the last his reputation as a nervy
young man.
Says Roy IL Innocent.
a Con Stafford says he was in Ottum-
wa the night following his escape from
sF the county Jail, and caught Burling-
ton stock train out of here and Went
ITO Chicago, from which place he
a worked his way to ST. Louis. When
Ia
his folks but was on the way to the
house.
Stafford was brought back to OF
stt1umwa last evening by Sheriff B. F.
SHUTS from st. Louis. and will be SEN
stenced this afternoon for the crime
flor which he was convicted. Stafford
is confined in the steel cage at the Jail
stand was seen by Courier reporter
this forenoon, when he told the follow
gSing graphic story of his wanderings
since getting away:
had no definite plan of escape; in
fact, did not think about it until the
4 Sunday afternoon that / got away. I
ssst hOught of my mother, and knew she
B was taking the trouble to heart, so I
determined to get out and go to her
and tell her that intended to lead a
Il betterlffe. and then go east to Wheel
- saf,ssf West Virginia. / removed the iron
bar from one of the benches in the
ss corridor. climbed the steam pipes and
tore away the scantling that formed
the ceiling. | found that was in the
81 tito; then / crawled around in tn,
sz dust and dirt until / was a sight. My
rs face was black with SCOT, my eyes
81 were filled with it, as was my mouth
II and ears Nevertheless, I began on the
south wall with my bar, and in a short
time had hole large enough to get
thru. went out feet first and lit
on the kitchen roof, and from there
jumped to the ground. ran around
the jail into the alley and UP the next
Street, to the Lincoln school, L knew
I there was a pump there, and that is
Il the reason / went to the school house.
u washed my face, drank some water
and Started over the hills for Hedricls,
keeping in the back Streets. / got in
drick early Monday morning and
slept all that day in the race track
stables. That evening / caught a
freight train out of There and came to
ttulnwa, arriving here about 6
DDS, lock. walked down the Milwall-
tsee railroad track and the river banl,
TO the burlington yards, where Icaugh1
ga stock train and went TIC
Chicago. From there I worked
my way to ST. Louis, where
ss.}a was arrested. had not seen my
Isl folks yet and was on my way there
when a fellow by the name of King
M with whom had had fight about
slS Two years ago, saw me and told &
policeman that / was wanted in OF
Il, tumwa. l ran, of course. and stumbled
81 and tell. That is how received these
II marks and bruises" and Con exhibited
Il a black eye and some scratches. The
II rest OF his story is to the effect thai
i he was convicted on perjured testi
mony He also says that Roy is NJ
Innocent man and that no $500 wa.
ken from Abbott, the man who wa.
robbed. Stafford said he expected Il
Z get a heavier sentence than either o.
The other men who We're convicted
Il with him.
Stafford told Sheriff Suits slightl,
I different story, and was to the effec
D that he came to Ottumwa Monda,
ght and stayed in the willows above
the Milwaukee Junction all day Tues
day. That evening, he told the sheriff
he came down to the Burlington
yards, where he met a certain youns
fellow and had talk with him. anf
was told that the sheriff had takeI
both Roy and Sherrod TO the peniten
tiary that day. He also told the sheriff
Il THAI he caught stock train and wha,
it reached Burlington the train wal
searched and about ten buns talxel
from the train. He said that h,
thought the police were after him ans
he laid down among fthe hogs, thu.
escaping. The rest OF the story tallie.
with that which he gave to a Courie
reporter this forenoon.
i Stafford when asked in an Insulating
way whether he had any help in get
ting out of Jail, said that he had not
There have been rumors of bribery
4 and several other unpleasant rumor.
circulated in regard to his escape
which has cost Sheriff Suits abou
$50. He paid the $50 reward to TIL,
q ST. Louis officers out Of his own pocket
4 as he did his and Stafford's expenses
WE EA1a,