The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1900-11-02
BOLD BURGLARY
G. Lulsdorf & Sons Hardware
Store is Robbed. r.
The Thief is Cornered in the Store, But
Escapes Through the Slowness of
the Police Officers.

pOl1C6m6n were S1GUluS III Iu0 City
hall and the fourth was at dance
The entire night force was thus off
their beats, and burglar was enabled
to enter the front door of the store
and carry on his work near the front
show window with the gas light turn
ed on. 1t was one of the boldest and
most successfully executed pieces of
work of this character ever attempted
in Mankato. But bad as it was for the
police force, the manner in which the
thief was allowed to escape after being
cornered in the store was worse.
1t was about ten minutes past two
o. clock when Mrs. Flora M. Ring and
another lady walked down the street
from the a. @. {. ". hall, where a
dance given by the LADIES court of the
Catholic Order of Foresters was just
over. Mrs. Ring noticed man TAX
ing goods from the front show case in
the store, and thought at first that it
must be John Lulsdorf, the Junior
member of the firm. Thinking to pass
some jovial remark with him and then
continue on her way home, she opened
the front door of the store and took a
step or two inside, stopping across the
show case from the man, who she then
realized was stranger and burglar.
Without thinking of the possible dan
ger to herself, she said to the burglar,
what are you doing here2'' Not re-
ceiving a reply, she added, "You have
no business here and had better get
out. .-.
The burglar then st arted to walk
leisurely to the rear of the store, and
Mrs. Ring stepped outside the door
and called to a policeman whom she
saw standing in the doorway of the
city hail. saying come over here
quick, there is burglar in this store. -
Not receiving any response from the
officer, she called again to him and
waved her fan at him. Presently the
officer came across the street, and Mrs.
Ring asked him why he did not come
more quickly, receiving the response
that he had thought that she was fool
ing.
Other people were following Mrs.
Ring, and while she was speaking to
the burglar they gathered around her.
There were four men in the party, two
bel ng Harvey Kutz and Frank Biddle,
of LIE Sueur, who arrived in the city
yesterday on their way to Lake Crystal
to look for work for threshing ma
chine that they are connected with.
Another of the party was the tower
man at the Main street railway cross
ing and he ran over to the city hall
and called to the police to come over
as there was robbery going on. He
noticed Officers Kelly and Morrow and
Merchant Policeman Mcdonald, but
did not see Officer Daniels, who was in
back room. None of the officers paid
any attention to him. except that Off
Ger Morrow went out and stood in the
doorway. He was there when Mrs.
Ring called to him, and he was the
first to respond to the call. although
tardy. Officers Kelly and Daniels soon
followed him. Quite a crowd had
now gathered in front of the tore,
composed mostly of dancers on their
way home John Lulsdorf lives with
his family over the store and he was
awakened by Mrs. Rings calling and
descended as soon as he could dress.
Mrs Ring had told him that man
was in the store and he came down the
front way. Had he followed hisfrst i'm
pulse and gone down the back way he
might have captured the man as he
was making his escape.
Mr.. Kutz states that it was ten min
utes from the time that the burglar
was discovered until Officer Morrow
came, but he probably -estim ates
the time. He states that the man went
to the rear of the store and hid be-
tween some stoves, then went into the
tin shop behind, and could not get out
that way and came back to the rear
of the store and crawled through the
window and made off. When Officer
Morrow arrived he went through the
store, closely followed by Mr.. Kutz
and others, but the bird had flown.
The officers then examined the prem
Uses and searched the neighborhood
They went through the clothing of a
man who took room at the City
Hotel at a. M, but found no stolen
property, and the man only partially
answered the description. They were
unable to awake him. Dogs were bark
ing along Second and Third streets a
few moments after the burglary, and
it is thought that the burglar crossed
Second street into the lumber yard
and disappeared.
Mr.. Biddle had a good view of the
man in the store, and describes him
as heavy set, not very tall, smooth
shaved, dark complexioned, wearing
dark clothing and a white shirt with
out a collar, and a black slouch hat
1t is said that the man was seen in
the city yesterday afternoon.
The goods stolen were all taken from
the front show case, and consisted of
two dozen pocket knives and eight or
nine razors, all made by the Electric
Cutlery Co., and two revolvers. One
of the revolvers was of 38 calibre,
double action, and the other was of