Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-05-22

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SAMUEL ]. RITcHIE.
not been so excited and worked up ov-
er anything since the days when Wash
Drake shot and killed man who was
trying to get away from him and
whom he was trying to put under ar
rest. Cashier Youngller Immediately
closed the bank and notified the Fidel-
ity d Casualty company, in which COM
pany the institution was insured. Pink
erton detectives We're at once sent to
the scene of the robbery, Ottumwa
police were looking for the crooks, the
sheriff's Office was on the qui vive, but
the robbers made their escape.
The Tip That Caught Them.
Capt. w. f. Forsee, one of the
smoothest Pinkerton men, was detail
ed on the case and he came to Eldon
and worked on the matter for long
time. One day he came in contact
with NJ. M. Steadman, who is in the
United States secret service. Froal
him it was learned that John Curry,
alias West, alias Joplin Red, had over
lures made to him by the then City
Marshal Charles Stevens, to do the Ell.
don job. but after looking the ground
over had declined to have anything to
do with it. He told this to the Des
Moines officer in the hope of getting a
portion of the reward which the FL
deity & Casualty company had offered.
The Des Moines officer communicated
his information to Steadman who in
turn put Forsee on the track. The
rest was easy. Stevens was made to
feel that he was under suspicion by
Forsee, and on or about May 10, 1897,
weakened and told Forsee the whole
thing. AS an evidence of his power
over the man Forsee told him that he
was going to Ottumwa and for Stevens
to come up the next day and tell the
same story to Chief of Police Williams.
This he promised to do but Forsee left
detective to shadow his movements
during the interval. The next day
Stevens came to Ottuinwa and was clo-
seted with Forsee and the chief at the
Ballingall hotel.
The Confession.
Stevens was formerly an engineer on
the southwest division of the c. r. I.
d 2. railway company. He had been
running out of Eldon on fast passen-
ger run for years and was regarded as
a steady, straight man. He drew
considerably over 500 each month and
he lived well. His family had eNpen-
sive habits that they We're able to sat
isfy. They were among the most re-
spected people in Eldon. Finally a
wreck occurred between Eldon and
Davenport in which Mr.. Stevens train
was mixed up. He with others was
badly hurt. After he recovered from
the effects of his injuries he was called
in on the carpet before the superin-
tendent of the road and discharged on
account of alleged negligence. Things
began to go from bad to worse in the
Stevens household. The head of the
house was without employment and
after time he accepted the nomina-
tion for city marshal and was elected.
The pay was small in comparison with
his former salary and in an evil mo-
ment he fell. AS far back as 1895 it
was suggested to him by Felix Belisle,
hotel clerk in the hotel Eldon, who
at one time clerked in the Ballingall
hotel in this city, that it would be an
easy thing to rob the Bradley bank
and would be an easy way also to get
rich quick. This, Stevens said, was
said in joking way and he re.
piled that it would not be easy to get
away with the swag. The idea, how
ever, took root in Stevens mind and he
and Belisle had another conference.
The latter said that he knew of a man
in Des Moines who could do the Job
and mentioned the name of Joplin Red,
"a retired safe cracker of some notorie-
ty. Stevens wrote to him and Joplin
Red came down to Eldon, looked the
ground over and declined to have any
thing to do with it, one of the reasons
being that Lawyer Coombs slept imme-
diately over the bank building in the
second story of the Hotel Eldon. 1t is
said, but the fact has never been prov
ed that Stevens suggested getting
Coombs out of the way, SO far had he
let the idea get possession of him of
robbing the bank, doubtless feeling
that he had grudge at the world for
the hard luck he had undergone in
losing his position and his consequent
descent in the social scale.
At this time, it is said, Stevens
turned to Dick Dood as the proper
person to apply to for the names and
addresses of craftsmen. and Dodd
supplied them, it is said, mentioning
the names of Richie, Murray, Dur.
kin and Joe Menard, alias .Indian
Joe." In the spring of 1895, Dodd
sent them cipher kilograms to the
effect that sthe goods should be sent
tonight" and return telegram from
Durkin to the effect that Goods will
be Skinned tonight meaning that
things were ready for the trial. They
came OF Burlington No. 3, the exact
date not being known, but it was in
the spring of the year 1895. Durkin
went to the Ransier livery barn on
East Second street, hired a team of
Lewis Cohenour, who afterwards
identified him, and the whole outfit
started for Eldon. The roads were
muddy and when near Franklin mark
the idea struck one Of them that it
was bad time to do the job on ac-
count of the heavy roads. They halted
for a consultation and after some
parley and hard words, it was decided
to abandon the job for the night. Ac-
cordingly the team was returned and
the Chicago crooks returned to their
homes.