Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-08-10
WAS FAMOUS CROOK
IHeadless Body Found Near Lake
Mills Was that of Ben Drom-
brosky.
Discovery Of His Identity Recalls
His Criminal Career In this
State
From Boyhood Drombrosky Had
Eeen Engaged in Crime Ter.
ror to Jailers
ecial to Times-Republican.'

Special to Times republican.
I Fort Dodge, Aug. 10.-Nonday on the
tracks of the NJ. & st. L., few miles
south of Lake Mills was discovered the
body of a headless man. thought by the
section hands at first to be that of a ne
gro. There was some little money in the
pockets, but no papers or identifying !.
as to the name or home OF the man. AT
the inquest. held at Lake Mills, the I
death was pronounced to be due to fall
ing off an excursion train of the pre- /
ivious day. The road ard men in its ems !
/ p!oy tried TO establish the Identity of I
1.-The remains. but were unsuccessful, ard /
the matter soon began to be forgotten. I
4 The efforts of a psrsaNerngg few, how
ever, We're rewarded by the startling
IdtscoverS that the body Was that of Ben /
4 Dombros,sy, or Do,neska a noted Fort /
Dodge crock. He had been in Fort
4 Dodge Saturday night and was seen
drinking With some of his, boon COM
/ panions. He boarded the excursion
II
identity climbed on top Of one of the
coaches, and in the DIZZINESS OF ntoSi
cation had fallen between the cars and
4 his head was ground into a Jelly.
A Thus ended the career of one of the q
most noted of Iowa. crooks, whose
4 cousin, Pug" Domeska, came so nearly
being mobbed by the soldiers of the If if
isty-second regiment at Perry a couple OF
II weeks ago.
Few criminals the equal of Benny
Z Dpmbrosky have been produced in
WEBSTER county. H. took to the ways
fof wickedness as duck to water, even
\ as a small boy being q frequent inmate
of the county Jail. Ills first offense was
the stealing Of a Na!uable watch from
"a farmer who had just given him a meal.
q He was lodged in the county Jail and
bsguiled the jailer into giving him an
airing, claiming that he knew where a
NEW revolver was hidden, which he.
3 promised to show to the TALLER The re-
s. volyerg could not be found, but Benny
got the bearings of the Jail and a few
81 days afterward a hole clean thru tne
brick walls of the jail told of his es-8
cape.
On one occasion he became angry at
a well known man. and TO get his re-
and cut the latter's horse literally TO
fpieces. The entrails of the animal We're
torn from its belly and the atrocity Of
the deed provoked the Wra tn of the ems
tire community. He broke jail in Fort
e Dodge no less than six times. and often
: made the boast that the lock was not
: made hat he could rot pick. this MAS
!. literally true. for with apparently moth
8 ling but his bare hands ils would GO
! thru expensive locks and bars az tho
they Mere made Of putty
Y Being insubordinate on one occasion
: he was handeuffed and his hands hung
over a bar in the Jail. so that he had To
Z stand on his tiptoes Two hours later
, the jaiier returned and found Dom
brasky lying on his cot. A coal scuttis
dangled from the handouts over tbs;
bar. He Went thru the walls ct tbs
Webster county jail stwice a NJ. thru the
roof once and got a way on sefft.:,ll 1 oe-
csslons. He Mas the bates OF bush
sheriffs' and Iailels lives.
Pleading insanity on one occasi ION ne
was sent to Ind dependence. HI tired Of
Il mis- confinement ard one fine nlFisIiins
his cell Was found empty. He ha gone
7. thru six locked aud bolted doors arc
y made good his escape.
: Benny often boosted of the desire e
= get in ths penitentiary and asserted
that his stay would be short. HeWas
given d chance to prove rs boast. bus
= as the warden had been warned Of NJ
= accomplishments and as his ssentsn@e
was short he was unable to get away
-l Hesoftsn picked tumbler locks and " Is
Z a past master in the ege rGenlain 9.
8 eluding the tolls Of the officers of the
:, law.
I 4 Dombresky gervsd. a short time with
the American army in the Phlllp ines
and coming home settled down 10 Work
. He sscured work on a railroad pridse
J. gang. and as he was an expert flae-
!. chanic, could secure good wages
: Saturday he appeared on the street:
9 If his home CITY. he spent his money
!, freely and was evidently having
!, quaintances he said
: Il IN a good boy now. Come With ms
and have: a drink. I've settled down (
:. good honest work and am going 70 q
Il the right thing. IS
: Twelve hours later his head VA:
. ground into a PUPPY mass beneath III
!, wheels Of an NJ. & st. L. train. Hi:
:, boiiy is nov in the city and the Eunera
! viii take place tomorrow.
le when Lawton Was scared.
- Major Putnam Bradee Strong. VII
i was on the staff of General MacArthu
ef in the Philippines. says General Lawto
II confessed to being afraid once in his life
s-d That was when lie was riding with hi
d 12-year-o!d son Manley past Paco GENE
y terry, at Manila 1t seems that Mon
d tana detail had Just buried a conrad
when a California burying detail cam
y. up. Somehow they failed to get ca,
= tridges and asked the Montanas for som,
nc ne The latter had nothing but ball cal
OF tridges.
en- "Oh, they'll do said the Californi
ne sergeant.
Cd Ready, fire. came the order nj
ne ment later.
ne The bullets went whizzing over II,
ne ne grave and over the stone wall, on til
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