Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-10-30
SOUNDS Ike FAUST
Doubt ThrsWn On the Truth Of the
Confession Of Arson Made at
Watarloo.
Developments strengthen the Belief
That Story Vas Either Told or
Inspired BY Faust.
Claim That the Convicted Man is in
Jail at Chicago Not Verified
"Rollins' Disappears

SeA ~ OUAVoSV NUt V0ElU6d-
Rollins" Disappears
As additional facts come to light re-
garding the actions of the man who
made written confession to the
Waterloo postmaster and later to a
Baptist minister that he burned the
barn of j. r. Faust. south of this city,
three years ago and that Faust was
|wrongfully convicted of the crime, the
less reason is there for believing the
statements made therein and the more
reason is there for believing that Faust
himself Is responsible for the confess
sion. In fact. people who knew Faust
say that when c. r. Rollins. alias john
son, the confessor is found. in the same
person will be found the man convicted
of arson and who served term in
Fort Madison. Rollins has disap-
peared from Waterloo and efforts have
been made toverify some of his state
ments concerning the present where
abouts OF Faust, but without avail. 1t
Is reasonablestO suppose that ii Rollins
had desired to go into court and tell HIS
story he would have gone 10 an officer
of the law instead Of to postmaster
and minister, and that he woul have
lcoine to Marshalltown to tell his story.
The Waterloo Courier gives the follow
ing additional developments at that
point:
The confession was handed to Mr..
Munger on the evening OF September
II and has been jealousy guarded by
him since that date. He refuses today
to make II public beyond giving the
bare facts which 1t states and says the
time will come when the whole matter
will be brought out thru the proper
channels in the courts.
Mr.. Munger says on the night
named he was at home With his family
when knock was heard at his door
He opened the door and was confronted
by a man who was total stranger TO
him. The man inquired If he was
speaking to the postmaster and On be-
ing Informed that he WAS he said hat
he had a guilty conscience made 80 by
a crime that he had committed three
years ago, and that he felt he must
Econfess to some one Then he handed
disappeared. MIR. Munger and his son
followed the man into the yard. but he
had vanished from view. and tho t.ey
searched about the premises they We're
unable to find him. Returning 10 the
house they opened the letter. 1t proved
to be the confession the man had
spoken OF. II told OF the burning of a
barn on the farm OF j. r. Faust three
miles from Marshalltown, on the nigh:
of September 4, 1897. The writer of the
sconfession, who signed his name as G.
/ F. Rollins. said that Mr.. Faust. the
sowner Of the farm. had been arrested
for the crime, the property being
\ mortgaged, and had been tried an!
/ sentenced to the penitentiarS at Fort
| Madison. where he served three years,
/ his time expiring last spring Rollins
says that Fausct was innocent, that
detectives We're hired by interested
parties TO swear the barn burning
Eonto him, the claim being mad that he
set the fire to secure INSURANCE. money
ION the building. These same men, so
4 Rollins says, paid him $3.50 in cash ta
lido the job and ii was his hand that
/ touched the match TO the barn. and
| that he saw ii burned to the ground.
y The letter told this and other things
(which Mr.. Munger will not make pub
\ lie. 1t was considered to be of enough
Importance by the postmaster. how
ever, to call for an investigation and
4 some time ago he went to Marshall
/ town and 4 looked over the court records.
| He found the crime of arson had been
jcommitted there on the date and on the
| farm mentioned in the letter. He also
! found that Mr.. Faust had been arrest
\ ed and sent to the penitentiary on the
! charge. Writing to Fort Madison Mr..
/ Munger discovered that Faust hal beer
\ released from the psnitentiary last
I5spring and the officers lid not know
tWhere he was. Since then he had
learned from Rollins. whom he held a
second interview With thru a person
al advertisement published in the Daily
Courier several days ago. that Faust
when he was released from the prison
at Fort Madison had been taken Ia
Chicago and 1t is claimed he is in jail
there & now on charge Of crime
4 trumped up by the same parties who
were responsible for his being sent to
1 the penitentiary. The confession Of Rol-
jlins connects several Marshalltown peo-
i PIE VIII tne CTllIle3 gdHO MINIS lnaI OF IL
cials OF a large railway corporation are
back of the persecution Of Faust.
1 Mr.. Munger wrote to the chief of
police al Chicago to learn if Faust was
confined there. The reply to his letter
was, unsa tisfactory- He has, however,
been successful in locating Faust,s
wife. who is living with relatives in
Cedar county, but tho he has written
her twice has been unable to get an
answer
There are many strange circum-
stances about the whole affair and
some which tend to discredit the story
told by Rollins, but until something
further is learned Of the case 1t will
have to rest where 1t Is.
Rollins has disappeared again. He
| was in Waterloo Tuesday evening OF
this week. and was met on the road
south of town by s. L. Klingaman.
who gave him a ride. While riding
with Mr.. Klingaman Rollins told him
the story related here. &
FUTURE OF IOWA CENTRAL.
Prssidsut Hawley Tells what ne
n wan m WI n IN a Road