Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-06-26

QUEER BAL[UC|NAN0N.
Norman A. Bonner Taken Into
Custody Because OF Pc
culiar Actions.
Imaeines He Is to Be married..
Funds Solicited and Great
Ceremony Planned.
Former Manager OF c. c. Taft
Company--Insane Without
a Doubt.


time he must have raised a large sum
of money. Norman E Bonner, young
man Well known in the city, and for
two or three years manager of the c. c.
Taft Wholesale Fruit Company's inter-
ests here, started out at 6 O'Clock this
morning in his shirt sleeves to solicit
subscriptions frcm business men to oh
tain funds to satisfy his strange hallu-
Gina ton.
Mr.. Bonner arrived in the city during
the middle of last week, coming in on
the evening train from the north on the
Central. To a Times Republican man,
With whom he shook hands shortly afte,
leaving the train. he stated that he had
come from Omaha, where he had been
visiting, Via jewell Junction and Gift
ford, having been accompanied, SO he
said, by brother as far as Jewell juno,
tlon. 1t was noticed at the time that
Mr.. Bonner acted somewhat strangely,
but very little stress was placed on his
actions until he took the T.-R. man to
one side and asked him confidentialiy il
he wanted good piece of news Natur,
ally an affirmative reply was given and
MIR. Bonner stated that he was going to
take a certain well-known young lady
of the city to Buffalo the next night, to
attend the exposition, and that 1t was
very likely that they would be married
before returning here.
This led to an inquiry to relatives of
the young lady, with the result that it
was ascertained that there was abso-
lutely no foundation for such a state
ment. 1t was ascertained. however, that
Mr. Bonner had been so bold as to make
advancement to the young lady and
propose to her a trip to Buffalo in his
company. He was refused fatty. how
ever. and left the lady without further
comment
This incident had abou, passed out of
the minds of the Very few who knew
lot it and WAS not recalled until this
morning when, about 6 o'clock. MIR. Bon
ner appeared on the streets in HE shirt
sleeves, pencil and paper in hand and
walked west from the Pilgrim. mutter-
ing TO himself and making strange ges-
ticulations
His first stop waa made at the whole
sale grocery building of Let's. Fletcher
Company where Manager H. Il. Sloan
Ilttu just arrived 70 Get some WpFk5 OUT
l of the way before the day got warm.
Mr.. Sloan has known Mr.. Bonner in a
business way for some time, and
greeted him friendly upon his entrance
Ito his Office. Imagine his surprise,
therefore, when Mr. Bonner produced
| his paper and demanded of Mr.. Sloan
that he hard him $500 at once, as d
4 wedding present. I'm going TO be mar
| ried next Saturday. he said, and I've
| got 10 have the money, l want $500 from
| you and viii have to have $500 from
| Frank Let's, and YOU may as We'll give
/ ME his 5000 TOW and save me going to
/ Chicago after it, MIR. Sloan at once
! thought of the crazy man at Rockford,
\ who began shooting al passengers in the
/ Rockford depot the other day. and was
somewhat frightened, especially when
4 Bonner kept working nervously al the
! opening in his shirt, where it was
thought he might perhaps have weap
| on concealed. Mr. Sloan talked to him
cody. however. and told him he couldn',
iget the money until the bank opened.
| This appeared to satisfy Mr.. Bonner
4 and he simply made a notation of the
5000, heading his list With Lets,
4 Fletcher Company. $500" His list, when
taken into custody. showed besides the
Lets Fletcher Company subscription,
The Pilgrim, 5000; +. III. Powell, 500:
Fred Hopkins, $500: George L. Andrews,
5000; George Olson. $780, Rodney c.
Wells, 5000. w. Ct. strick!er 5000"
Everywhere the man called he ex-
| planned his mission, giving the name of
4 the young woman he was soon to we'd.
naming a former resident of this city.
nov Of Omaha. He assessed his friends
\ as he saw fit. and said that they would
have TO help him out. H. explained,
however, that he was going To make his
home in Marshalltown and was going to
spend his money here. so that the do
nations would not be wasted at all. Hs
was very much rolled at the Marshall
town Grocery Company and the Ire
mont hotel. because they had promised
only $50 each, so small in fact, that he
said he wouldn't accept them at all.
/ After Bonner had travelled over town
at a pretty rapid gait he was taken into
custody at the Postal Telegraph Com
i rany Office, where he was going to send
u message to the young woman whom
lie thinks he is TO wed. Officer Hanson
took the man in charge and accompa-
MED him to the sheriff's office, where he
was searched for any weapons that he
might have concealed with which 1t was
feared that he might harm himself or
others. Nothing but knife and few
small trinkets We're found, however. In
his pockets was large bunch of papers
in which the names of people in all the
western Iowa cities along the North
western line. including Omaha and
Council Bluffs, were written. Opposite
each name or Arm name, as the case
might be. there was placed an amount
ranging from $50 to $500. about in the
same way rs his subscription list" that
he started this morning.
When Sheriff Shoemaker explained to
the man that he was under arrest and
that charge of insanity would be
lodged against him he simply stated:
Well, / have been looking for it, but
II you put me in jail hope you Will give
me enough to eat
Mr.. Bonner was taken to jail after be-
irg searched. to await the action of the
board of commissioners of insanity. No
examination Will be held today, proba-
bly,, In order that his brother, Conductor
George Bonner, of the northern Iowa di-
vision of the Northwestern, can reach
the city. Conductor Bonner was COM
nunicated with over the telephone this
morning at Tama, and will arrive in the