Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-06-18
SUSPECTED
BURGLARS
CAPTURED
ottumwa Police Nab So
Suspicious Characts >
Saturday. IS
ARE CAUGHT WITT { OILS
Comprise Drills, Keys anu Other
Hardware.
Comprise Drills, Keys anu Other
Hardware.
WAS A WOMAN'S LUCKY SUSPICIOUS
Package Containing Outfit Left at Pal
listers Store-Mrs. johnson Be.
comes Suspicious and Notifies Police
Latter Take Trail and Nab Them.

After nearly twenty-four hours of
hard work, in which the victims were
shadowed continuously from one part
of the city to the other, two men, who
gave their names as James Davis and
r. Myers, were landed in Jail about 9
O'Clock this morning. The men are
believed to be professional crooks, s,and
Davis had complete set of burglars
He also had gold watch, and two
new pocket knives in his possession,
and Chief Gray believes these articles
have been stolen. The burglar tools
and watch and knives were tied in a
compact bundle and left with Mrs.
Victoria Johnson at Pallister's cigar
store about 1870 o'clock yesterday
morning. The bundle was left by
Davis, and when he went to get it
this morning he was arrested by Off
Ger Pitts. He was taken to the station
and Chief Gray Immediately went to
the Park hotel, where the men stayed
last night and arrested Myers, while
Office. Both men submitted to arrest
without making any show of resist
ance, and appeared greatly surprised
at the indignity which they claimed
was heaped upon them. Myers had
about s45 in his possession, while Dav-
is had less than 81. When the men
were placed in Jail they refused to rec
ognize one another, and appeared as
perfect strangers. Chief Gray has ev-
idence, however, showing that they
are partners, and can prove by large
number of witnesses that the two men
were together several times last night.
They were shown around the city by a
we'll known local crook whom the po-
lice are watching, but he has not CIV
en- them chance to arrest him as yet.
Myers has retained Attorney B. w.
Scott to defend him, and the latter
will probably demand his release
, claiming Myers has no connection
with Davis. The trial of the men has
4 not been fixed yet.
Suspicioned at Once.
The two men, as near. as can be
learned, landed in the city about II
o'clock yesterday morning. They al
once separated, and Davis, who was
carrying the package of tools, went In.
to Pallister's cigar store. He pur.
chased cigar, and stood at the coun
ter moment Just as he started out
he asked Mrs. Johnson, who was on
duty there at the time, If he could
leave his package. She said he could
and took it, laying it behind the coun
ter, on a shelf. The package had a
very queer look and was very heavy
Mrs. Johnson was suspicious at once
She had been reading of a case where
two burglars had left their booty at q
cigar store in Des Moines, and she was
on the point of calling up the police
station, and telling Chief Gray of the
mysterious charge, when in walked
Chief Gray himself.
Gray Was on Track.
He had been notified to look out fol
the two men and had followed them in
to Pallister's and saw Davis leave the
bundle with Mrs. Johnson. Chic
Grays report confirmed Mrs. John
sons suspicious about the package 81
she gave it to him. The chief took i
into the rear room where he opened i
and found the following articles: Ont
electric dark lantern, big bunch o
skeleton keys, two pairs of outside nip
pers, one pair common nippers. on'
black mask, on battery one pair gol'
spectacles, one gold scarf pin, on
purse full of 38 calibre cartridges, TIVE
pocket knives, one gold watch chail
and X. of P. charm. The works in th
watch are of Hampton make, the mum
Der is 93,450, and the case number il
318,086. The case is gold filled, as i
the chain.
Watches the Men.
Chief Gray tied up the package a
near as it was when he found 1t an
going outside, watch was put upo
the place, waited for the men to re
turn. They both were on the stree
all afternoon and one of them went il
to the store once or twice, but did NO
ask for the package. Chief Ora
kept up his vigil until the store close
at 10 o'clock last night, and when tn
men did not call for their property he
began to shadow them. Early in the e,
ening the men went over the bridg
{ where they held an earnest convers;
ton for several minutes when the
again separated, both returning to thi