The Iola register., 1901-08-23
BOLD DAYLIGHT HOLD UF
Two Men Steal Money Box from Gas
Company's Office Saturday
Thief and Money
Captured.

~ iuIllto OlC bbbh w VhO PulpCh
esque chivalry to read of the bold
afternoon robbery attempted at the
Gas Company's Office last Saturday
1t was bold trick but it failed.
Mrs. Adlai Ewing was in charge of
the Office and in response to a tele-
phone message from Chris Ritter step
ped out of doors to call her father, A.
L. Taylor who was conversing with
G. II. DeClute few doors east of the
office. When she left the Office two
ladies from Gas City were standing at
the foot of the stairs leading to the Of
fees over the gas Office. A crippled
tramp was talking to them, begging
for aims. Before Mrs. Ewing reached
her father one of these ladies called
out to her that someone was robbing
the office. She hurried back. The
thief ran out of the front door with a
small box in which loose change is
kept. He turned west, then down
Walnut and west on the alley back of
Taylor's lumber yard.
Mrs. Ewing ran through the Office
and told Sam Brown hurriedly what
had happened and Brown and Mr..
Taylor pursued and overlook The thief.
They marched him back, compelling
him to retain the money on his person
and turned him over to the police who
hadbeen summoned. The crippled man,
who was undoubtedly a confederate,
ran east on Madison avenue.
Both the men are hard looking char
acters and have been seen about town
all day. This morning Mrs. H. II.
Funk heard someone trying to enter
her back door. She went to the kitch.
en- and found cripple trying to open
the screen. She demanded what he
wanted and he asked if she did not
want TO buy some fresh country butter.
She declined and he left. He was
probably the same man and was try
ing to sneak into the house,
When searched at the police station,
the man gave his name as George
Harris, and said he was sfrom Georgia.
He declined to talk much about him.
self and there was nothing about him
TO prove or disprove his statement
He swore he had ho aceomplice and
knew nothing of the crippled man
The crippled man, who could scarcely
perambuate with a crutch before the
robbery, made such good time after
wards that he was not overtaken unit
about 3 O'Clock when officer Gregg
overlook him on north State street al
he turned west into the ravine. Hi
was brought to Justice Potter's cour
and gave his name as II. ID. Mont
gomery. He had one dollar, two
halves, one quarter, seven dimes
eight nickles and eleven pennies which
he said he had begged in town. S3.4
was not a bad days work.
The bo,dness of the theft and tn
nerve of the men would indicate tina
they are experts and daring enough
for anything. AS fortune would hav
it the box stolen contained less onl.
S2l.75 although at certain times
it contains hundreds. The name
of the Gas City ladies who helpe
Illustrate the thieves are withheld a
their own request but they will be OF
hand when the proper time comes t.
prosecute.
The news of the hold up sprea
rapidly and caused good deal of eN
citement about town. The suspicio
gained credence that possibly a ban
of toughs had come in and it might b
well for everybody Ito be on guar
for prowlers.
1t might be well to add that M
Ritter is in no wise connected with IL
robbery. He really had business vii
Mr.. Taylor and no offers or promise
were made him of a share in the boot
BOTH ROBBERS BOUND OVER
At nine o'clock Monday II
hearing of the two men who touchC
the Gas Company's Office Saturda
began. George Harris who took tl
box, waived his hearing and was p
in jail on failure to give the 81 o
bond. Fl. d. Montgomery, the cripp
who was believed to be an accessor
stood trial but was bound over and I
failure TO furnish $500 bond was |
turned to jail.
The trial developed nothing n,
about the attempted theft, but did bri
out some new facts about the men.
seems that they are both from Georg
that they met in Otl ava last week Il
we're together several days, came
lola on the same train and met
front of the gas Office moment befc
the theft was attempted On the sta
each swore tnat there was no comps
and that the cripple was innocent.
could not tell straight enough ste
however and was bound over.
Harris said he formerly served