Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-01-19
PAROLE Of SH[R0[EEF
The Famous Diamond Robber
Released From Iowa State
Penitentiary.
His Crime One Of the Boldest
and Most Sensational in
Iowa.
Story Of the Theft Of the
Pollock Diamonds Re-
called.
Special to Times Republican.

called.
Special to Times Republican.
1 Des Moines, Jan. l9-Among those 1
who have recently been liberated from
1.-The Iowa state penitentiary on parole is
Frank Shercleff, who was convicted of
1.-THE famous Pollock diamond robbery
near Omaha eight years ago. At the
time of the robbery of which he was
Iconvic.ed Sherclef Was a young man
only 81 years old. The robbery wac one
of the most sensational crimes commit
ted in Iowa in recent years and quite as
bold as anything ever attempted in the
Estate
William G. Pollock. member OF the
firm of w. i. Pollock & Co. importers
LOT diamonds, No. 4 John street. New
York, started from Oma la on the eve
ming of Nov. 4 1892, to go to Sioux
and on his regular rounds a sales
Imam. He started over the Sioux City &.
Pacific train. About noon Of the same
iday he had seen a stranger watching
him IN jewelry store in Omaha, and
noticed that the stranger was on the
same car with him when he started to-
Sioux City After the train left Blair to
cross TO the Iowa side the stranger got
llp and Was pacing the floor, looking
about nervously. Just before the train
Preached California Junction the stran-
ger came up behind Pollock and struck
the latter a stunning blow on the head
| With a bag OF shot. The bag burst and
! the sinot scattered all over the floor.
4 Pollock was stunned but for moment,
! when he recovered himself and rose 70
meet the robber. The latter Immediate
4 " fired three shots. one of which took
effect in Folock's left arm, the other in.
his right arm and the third in his
4 breast, but the latter shot did no harm:
because i first struck button. The
1.-TWO men grappled With each other and.
struggled together from the rear end of
the smoking car which they were. in to
4 the front end and there tbs robber de-
t5rnanded Pollock 9 money. Pollock made
q motion to get his pocketbook When
the robber thrust his hand inside of
4 Pollock 3 vest and drew therefrom his
4 large wallet containing diamonds This
he Immediately took az sufficient and
4 ran to the rear of the car. where he
Il pulled the air brake cord and as the
i train sla cked up he jumped off The.
4 package taken from Pollock contained
diamonds of the estimated value of
900. The robber jumped from the
train about G O'clock p. M. when it wa S
dark, and he soon disappeared in the
grass and weeds. He wore a smai
mask When he made the attack. Poi
! lock was taken back to Omaha and re-
manned in a hospital Until he recovered.
Frank Shercleff was subsequently ar
rested in Leadyille on suspicion of being
the robber. Pollock Went to I.eadville.
and Identified him III the Lsadviile Jail
Those Who We're on the train at the time
Were 90 much excited and scared that
they could not be relied on for identifi-
Z cation. Shercleff protested llis iniio-
3 scsilc out he vas taken back to iiar-
irlson county, Iowa, and held for trial.
After he had been indicted a gang Of
thieves was put on trial in Terre
Haute, Ind, and among them was one
Frank Bruce. They We're accused of
safe blowing. Robert Fleming. a detec-
tive, claimed that Bruce was the man
who robbed Pollock and tried to ssecu re
the reward offered for his arrest. pol
lock Went to Terre Haute and declared
y that Bruce was not the robber DESPITE
Z. this when the trial of Shercleff came
up at Logan in September, 1893, an ef-
tort Was M AIDE to show that Bruce and
not Shercen was the real robber. There
Vas some strong evidence in favor OF
u Sh erclen. Pollock positively identified
Z MIN, but two women who We're passan-
4 gers on the train swore positively that
y Shercteff was not the robber. One John
u ttoilensWorth of Leadville, testified
i That the knew Shercleff we'll. that he
d ma d known him in Montana five wears
a before, that he saw him at Aurelia Ia
4 October %, 1882. and that Shercleff
4 Went 10 Leadville from there. He said
i THAT Sfercleff was in Leadyille Nov. a
q the day of the robbery that he came 10
4 - ollensworth and deposited money with.
4 him and that he left Leadville Nov. 10.
Inc jury deliberated three hours and.
4 iound Sherclefi guilty. and Judge Van
Wagenen sentenced him to seventeen
years in the penitentiary.
FRANK Shercleff said he was a. native
sl.of Canada, @ years old. and tina, his
4 IA Their and mother lived in Pittsbury
Il RE pleaded for a light sentence OF aps
count OF III health and before sentence
u w as pronounced again protested his IN:
i nocence. There had been a considera
Il pie reward offered for the arrest and
4 conviction Of the robber, and a great
4 many believed that there was some
doubt about Shercleff being the right
man. The claim was made BY the
4 prosecution that the effort to fasten the
a crime on the Indiana man was only a
y ruse by friends Of Shercleff Pollock
4 never wavered in his testimony against
il Shercleff. ~
shercleff was also called Ed Burke
4 nd Sid Mccoy, and it was said he was
one OF a gang Of gamblers and thieves
A in Omaha and Denver.
saloons for IowaiCounty.
William sburg, Jan. 19.-The board Of
lssupsrvisors Of this tIowa) county late