Gilpin observer., 1901-02-14
EXPRESS ROBBERY.
THREE MEN ARRESTED FOR STEALING
SAFE CONTAINING $4,000.

Tell Tale Tracks In the Snow Lend to Their
Arrest--N,on Box Taken From Platform
at Manila, Ia--None of the Money or
valuables Recovered.
| Sioux City, Feb. 11.-Prompt and ac-
tive work by the authorities at Mania,
Ia, resulted in the arrest of three men
who are accused of having been i'm
plicated in the theft of a United States
express safe, said to hayo contained
$4,000. The Chicago, MilwSaikee and
st. Paul train. on which the safe was
taken from Sioux City, arrived at Ma
nila at sos p. m. Saturday night. The
Omaha train was late, and james
Sturtevant of SiouN City, the express
messenger, did not hurry in unloading
the goods and packages from his car.
The express safe, with other articles.
was unloaded and placed on truck
on the depot platform, and then
eturtevant ard the baggageman went
to the other end of the platform to get
another truck load.
When Sturtevant. returned he no.
ticed that the articles on the truck
were disarranged and glance showed
that the iron box was gone.
There was great excitement and no
time was lost in spreading the alarm.
City Marshal FCrrell hastily assem-
hled posse and vigorous work was
begun. Snow lay thick on the ground
and it did not take long TO discover
the tracks Of two persons, who evident
" had been carrying some heavy OBJ
In fr.trG If EtOnl
the depot platform.
They carried the safe z distance of
about two blocks and then loaded il
into a wagon, which had been left there
in waiting. The wagon was driven
: about n mile and q half cut into the
country and there the safe WIS forced
open and the contents .bStracted. The
men there abandoned the safe and
went their way on new track.
1t was not difficult to trace them,
however. and Sunday morning three
: arrests were made. The men arrested
are John Jackson, John Stovall and
Charles Hayes. All are men who live
> Mt Manila and arc well known. Their
regulations heretofore have not been
F. bad. They stoutly protest their inno-
, cence, but the authorities believe the
5 evidence against at least two of them
will prove conclusive.
| The safe when stolen contained in
I the neighborhood of $4,000. Twelve
thousand dollars was in cash and the
, remainder in drafts, checks and vari-
ous valuables.
While the robbery undoubtedly was
deliberately planned, as the horse and
g wagon were in waiting in n convenient
spot. 1t is not believed that the men
knew they were making so rich a
: haul.
They had no means of knowing the
contents of the safe only that it was
used for carrying valuables. They
found an unusually favorable oppor.
tunity when Stul'tevant left the safe
on the truck. and had it not been for
the tell tale tracks in the snow it is
not likely that arrests would have been
made so promptly.
Jackson. Stovall and Hayes have
been In the habit of hanging about the
depot at train time. but that was no,
considered significant. as 1t is the Gus
tom of number of townspeople a,
Manila.
Mrs. Jackson. wife Of John jackson
nlso was arrested. hut at preliminary
hearing, held last evening, she was re-
leased. The examination will be con
tinued today. The three prisoners are
in Jail, having been unable TO furnish
bonds of $4,000 each.
The authorities say the shoes of two
Of the men exactly ft the tracks in tht
snow ut the depot whore the safe was
carried off. None of the money OF
valuables has been recovered.