Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-05-14
OFFICER MYERS; HIS TROUBLES
One of His Prisoners Takes Ride
Upon the River.

one OF His PRISONERS axes Ride
Upon the River.
[From Wednesdays Daiy.l
If officer Chris Myers does not get
his friends to let up on him, he won't
have any salary left by tonight. Chris
has been buying cigars and divers 9TH
er things all day. All this came about
through one of Chris prisoners taking
a boat ride yesterday afternoon and
floating peacefully out of sight upon
the classic bosom of the Des MONIES
river. 1t is not very often that man
gets away from Officer Myers but the
unforeseen happens onceina great while
and yesterday was his unlucky day.
Chris makes believe, however, that it
was all a preconcerted job, and that
if the prisoner will keep out of town
no efforts will be made to recapture
him.
Lou Knapp the Cause.
Lou Knapp was the cause of all OF
Myers troubles. Knapp was given
thirty days in Jail yesterday morning
for stealing pool balls. In private life
Mr.. Knapp is an alleged fisherman. He
told such straight story about it too,
that he really made Officer Myers be-
lieve him. According to Knapp's
story he had some fish nets set in the
river, and if he could not get them out
right away they would rot. and become
useless by the time his sentence eX-
pired. OFFICER Myers listened atten-
lively and his heart was touched. No
one can deny that the genial officer is
an accommodating man. So when
Knapp proposed that the officer accom-.
pany him to where the nets were set,
and he could take them in, Myers
readily consented
Took Boat Ride.
The two men marched gravely to
the river bank, and walking along the
side until they came to boat, Knapp
proposed that he take the boat and
row out to where the nets We're and
| secure them. This is where Knapp
showed his originality. He told Off
Ger Myers that the boat was wet and
muddy, and he did not want to see the
officers new uniform soiled, so he pro-
posed that Myers stand on the bank
while he (Knapp) brought in the nets.
| Myers inspected the boat with critic
al eye and finding the condition as de-
scribed by Knapp, he cautioned the
man to be careful and not get out of
range of his trusty pistol, and the boat
ride upon the river began.
Knapp Disappears.
All went well until Mr.. Knapp reach.
ed the center of the stream, where the
current was strongest, when he sud
denly headed his craft down stream
and pulling with all the force that he
could command, he was soon out il
sight beyond the willows in the river
below. Officer Myers was dumbfound
ed. He could do nothing however
n There were no other boats in sight, sc
the officer beat crestfallen retreat
He reported his hard luck by tele
phone, and Immediately returned tt
his home and tackled down carpets al
afternoon.
Chris Settled.
The story of his misfortune had pre-
ceded him when he reached the police
station this morning and for a shor
time he held reception. Chris was
game, however, and anything that wa.
said to him did not hurt his feelings
Matters were compromised by liber
. al supply of cigars, and Chris will con
duct his class in geology in peace, un
: til some obstreperous person takes i
, into his head to leave on short notice
when all this will probably have tt
: be gone over with again.