The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-06-28
WIFE'S DEVOTION
Dime Novel Fiction Surpassed
in Real Life.
Arrest of the Parties Who Stole j. II.
Michel's Team Brings a Warm
Story TO Light.

ceived telegram from Chief Ames o.
Minneapolis saying that he had under
arrest a red haired man and woman
dressed as boy, with team of horses
that was stolen from j. II. Michels,
and asking whether he would go af,
ter them today.
Sheriff Gerlich was going to Still,
water with Mrs. Elsie Foss and an
swered that he would go ever to Min
neapolis from there. Mr.. Michels took
the train to identify his team and
bring it back. F. W. Hunt accom-,
panied Sheriff Gerlich as guard.
1t develops that Sheriff Gerlich was
correct in his surmise that the party
who abandoned the team on the Pohl
road was the same that hired the team
of Mr.. Michels and did not return.
An exceedingly interesting and roman
tic story was developed by todays st.
Paul Pioneer Press as result of the
arrest. The parties arrested are Will
liam Plummer and his pretty little
wife, who has proved her devotion to
her husband under most trying Cir :
cumstances.
Plummer, who sometimes is known
under the alias of Johnson, and at
other times represents himself as
Roberts, escaped from the Woodbury.,
Iowa, county Jail. The prisoner, as
sisted by his wife, held up the jailors.
According to Mrs. Plummer's confes-
sion the couple stole three teams, and
with one of these reached Minneapolis
yesterday.
The woman is in male attire. To
this fact she attributes her capture.
A couple of detectives noticed the
woman at the Milwaukee depot. Mrs.
Plummer, in order to assist in a
complete disguise, jauntily walked
about smoking cigar in the careless
style of the experienced smoker. But
there was something unusual about
the woman. So the detectives asked
her to accompany them to police head
quarters. This the little woman smil-
ingly consented to do.
Hello, those clothes don't fit you, "
said Capt. King with smile as he
noticed the woman features. Don t
you know it is a serious crime to be
caught in male attire? You're a
woman.
''Oh, know it's an awful crime, "
said the handsome boy with a show
of fear. "Oh, I've never been in Jail
before. We've got two horses here,
and if you let me go you can have
both of Them" was the answer she
made to Capt. King.
The officers questioned her for an
hour. She asserted she came from
tampa, ILL.,, said her cousin was with
her and declared they were travelling
together. Still the detectives were
satisfied there was something wrong,
and they started to find the man.
Taking the woman, still dressed in
boys clothes, as decoy, Detectives
Harvey and Fairbairn returned to the
Milwaukee depot. The husband noticed
his wife accompanied by strange men,
and he stepped up to ask what was
the trouble. The officers took him into
custody and escorted him into Capt.
Kings presence for an interview. On
the way to headquarters he tried to rid
himself of pocketbook, which the
detectives confscated. In it was
found a marriage certificate issued at
Menominee, Mich, Aug. "a, 1899, in
which the contracting parties were
William Plummer and Marguerite
Taylor. The man said it belonged to
his uncle and he carried it for safety.
The woman, after much pressure in
the sweat box" admitted that it was
their certificate of marriage and that
the names were correct.
Among other articles Capt. King
found newspaper clipping telling of
the sentence of William Plummer, alias
Johnson, to five years in the state
penitentiary at Anamosa for highway
robbery. The name of the city was
not given.
Here was where the chief of detec-
tives worked a shrewd trick on the lit
tie woman, as she afterwards laugh
ingly admitted. Taking the clippings,
he questioned the fair prisoner in her
cell. He got her to admit that her
husband was an ex-convict.
Now how do you spell the name of
that city?" asked King, as ne pulled
out his pencil.
Sioux City, was the prompt re-
ply, and the desired information was
secured.
"Well, it's all off with me now, -
said the little woman, as she broke in
to tears.
Then the sympathetic captain asked
the prisoner to tell the whole story,
and she unbosomed her secret. She
told how her husband had been arrest
ed in Sioux City nearly three mont his
ago on a charge of highway robbery.
Although she declares he was limo
cent the evidence seemed so strong
against him that he pleaded guilty,
and on June 10 was sentenced for five
years. The same night, about 8 80
O'Clock, she secured a team of horses
at the livery stable and went to the
Jail. Asking to have a farewell talk
with her husband, the convicted man
was brought into the Office of the Jail.