The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-05-10
THEKRON ROBBERY
Joe Peters Denies That He Did
the Job.
Tells a Fishy Story of Assisting the
Thief to Carry the Plumber to
ST. Paul.

Chief Bowen returned Friday night
from ST. Paul, with Joe Peters in his
custody. Peters, when seen at the
city hall today by a Free Press re-
porter, denied that he had any hand in
the theft of the articles found in the
st. Paul pawn brokers' shop, some of
which have been identified by Fred
Kron as having been stolen from his
store about four weeks ago. He also
denied that he knows anything about
it. His story was somewhat contra
dictory in its details, but in the main
agreed with what he has related to
others.
Peters said that he left Mankato
two weeks ago, and claimed not to
have heard anything of the Kron rob-
berry. He said that he went to Mime
apolis and there fell in with a man
named Chas Russell, whose acquaint-
ance he first made when both were
confined in the St. Cloud reformatory
three years ago. This man, he said,
told him that he had some carpenter
tools concealed in the coal sheds at
Kasota and proposed that they go there
and remove them to st. Paul and sell
them to pawn broker. For his assist
ance to Russell, Peters was to receive
half Of what the tools brought. Rus
sell also gave him two revolvers, keep
ing two himself.
Peters said that they went to the
pawn broker and arranged with him
to purchase the goods. He said at one
part of the story that they told the
pawn broker what the goods were,
and afterwards denied that he had
said this, claiming that he did not
know what they were until they had
returned with them to st. Paul.
Continuing his story, Peters said
that he and Russell beat their way on
a freight train to Kasota last week
Tuesday or Wednesday. Going to the
railroad coal sheds that evening, they
dug out two sacks from the place
where they were hidden in the eoaisr.
and placed them in a freight a 1pd
went to New Ulm. From the.
took the sacks to Lafayette,
CT the Minneapolis & ST. Lou ua5
and thence shipped them by FIRE
st. Paul. They had previous
ranged with drayman to t,sAo u1.o
sacks to the pawn brokers', and this
was done. 1t was Monday of this
week when the sacks reached st. Paul
The pawn broker paid 1914 for the
goods, and Peters and Russell each
took $12.
Peters said that on the day of his
arrest, he and Russell had ridden over
from Minneapolis to St. Paul on BIZ
cycles and visited the pawn shop
where they had sold the articles in the
two sacks Russell went out and re-
manned on the outside, while Peters
remained to trade his revolver for an
other, having already sold one of his
revolvers at the shop. Before the
trade was made, Russell called him
out and then rode down the street a
block on Peters wheel, Peters follow
ing on foot. Russell motioned to him
to come to him, and then rode around
the corner. Before Peters could reach
the corner he was arrested by police
man, while Russell continued on. He
did not know what he was arrested
for The arrest was made between 8
and 20 p. m.
Peters stated that he suspected that
Russell had stolen the goods as this
was not the first job that he had en-
gagged in. Russell had not told him
anything about where he had gotten
them, and Peters did not ask Among
the articles was the bolt clipper that
was stolen from Conrad Mayer, a
number of rings, guns and rifles, etc.
Peters stated that his brother left
Mankato two months ago. He him