Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-07-04
THE THIEF'S ENEMY
Story of atom" Trotter, Former
City Marshal
COLLECTION OF CURlOSIIlES
Story Of Articles Taken From Prison
ers-TaIes of Captures and Escapes
From captivity-An Able Police
Force With Good Record.

In a cabinet at the home of T. B.
Trotter, corner Fifth and Pleasant
streets in this city, is a collection of
knives, revolvers, sand bags, sling
shots and burglars tools which
causes one who sees them for the first
time to shudder. Mr.. Trotter is one
of the most popular commercial tray-
ellers who calls Ottumwa his home,
and the visitor to his house who sees
these articles is, to say the least, sur
prised to find them.
A Good Force.
However, the older residents of the
city remember when Mr.. Trotter was
marshal of Ottumwa, the head of a
police force which was veritable ter
ror to criminals of all sorts because
it was composed of men who went af-
| ter law-breakers to get them, and gen
orally got them Mr. Trotter, as mar
shall, had charge of all the weapons
taken from the offenders when they
were arrested, and during few
months toward the latter end of his
term of office he made collection of
some of these articles, and has since
kept them as curiosities.
A WarIike Display.
| The case in which the weapons, etc,
are displayed contains an interest in
| itself 1t was made for the purpose
by Jimmie Judkin, who drove the OF
tumwa hose cart long years ago. The
weapons are arranged in order, and
present garrison-like appearance.
The case contains representatives of
all classes of man-killers, from the lit
tie pocket knife and cap-pistol to a
big bowie knife and revolver with a
/ bore almost as large as a shot gun.
Names of the Officers.
Above the cabinet is picture of the
police force which made life miserable
for the criminal class in those days
Mr.. Trotter was chief, Dan Harmon
was night captain, and the seven 9th,
er members of the force were Ed
WEIGH, Frank Logan, James Russell
Robert McCane, Lewis Davis, John
Peck and George Kitterman. This pc
lice force had reputation all over
Iowa as the most efficient in the state
not only in getting men but in con
victing them after they had beer
caught. The records of the FIT. Madi
, son penitentiary show that more Grim
mails were sent from Ottumwa to the
penitentiary during the term when this
force served, than from any other 9th
er part of the state. This speaks wei
for the efficiency of the men, as the
, gathering of evidence strong enough
], to convict criminal is as importan
!; as the gathering in of the criminal him
: self.
Williams Big Gun.
Mr.. Trotter was marshall during thu
latter part of the seventies an;
the early eighties. During tina
time there We're several well known
: criminals arrested, among whom wal
: III. H. O'Brian, alias James Williams
) He was the man arrested for burglary
) Mr.. Trotter arrested him for burglariz
, ing the store owned by John Daughel
: ty, on the South Side, and after recoy
ering the goods where they had beer
hidden on the island across the rive
. from the scene of the robbery, Wi
liams was placed in Jail. He had beel
: bound over to the grand jury, an
l there was plenty of evidence to cor
!, vict him of burglary when som
friend brought him revolver and sliI
: ped it to him at the Jail. 1t occupie
! a position of prominence in the cabine
: mentioned above, directly under tn
picture of Williams himself and is tn
biggest gun in the collection.
i Williams Escape.
). Old timers remember the story c
', Williams escape. When the turnkey
John j. Manning, opened the door J
the room where Williams and severe
others were confined in the JAIL tn
prisoners, with Williams at their heat
fiourishing the big revolver, pushe
c their way out and made their escape
Mrs. CLANCY, wife of Sim" Chane.
then sheriff, ran up stairs to get a gu
g. for the turnkey, and the latter, in hi
t, hurry to get the weapon, pulled til
y trigger as he took it from the woman
It hand. killing himself instantly.
: Gives Himself Up.
ol For some time it was thought ths
d Williams did the shooting, and dill
f, gent search was made for him. II
h was hiding in barn and escaped til
" officers notice. 1t was exteremel
d cold, however, and his feet and hanG
nj were frozen badly. After two day
is concealment, he emerged from his hi
IS ing place, went straight to the polio
g. station and gave homself up to M
a. Trotter. He was taken care of by
s physician, put back into jail, and lat'
n convicted of burglary and sent to
r. Madison.
IS The Big Bowie.
" The big bowie knife, which hell
al make UP the collection of blades
a, the cabinet, was taken away from
IL school boy, who is now business me-
is of the city. He was young terro
" and the knife was a weapon of whit
Il he was extremely proud. When
y, would get into trouble with school y,
Y. enemies, he would flourish the bow
R. in true wild west style, and finally WI
reported. Mr.. Trotter arrested hi
I'd and took the knife.
As Bank Robbers Tools.
70 Some interesting little tools viii
A. help to form the collection are SIN;
= chisels, saws and small augur,
W. made of the finest of hardened ste
- - and which We're used in the Eddyvi
~ bank robbery, which caused so mu
= excitement in this vicinity at the tin
NJ Commodore's Downfall.
Ii Commodore Foote, character w