Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-10-31
FAUST SHOWS UP
Marshall County Farmer Con.
victed Of Arson Turns Up
in Des Moines.
Reiterates the Statement OF
Rawlins. the Tramp..says
He Was Prosecuted.
Family Thought Him Dead. as
Nothing Had Been Heard Of
Him for Some Time.

Him for Some Time.
j. R. Faust, the former Marshall
county farmer who was convicted a few
years ago of arson, for having set his
own buildings on fire. and who was lib
Grated only last year after serving three
years at the Fort Madison penitentiary,
turned up yesterday in Des AIoines, and
tells mysterious tale, as mysterious. in
fact, as that of the tramp eRawlins, :
whose signed confession in the case,
regarding the firing of the buildings. is
still fresh in the minds of those con-
versant with the case.
The story of Mr.. Faust's conviction
in this county will be recalled with In
terest. He was a prosperous farmer
living on large farm three miles south
OF the city. Four years ago. ON Septem-
Der 4, while his wife was at Clarence
and Faust was supposed to be in Dies
Moines, his property was burned at 8
o'clock in the morning. "A week later he
was arrested for arson, and later was
convicted and sent to the ptnitentlary.
There was evidence introduced to show
that Faust was really in DeS Moines at
the time the buildings were burned. but
nevertheless he was convicted.
Previous to this time Mr.. Faust had
become engaged in litigation. He had
two suits pending against the Chicago
& Northwestern railway company. In
one OF the suits he had obtained a
Judgment of s4e0 on account of goods
burned in car While he was enroute
from Clarence to Carol. In the other
he had sued for $1,000 for being thrown
off train when he had ticket and a
permit to ride on q freight train. He
had won the case in the lower court and
it had been carried to the supreme
court. After his sentence ofi.tEree years
to the penitentiary both eases went
against him by default and lie got moth
ing.
The next scene in the case was en-
acted at Waterloo, when a tramp ap-
peared asking to see a certain person.
who did not at the time cure to meet
the fellow. He then went to the home
of the postmaster and asked to see the
postmaster. The postmasters son went
to the door and the tramp handed in u
sealed letter. It was opened and at
once seen to be important. Search was
made for the tramp but he could not be
found. The letter contained what pur-
ported to be the confession OF c. F..
Rawlins In regard to the burning of the
Faust property. 1t stated In brief that
the writer actually set fire to the build
ings, that Fred Johnson. g farm hand
was there at the time and narrowly es7
capped death, that Faust was innocent.
that the writer had been employed to do
the act, that he stole one Of the Horses
and johnson took another. that he got
1914 in money belonging to Faust, that
he then went to Illinois. and that he
wished to make this confession as the
matter had weighed on hiB mind He
also offered to go into court and tell 1t
all II guaranteed projections. This mys-
terlous letter created much comment at
the time. The letter also stated that
Faust had been kidnapped and taken to
Chicago and was there at the time. The
mysterious letter was written Septem-
Der II, 1900, and was left III Waterloo in
October. It was published in these col
umns at the time.
Now comes Faust himself to tell the
sequel to the story and. SD far as 1t is
possible to do go, corrobor,ite the state
ments of the mysterious tramp. Faust
declares that when his time came to be
released from the penitenEiary. June 4,
1900. he was informed that he was
wanted at Fort Madison for perjury and
would be arrested. He was taken In
charge by three unknown men and they
told him he was wanted III Illinois. He
was taken in buggy and driven across
the river where he was put on train
and started east. He gays he passed
thru Galesburg and other towns and
finally arrived in Chicago. He was con-
fined there for several weeks in prison.
He was then started east again over the
Baltimore & Ohio railroad. handcuffed
and carefully guarded. He says he was
taken to Carrot. Ind, later to Titfin. o.,
and finally to Toledo. o.. where he was
incarcerated in the state Insane hospital,
He says he was not tried nor passed
upon by the board of commissioners. He
made his escape twice and was recap
tured but finally escaped about a month
and half ago, and came back to Iowa.
On his arrival In Cedar county, where
his wife had been living with her par
ents, near Clarence, since his conviction,
they We're greatly astonished. They do
not know he was alive and instead had
supposed he had been killed after leay-
ing the penitentiary. They have under
taken to start him up in business again.
Faust came to Des Molnes to consult
an attorney, and the latter declares his
unresitating belief in the truth of the
story of the Kidnapping Of, Faust and his
Incarceration in an asylum. Faust de-
clares 1t is a gigantic conspiracy to do
him up He is resolved upon having a
full investigation of the case made. His
story, to a great extent, seems to hea,
out and confirm the story told by the
mysterious Rawlins in his confession
left in Waterloo.
THE WoMEN's CLUB.