Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-08-21
HEslTATED AND LOST.
Sheriff Doner Came Near Shooting
Greedy Napier.

tI6Sii ~ EG ANIL LoSts
Sheriff Doner Came Near Shooting
Greedy Napier.
[From Wednesdays Daily.l
A moment of indecision on the part
of Sheriff John Doner of Monroe coun-
ty probably saved the life of Greedy
Napier and undoubtedly gave him his
liberty for about two years Napier is
the man who was arrested Monday
night by Chief John Gray in this city
on a warrant from Harrison county
Mo-, where he was wanted for bur
glary. Sheriff Doner, who has been
hunting the man also, his old home
having been in Monroe county, was no.
titled yesterday morning of the catch
and after looking through his papers
he found that he had warrant and
an Indictment against this self-same
Napier, who is charged with breaking
into barn near Abba two and one
half years ago and stealing some har-
ness. Sheriff Doner came to Ottumwa
yesterday afternoon, identified Napier,
whom he knows personally, and took
him back to Abba, wher he will be
tried on the charge of burglary.
Lucky hesitation.
Sheriff Doner, in conversation with
representative of the Courier yester-
day, told the story of his almost-cap
ture of Napier in his home county
about two years ago, the last time until
yesterday that the two men were with
in gun-shot of each other.
81 wanted Greedy" said Mr.. Doner
.'and l, with Sandy McCrary, deputy
sheriff, went out to his brothers farm
after him, believing that he was there
AS | neared the house l noticed the
hogs in the pen and soon after was sur
prised to hear Mrs. John Napier, Gree
ly's sister-in-law, calling hogs with that
peculiar 'whoo-whoo' so well known tc
farmers. This told me that the mer
were on the farm and also conveyed
Greedy. | stayed behind the brow of {
little rise until l had to come into the
open, and when l did come up on the
top of the hill, / saw the three broth
ers, Greedy, John and another, in a fielt
of cut corn, with their heads I'D like
! those of turkeys, looking for a SQUIRE,
of danger of which they had been ap
prised by the calling of the woman a
/ the house.
Didn't Know Him.
81 started running as soon as
caught sight of the men. and saw on,
of them, whom l thought to be Greedy
start on a dead run for Johns house
! Before I lad gone far l ran plump in
to a tight high barbed wire fence ant
| had to stop. Knowing that to climl
over would take too much time. as
was wearing a heavy fur overcoat,
took my Winchester, which | was cal
rying for just such an emergency, and
1 resting it on the fence, got the drol
on the fleeing man. If | had pulled tn
4 trigger | feel sure he would have bee
in heaven now. or some other place
but Just as l was about to discharg
the gun / began wondering whether
was Greedy or John who was making
such a fast run for the house and safe
ty. | couldn't afford to shoot John, TO
| wasn't after him, and for the life O
me l couldn't distinguish which mai
I had the bead upon. Finally | pulle
the gun down from the fence and raj
over to where the two remaining mel
were.
"tWho was the man that just mad
his getaway | asked and of course tn
reply was that it was Greedy. TIL
game was then up, and the man ha
made his escape. | haven't seen hir
again since that time until today, a
though | believe he has since visite
Monroe county and has done som
work there, but I am and always hav
been sorry didn't pull the trigger tina
day. However, it's all right now.
! have a case for burglary against Nal
! Ter now, with five witnesses for tn
prosecution. The man who claims b
was with Napier when the work wa
| done was arrested charged with tn
crime, but he turned states evidence
, discriminating Napier, who he said wa
the guilty man. The man is wanted a
so in Harrison county, and his a
, uuaintances tell me that he has thi
teen wives. He was good catch.
Didn't Seem to Care.
: Napier, when taken to Abba yeste
5 day. seemed to think but little and
) care less about the crime of which /
/ is said to be guilty. He shook hant
, cordially with Sheriff Cremer at Il
/ county Jail and while waiting for tt
/ train for Abba he talked to son
friends. To them he called his presel
e wife, who is sad to be his thirteent
/ his second one, but when question:
about his married life, he would ST
no more.
A field meet to which all Northwes