Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-10-21
Burglars at Harper, McIntire
& Co.'s Store Get Firearms.
WAS COMMITTED SUNDAY
Was Done Quickly and Required Con-
siderable Knowledge of Conditions
Looks Like Home Talent Perform
anee-second Within a Week.

Hardware stores are just now popu-
lar places for burglars in Ottumwa, it
seems, the second one inside of a
week to be broken into being that of
Harper & McIntire Co.. on Main
street. Saturday night, or rather Sun
day morning. senle person or persons
unknown entered the establishment
through a window in the rear, cutting
out pane of glass in order to do so,
and secured nine reynlvers At least.
these articles are all that are missing
from the stock as far as the clerks
are able to ascertain today.
Was Quick Work.
The fact that a burglary had been
cummittsd was GiaI; ;2ered Jy Ed
Johnson, merchants police, al about
II O'clock Sunday morning. He had
been along the alley between Main
and Second streets about half an hour
before and everything was in good
order at that time. He went east to
Green street and came back. making
the circuit in about thirty minutes.
On arriving at the rear of the hard
ware store. he noticed a window glass
missing and on investigation found
that it had been removed after the
wood holding it in the frame had been
cut away. -
Mr.. Johnson Immediately notified
the police and Captain Gallagher and
night Sergeant Grammer came to his
assistance. The building was syste--
matically searched from cellar to gar
ret, but without avail, as the maraud--
ers had made quick work and left.
Made Light Haul.
William Fielder, a memebr of the
firm, was called from his home by tele-
phone by the officers and arrived at
the store while the search was in
progress. He made an examination of
the stock and found that nine revol-,
vers were missing, The htieves had
passed up a large quantity of valua--
BILE cutlery, including pearl handled
knives and several razors, and had
taken only the firearms and some car
tridges.
Heard by Telephone Operator.
Miss Ola Arnold of South Ottumwa,
night operator at the local exchange
of the Iowa Telephone Co., which is
situated in the Taylor building, a
few doors west of the hardware store
heard voices and heard the sound OF
breaking glass at about the time the
robbery is supposed to have taken
place. This was just after Officer
Johnson had been through the alley
and indicates that he was watched by
the thieves, who did their work while
he was away and got away quickly
in order that he might not find them.
Miss Arnold says that judging from
the voices she heard she thinks there
We're four or five men in the party
She could hear the noise under the
window of the telephone exchange
which overlooks the alley. but could
not distinguish what was being said
Although she heard the glass break
she thought little of the occurrence
as she has several times before this
heard noises and notified the police
only to. learn that the supposed law
breakers were some belated pedestri-
ans going to their homes.
| Looks Like Home Talent
The burglary has, all the ear-marks
of a home-talent attempt. This idea
is borne out by the fact that only a
small amount was taken and the evi.
dent watch that was kept on the p
lice. 1t required some knowledge OF
Officer Johnson's custom to effect the
burglary so quickly and at such an on
perfume time, and the police think that
someone residing in or near Ottum-
wa performed the feat.
l 4 .r . .