The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-10-17
B0YSASB BURGLARS
Admit They Robbed the James
vile Depot.
Yellow Backed Literature Had Turned
Their Heads Led Officers a
Merry Chase.

The two iEtrties who robbed the
depot st GAINESVILLE Saturday evening
are under arrest and have been taken
to Waseca to answer to the charge.
They are Ray Donnaher and Francis
Hilton, both lads of this city. one six
teen years old and the other eleven.
The two boys admit their guilt, only
that young Hilton claims that Donna
her took the money. They had started
out to run away from home, their
heads being filed with dime-novel
literature. They stole ride on the
train TO GAINESVILLE, and were waiting
around the depot there shortly after
dark, intending TO go to st. Paul,
when the agent told them to get out,
as he had a message to deliver up
town. He then fasten d the baggage
room door with shovel and went out
through the waiting room, locking
the Office door. The boys watched his
movements and when he was out of
sight they planned the burglary.
The Donnaher boy worked the bag
gage room door until it opened, and
then took the shovel and pried open
the money drawer in the Office. Hill
ton, according to his own account,
stayed on the outside and watched to
see whether anybody should come. in
tending to whistle to his companion
in that event Nobody came. and the
boys got away undetected. Donnaher
says that he took SO in change and
that then Hilton went in and took two
s5 bills.
The boys walked west on the rail
road track for short distance, then
went into a corn6eld, fearing that
they would be seen on the track. There
they divided the money, and then
walked through the fields until they
were out of sight of GAINESVILLE, when
they took to the track again. They
walked to Smiths Mil. and then on
to Eagle Lake. where they arrived late
at night. They awakened the hotel
keeper with difficulty, got q room
and remained until Sunday forenoon,
when they took the train to Mankato,
getting here at IL 80 a. m.
The lads sought out @. d. Benack' s
hard ware store anu tried to buy
rifle. but were refused. Then they
went to 8. Zimmerman hard ware
store and tried TO ny one, and We're
refused. Becoming impndent, they
were ordered out of the store. 1t was
through their efforts to buy rifle
that the police suspected that they
were the GAINESVILLE depot robbers, and
the officers started search for them.
The two boys took the afternoon
train for st Panl, on the Omaha road,
riding on the blind baggage as far as
Merriam Junction, where they entered
the train and paid their fare the re-
mainder of the distance. They went
to the west side. where there were
some boys that they knew. They
crossed back and spent Sunday night
at the Central Hotel. Monday morn
ing they went to the west side again.
In crossing the high bridge. Hilton
caught ride on wagon, and Donna
her did not fird him again.
Hilton. not finding Donnaher, re-
turned to Mankato that evening. He
was arrested as he stepped from the
train. and spent Yesterday forenoon at
the city hall. He confessed his part
in the robbery, and agreed in assist
ing the officers in finding Donnaher.
In order to facilitate the arrest of the
latter, the newspapers refrained from
mentioning Hilton's arrest yestei day.
Sheriff Collins came over from
| GAINESVILLE yesterday noon, and with
/ Chief Bowen and Hilton went to st.
Paul to try to locate Donnaher. The
la ter went to Kennedy Bros. store
Monday and purchased revolver,
hunting knife and leather belt and
| halster. With these on. he looked like
bold, bad man, although only six
teen years old and SIN Ill for his age.
His money gave out Tuesday, after
spending the second night at the hotel
and he returned to Mankato last eve
ming. arriving at s p. m. An hour
later, Officer Vogel arrested him near
the Stabl House. and he confessed his
gnilt. The sheriff and chief were no
tilted by telephone, and they returned
at ne on TODAY. and left immediately
for Waseca with the two boys.
1t is said to be the intent n Of the
officers to let Hilton go and to send
Donnaher to the reform school at Red
/ Wing.
Dannaher is the adopted son of Pat
] rick Donnaher, who lives at 319 North
Second street. Both boys have beer
accused of wrong doing before, al
though never arrested.
oonrDa0~ O,0Nr0