Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-08-12
Alleged Safe Cracker Requests g
Small Loan.
WOULD RETURN THE CASH IENFOLD
ottumwans Approached by Man
With a Peculiar Request--James
Dunn Runs Amuck-Tries to Escape
From Officer Beeman.
tFrom Saturdays Daily.1

fFrom Saturdays Daily.1
| If the alleged threats of one Norton,
who was arrested yesterday by Sheriff
| j. H. Cremer, were carried out, there
would be several safes temporarily out
of business in this city. Norton was
taken into custody upon information
filed against him by Very Rev. F. w.
Hoppman, charging him with intoxi-
cation, after, it is said, he had tried
to extort money from the priest. 1t has
been learned since that he approached
several business men in the city, inn
pressing upon their minds, it is re-
ported, that he was bad and had no
desire to be any better, but that he
needed money. He is said to have sup
plemented his request with promises
of large returns, his story varying IN
the several instances. This morning
he received his hearing in the court
of Justice o. l.. Campbell, and was
given three days in Jail.
Claimed He Was Bad.
NJ. B. Hutchinson, cashier of the
First National bank, and John c. Jor-
dan were two of the men approached
by the man, and to each, it is said he
had similar tale to tell. His story as
told by the men with whom he had
been in conversation, illustrated that
his past record has not been of the
best, and that he was rather proud of
the fact. He is said to have stated
that he had served term in the
Saltwater, Minnesota, penitentiary,
that he has never made his living hon.
estly, and that he had no intention of
changing his ways. Interest in his
narrative, however, was lost when he
ended by request for loan OF few
dollars, even though he promised large
| returns from the loan.
Talks to the Priest.
Failing in his attempts to make a
touch" from the first men he had
talked with, he then went to the pa
rochal residence of Very Rev F. w.
Hoppman The priest states that he
answered the bell and was asked by
the man for few moments quiet con
versation. This was granted. He was
then asked to pull down the blinds
This was thought by the priest to be
rather an unusual request, but he hui
mored the man and lowered the blinds
| Inc priest states That lHe ludH lIlSL
| told him that he was the possessor Of
a shady past. That he had never earn
ed an honest living and that he d'd
not mean to work. He continued. says
Rev. Father Hoppman, by saying that
he was professional safe cracker but
as he had not done a trick" lately
and was little short of money, max
ing a request for small loan ant
promising to return it tenfOld as soor
as he could crack safe. He met witt
a negative answer and then left tho
house AS soon as he left the prizes
notified the sheriff and the man wa:
caught before he had gone but shor
distance.
Not Wanted In creston.
1t is said that the man was intoXicat
ed when arrested and that probably &C
counts for his loquacity, as today HI
is very taciturn 1t was thought tina
he was one of the men wanfed TO
4 breaking Jail at Creston on the nigh
of August 6. This, however, was fount
to be wrong when the sheriff of Ores
ton, in response to a telegram, arrived
in the city last evening and found tina
he was not the man wanted. He Il
now serving the three days sentenc,
given him this morning by Justic,
Campbell.