Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-08-21
MAKE GOOD CATCH
Local Police Get Man Wanted in
Missouri For Burglary.
ACCUSED ALSO OF BEING A BlCANlSI
Prisoner Gives His Name as George
Jones-lt is Said He Has Thirteen
Wives, the Thirteenth Being His
cousinAcredltabIe Capture.
lFrom Tuesdays Daily

From Tuesdays Daily.l
With penitentiary term staring
him in the face, and with probably
more to follow, and threatened with
the prosecution of thirteen wives, a
man giving his name as George Jones
but Who is thought to be H. G. Napier,
was arrested last night in this city by
Chief of Police John w. Gray, accom-
panied by Captain Peter Gallagher.
The capture is one of the best ever
made in the city and is the result of
long watching and much scheming on
the part of Chief Gray, who has been
after his man for two weeks. The
prisoner is wanted in Harrison county,
Mo-. the county seat of which is Beth
any, on charge of burglarizing the
barn of D. w. Francis and stealing
therefrom some harness and a saddle
in October, 1897. However, this
charge is not the most serious one, as
it Is alleged he has had thirteen wives,
and is now, or has been until last
night, living with his thirteenth, who
is also his first cousin. He is at pres.
ent in the county jail, having been Civ
en- sentence of fifteen days on the
charge of carrying concealed weapons,
on which he will be held until the ar.
rival of the Missouri sheriff, who has
been notified by wire of the arrest.
Played Waiting Game.
Chief Gray has been aware of the
presence of the man in the city fol
some time. and has made several at
tempts to bag him, but was baked un
til last night Napier, or Jones, as he
calls himself, has been living for sew
eral weeks with his wife in a tent or
Harrow's branch, near Caldwelfs parE
in the west end of the city. During
this time the local police have KEEP
watch upon his headquarters, but the
capture was not made until last night
He has made several mysterious trips
out of the city, being gone for days al
a time, and it is suspected that these
have been made for the purpose o.
stealing. He has also done some horse
trading, which seems to have been hi:
principal legitimate occupation.
One morning last week at 4:3(
o'clock, Chief Gray, accompanied b.
Captain Gallagher and Sergean
Grammer, went to the tent where hi!
quarry has been living, having heart
that he was at home from one of his
trips. Stationing his men where the.
could command the tent he routed GU
the occupants, but found them to b.
no more formidable beings than Jones
wife and the dog. In order not to max,
. the woman uneasy and thus be tn
means of letting the man escape, tn
officer told her he had come to Sc,
! Jones about some junk which had beel
stolen from The Milwaukee RAILROAD
company and had been reported solt
to Jones.
Ruse Good One.
The ruse worked even better thai
Chief Gray had reckoned, and enabled
him to get his man last night withou
trouble. While hunting for maj
clothing the chief and Captain Gal
lagher dropped into the Murray saloon
on West Main street last night, think
ing perhaps their man was there. I'll
was not. however, but Jones, or Ma
pier, was, and he called the chief t
one side and preached the subject o
the junk.
This was even better luck thai
Chief Gray had bargained for, and h
told the man that he believed he ha
bought the stolen goods. Jones wa
so positive in his denial and so read
to prove his innocence by going to a
East Main street junk store wher
he said the metal had been stolen,tha
it was an easy matter to get him witt
in two blocks of the city jail. Whe
the corner of Main and Market street
was reached, however, Chief Ora
turned north on the latter and it wa
only short time until he had hi
man behind the bars at the city hal
He gave his name as George Jones.
Not until after the man was locke
up was he told the real cause OF hi
arrest Then Chief Gray read tn
warrant from Missouri to him, calm
him Napier Here he showed his frs
signs of weakening, and asked Chic
Gray to send for his wife. She visite
him at the Jail soon after his arres
and after few minutes conversatio
left him and returned to her tel
home.
A move made by the prisoner at TIL
time of his arrest, which was goo
one apparently but worked again:
him, was passing his coat, which h
had carried on his arm,to man stan
ing at the bar in the saloon. This We
noticed by Chief Gray, but he chos
to land his man before complicatir
matters, and not until after Jones W;
locked up did he start back after tt
coat. However, officer Sullivan he
taken the article from the man wi
had received it from the prisoner, ar
in the coat was found revolver loa
ed. When the prisoner was searche
six cartridges to fit the weapon We
found in his trousers pockets. in ado
ton to pair of metal knuckles.
Gets Fifteen Days.
This morning he was arraigned b
fore Judge Moon in police coul
charged with carrying concealed wea
ons He pleaded guilty, admitting tn