Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-11-20
SEARCHED. THE HOUSE.
The Residence of Alex Franklin Raid
ed by Officers.

GU Wy SuiSSios
The vicissitudes of the Franklin
family are growing more and more
interesting, and yesterday another
chapter was added which records the
arrest and imprisonment of Alex
Franklin, the brother of the famous
outlaw and the man who had thus far
been free although not entirely free
from suspicion. This chapter came
near being bloody one, and it is not
quite clear on which side the blood
shedding would have been, had Frank
lin been allowed to getlhis Winchester
rifle from behind a door, where he had
it secreted during the time Chief Gray
and Officer Black We're searching his
house. To make the, affair more inter
esting Mrs. Franklin fainted and the
officers were forced to leave the man
in charge Of his wife when they left
the house. However; he came to the
police station later and was promptly
locked up. being charged with resist
| ing an officer with search warrant.
House Is Searched.
|. Chief Gray, ever since learning that
| Fetch Franklin was in the habit Of
| making visits to Ottumwa, has been
suspicious Of his brother, Alex, and
since the arrest of the first man
enough has been learned to convince
the officer that he would be right in
searching the house on Ellis avenue,
where the man lives.
Yesterday afternoon, armed with a
search warrant, Chief Gray and officer
Black set out for the Franklin house.
On arriving there they were met by
Franklin himself, who made some
complaint when they announced their
mission. The officers proceeded with
\ their search and entered a bed room,
followed by Franklin. Here there is
a trap door in the floor and officer
Black descended through this opening
into the cellar under the house. Moth
ing could be found there, however.
and he returned to the main floor of
the house. AS he came up through the
opening, he saw, standing behind a
door which was ajar, a Winchester
rifle and a'repeating shot gun. These
arms had been noticed by Chief Gray
also, and, while his assistant was in
the cellar, he was watching them and
Franklin.
Chief, Gray started to search trunk
and Immediately met with opposition
on the part of Franklin. However
when pair of Texas spurs was dis
I, closed, together with several hundred
celluloid rings from harness and some
Mexican sombreros, the officers sale
they would take these articles. 1t was
Z then that a shooting scrape was mar
: .rowly ayerted.
: You will not take those things, anC
! you can't take any of the property un
,, less you have someone come here an(
! identify it," was Franklins determin
l ed answer, and he made an effort tt
). reach the rifle behind the door. Blu
!. this was just what the officers hat
> been looking for, and as Franklin tool
5 the first step toward the door Office
Blacks big form barred the way ant
Chief Gray's revolver came out of hi
s pocket and was leveled at the man II
: a second. Then he "wilted," and sub
mitted without a word when the offi-
GERS took from a trunk on the rea
E porchfof the house double set of har
: ness and some odd pieces of harness
and started. toward the city.
Franklin, would have been brough
; to jail at that time had 1t not beef
e that at the most exciting stage of tn
game his wife tainted. At first 1t wa.
the opinion of the officers that sh
. was shamming, but later this opinion
changed and they became convince
\ that her condition was genuine. The
! allowed the man to remain with hi
/. wife, telling him, however, to come t
Il the police station during the evening
This he did and on his arrival Their
was locked In Jail by Officer Black.
!, Released Today.
: Alex Franklin was released thi
morning and allowed to go home. H
promised to remain in the city and b.
ready at any time Chief Gray want
him. He accompanied his brother
4 Fletch, to the train this morning
when the party started to Missouri