Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-11-20

lIdlu III Lie SNeuiuS, dllSI udIh, anu
the next morning would be missing.
Not only he would be missing, but
valuable team, usually together with
new buggy and set of harness also.
Wanted in Nebraska.
This morning Sheriff Cremer re-
ceived telephone message from the
authorities at Lincoln, Neb., asking if
Franklin was in custody here and IL
there was good case against him.
The Nebraska sheriff said that if there
was any doubt about his being con-
victed in Missouri there is sentence
OF ten years waiting for him at Lin
coin, and the Nebraska courts will be
only too glad to dole it out to him.
Altogether, the future does not seem
strewn with roses for Franklin.
Many Crimes.
Fletch Franklin, if he were to sud-
denly reform and cry quits with his
old career, would have to live through
three of four regulation lives in order
to serve all the sentences which have
been waiting for him for years. Ac-
cording to ex-Sheriff Barton, who has
had years of experience as an officer
of the law and has spent hundreds Of
dollars heretofore in fruitless search
for Franklin, the man killed a sheriff
In Nebraska, companion at Rogers,
Sullivan county. Mo-, attempted to
kill a detective named Brown, who
| about five weeks ago made a special
| trip from Kansas City to Pollock, Mo-,
and in company with fellow detec-
tive spent considerable time in prepa-
ration for bagging Franklin, and has
stolen any number of horses at diff
ferent places in Missouri and Iowa.
| What seems to be the greatest Won
der In the eyes of the men from the
"show me" state Is that instead of
submitting to arrest the man did not
add another murder or two to his list
and make good his escape when ar
rested by Chief Gray Monday after
noon.
Just Like Tracey.
About five weeks ago Franklin en-
gagged in a running fight with Detec-
tiyes Brown and Sparks of
Kansas City, in which Brown was shot
and narrowly escaped death, and
Franklin, by placing woman between
himself and the officer saved himself
from their bullets. Ex-Sheriff Barton
learned that he was in the country
after an absence Of several months,
and, as he was wanted for stealing
horses, the veteran officer made ar
engagements with a clerk in a store at
| Pollock, to keep a watch upon Frank
| lin and to let Mr.. Barton know Of his
whereabouts. He then sent to Kan
sas City and secured two detectives,
nv tn pn110nly caNrat q
| themselves In the rear room at the
and waited until Franklin, who was
staying at the home Of his sister-in.
law, a few miles from the town, should
come.
The sister-in-law of whom Franklin
| was the guest was at one time the wife
Of Coon" Franklin, the favorite
brother of F1etch, and, a man who, af-
ter several dare devil deeds, was kill
ed while engaged in train robbery
in Oklahoma. His wife married q
man named Robinson, and was living
with him on a farm near Pollock. On
the day in question Franklin and Mrs.
| Robinson, accompanied by young
man dressed in light clothes and gray
hat, like those worn by Franklin,
drove to the store for some goods, and,
after loading them in the wagon, start.
ed homeward. i
| The clerk was unable to give the
waiting detectives their hint until the
wagon had proceeded probably half a
mile toward Robinson's when he told
them where to find their man. de-.
scribing Fletch as having light clothes
and q gray hat The officers started
after the retreating wagon on the run
not being able to secure buggy al
the time.
Almost Another Murder.
Detective Brown was the fleeter O
the two and succeeded in catching the
wagon first. Fletch was driving and
was not noticed by the officer, wht
had seen the other man, sitting beside
Mrs. Robinson in the wagon seat and
thought him to be Franklin. He GOV
cred his man with his revolver and
was surprised to feel the cut OF bull
let on his cheek, for Fletch, turning
to learn the cause Of the noise, hat
whipped out his revolver and frei
point blank at the detective.
A Running Fight.
4 A hot fight ensued. AS soon as
Franklin had fired at Brown ht
sprang back into the wagon and seiz
ing Mrs. Robinson and her little baby
placed them between himself and tn,
officer, meanwhile shooting at his pur
suers, both of whom had arrived a
the side Of the wagon by that time
it is considered almost miracle tina
neither was killed, the only wount
received being the one on Brown
cheek, which. was only slight, Thu
man in the wagon with Franklin seizet
the reins and started the horses on a
, a gallop. Thus the detectives wer,
/ placed at decided disadvantage, be
ing forced to follow their man on foot
After a running fight in which sey
| eral shots were exchanged between
pursuers and pursued, Franklin me
a boy in q buggy and confronting hin
with his gun In his hand forced hi1
to turn about and drive on a run to tn
Robinson farm, where the outlaw sc
: cured horse and left the country
Since that time he has been decided
missing" in Missouri and has probe
bly, spent the greater part Of his tim
in Iowa.