Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-01-15
Richards Believed by Former AS
soc.a1ates to be Innocent.
CLAIM lie IS HUNTING CORNES
Has However, Been Dismissed BY
Iowa Sheriffs' Association But May
Be After $500 Reward Which Was
Offered for Arrest of Murderer.

e. R. Mason, of Des Moines, clerk
of The United States circuit court, has
announced publicly that he knows
where BILL Richards is and could if
he wished, bring about his arrest.
However, he has said, he does not be-
lieve that Sheriff Bybee has warrant
for the ex-deputy marshal's arrest and
consequently does not consider Kim
self bound to give up the information.
Wherever Richards can be IL seems
very improbable that he would not
have heard of the fact that he IS sus-
pected of implication in the Hamil--
ton robbery, and officers who have not
the inside knowledge with which Clerk
Mason is favored are wondering where
Richards can be. The story that he
is hunting through the Indian reserva-
ton in Nebraska for Ed Cornes, the
murderer of Sheriff Strain of Monroe
county, is denied by Deputy Sheriff
John HI. Kelly of Des Moines, secre-
tary of the Iowa Sheriffs' association,
who said yesterday in an interview,
that Mr.. Richards was released by the
association about two weeks ago, and
is no longer after Cornes unless it may
be that he is working for the reward
of $700 which has been offered.
Mason Faithful.
Clerk E. r. Mason of Des Moines,
is faithful to Richards and insists that
he is innocent. A dispatch from Des
Moines quotes him and gives other
facts. 1t is as follows:
Il know where Billy Richards is at
this moment, and he is not in hiding"
announced Clerk E. R. Mason of the
United States circuit court. If Sher-
| iff Bybee has warrant for the arrest
of Richards then will tell him where
his man can be found. l do not, how
ever, believe the officer has warrant
for him and therefore l do not feel it
my duty to Illustrate the detectives
plans until / know this to be a GER
tainty."
1t is believed that Clerk Mason is
in receipt of message from Detective
Richards son at Creston to whom the
! former wrote Immediately after it be-
came rumored the deputy was impli-
Gated in the Hamilton robbery. Clerk
Mason declared at the time he would
advise the son to notify his father
in regard to the charges and have
him return Immediately to meet them.
| The information which the clerk says
he possesses is believed to be contain.
ed in letter or telegram from the son
in response to the letter sent him by
the clerk and is an indirect message
from Richards himself.
Christian is Skeptical. 81
United States Marshal George M
Christian, of Des Moines. under whom
Richards worked, believes in his limo
| cence.
IF Bill Richards were here
know he would tell me whether or moi
he was implicated in that DEAL said
4 the marshal. If should get an oppor
4 tunity to ask him he would tell me
| And whatever ''Bill Richards told mt
i would believe. / think the man is
innocent"
The marshal corroborated the re-
port YESTERDAY that Richards resigne;
voluntarily from the department.. /
was because there was too little in i
to make expenses, and that was ths
i only reason.
i If 'Bill' Richards had received cred
it for the good he has done in proper
ton to the bad advertising he has re
ceived for this mis-step-if it is mis-
step--the balance would be much i,
4 his favor" continued the marshal. Isl
far as know he has been absolutel,
trustworthy and the work he has don,
for the government is some of the hes
| have ever known"
u -------------------