The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-06-26

CAUGHT A BAD TRIO
Supposed Bank Robbers Rounded Up
at Wells Early in Morning.
They Are No Doubt the Fellows Who
Touched Wilder Bank.
Clever Capture BY Chief of Police,
Who Was Out Scouting.
Two of the Suspects Are Now il
Jail at Blue Earth.
From Saturdays Daily.

From Saturdays Daily.
Three bad men were rounded up early
yesterday morning at Wells by the city
marshal They were loaded down with
revolvers, cartridges, a bottle of nitro.
J glycerine and other paraphernalia that
bers. They are suspected of being the
men who robbed the bank at Wilder
Sheriff Dunn of Jackson county has look
ed two of the trio over and is confident
| that they are the men who turned the
trick
The Wells chief of police is entitled to
credit for making clever capture. That
officer was looking the town over at
about three o'clock yesterday morning
and when near the postoffice he saw a
man who was acting strangely. The
chief nabbed him and escorted him to the
police station where search was made
of the fellows clothes. A revolver and a
number of cartridges were found upon
him. The fellow answered to the de-
scription of one of a gang of men that
had been lettering about the town one
day week previous, and the chief made
up his mind that the pals were not far
away The chief made a hurried search
OF the business district and not finding
any one he walked down into the rail-
road yard. He found refrigerator cal
door open, and throwing a flash from his
lantern into the car he discovered two
men asleep. Leaping into the car the
officer laid his hand upon the hip of one
of the fellows and found revolver. He
took possession of the weapon. AT
that moment the other man woke up
The officer covered him with the gun and
a search of the fellows pockets brought
to light a number of fuse caps. A re-
volver dropped from in under his coat
These two men were marched to the sta
ton. A further investigation resulted in
finding on the persons of two of the men
cartridges, fuse, fifteen to nineteen
feet in length, about twenty caps, a
half pint bottle of nitro glycerine, and
other articles which honest men do not
carry about with them.
The men gave the names of William
Jones, Henry johnson and Zener Zeekin
The two latter were brought before the
municipal court at Wells and sent to
Jail for thirty days on charge of carry
ing concealed weapons. Jones was allow
ed to go, no charge having been placed
against him. johnson and Zeekin are
now inmates of the Faribault county
Jail at Blue Earth.
A week ago these three men were in
Wells. They spent great deal of their
time around the postoffice and were OBJ
served standing in the alleys at the rear
OF the banks. Their actions at the time
created suspicion.
Sheriff Dunn of jackson county was
called to Wells to look johnson and
Zeekin over. He was accompanied by
Detective C. A. Pond of st. Paul, who
has been working on the Wilder bank
robbery. Mr.. Pond regretted very much
that Jones had been allowed his freedom
as he knew his record, and it is under.
stood that a reward of several hundred
dollars is now hung up for his apprehen
sion. Both Detective Pond and Sheriff
Dunn are convinced that the three men
were concerned in the Wilder bank rob
berry and will make a further investiga
ton of the men. 1t is said that one OF
the men answers the description of the
stranger who was seen about Wilder or
the afternoon previous to the robbery.
This morning photograph of Zeekir
was taken. The man struggled hare
against being "mugged," and it required
the assistance of several men to hold
him while the camera was doing it:
work.
Jones is described as a man weighing
$50 or 100 pounds, dark complexion
smooth face, brown hair and eyes, wore
dark clothes.
Johnson is dark complexioned, weighs
los pounds, is five feet, seven and one
half inches in height and dark curly hair
| Zeekin is light complexioned, weight
l65 pounds and is five feet eight inche!