Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-02-17
WAS A BAD MAN.
Horse Thief Killed Near Bloomfield
Identified as Chas. Williams.

bloomfield, Feb. 14.-(Courier Spe-
cial Service) -Charles Williams, be-
lieved to have served several terms in
the Iowa and Missouri penitentiaries
and with long and notorious career
as a criminal, including several horse
thefts in the vicinity of Sigourney, is
the mulatto who received fatal injur-
les While resisting arrest about d
week ago, according to the informa-
ton received by Sheriff N. H. Shep,
pard as to the identity of the dead
bandit from sheriffs of Iowa and Mis-
souri, counties.
1t is also believed that Williams at
one time resided in Edna, Mo-, where
he was divorced from his wife, who
it is said, now resides in Ottumwa.
Identified by Photo.
After the death of the man in the
county jail here photographs were
taken and sent to various county Off
GERS through Iowa and Missouri. Two
photographs have just been received
by Sheriff Sheppard from John Baty
of keokuk county, which leave little
doubt that the identity of the dead
man is that of hte mulatto who was
connected with several horse thefts
near Sigourney about year ago, and
at that time was known by the name
Of Charles Williams
Did Stunt at Sigourney.
A team Of mules was stolen from
the Logan Bros, at Glenwood, Mo-,
which Williams traded to a liveryman
in keokuk county, receiving about
$3.50 boot money" and then disap--
peared The Logans then went to
keokuk county and reclaimed the
mules Sheriff Baty located the negro
in Tama county, had him arrested and
returned to the authorities in Schuy-.
Ter county, Mo-, where he pleaded
guilty to larceny and was sentenced
to, five years in the penitentiary.
About three weeks after being taken
to the penitentiary he succeeded in
seffecting an escape. Williams had
Two initials tattooed on right forearm
with the date ''1S4S," as Sheriff Bats
says, but this is probably an error as
the date was 1888" and the letters
'E. e.
Sent to Fort Madison.
Sheriff Sheppard has received let
ter from Deputy Warden T. p. Hol-
lowell OF the penitentiary at FIT. Mad
,lson. in which the deputy warden says
that mulatto served two years and a
half in the penitentiary at that place
Tor larceny under the name OF Charles
Ford. The man was sent there from
Appanoose county in 1895, and was
discharged in 1897. He was 5 feet. s
inches in height, age when sent, 80.
weight, $50, complexion, mulatto and
had the letters e. e. in blue ink OH
right forearm, and also a date which
the deputy warden gives as 1865"
This description is almost an exact
description of the mulatto who was
killed while resisting arrest.
Sentenced at Edna, Mo.
Sheriff Sheppard has also heard
from Sheriff Hunolt Of Edna, Knox
county Mo-, and he is positive in the
belief that the mulatto captured here
was sent to the penitentiary at Jeffer-
son City, Mo-, from Knox county five
years ago. He was known in Knox
county and surrounding country by va
rious names, as Charley Edwards,
Charley Ford, Bill Brown, Frank
Jones and other assumed names.
Sheriff Hunolt also says the man had
been divorced from his wife and that
the divorced wife lives in Ottumwa.
This fact Sheriff Hunolt learned a
couple of months ago while in Ottum-
wa after the mulatto, who was then
in possession of team which he had
stolen in Edna, Mo-, November 26,