Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1903-03-13
RICHARDS TELLS H'S $40
Ne II Now In Omaha ana W." 49,
- Surrender.

|
RICHARDS TELLS us s'o"
He /. Now In Omaha and WIN e0'"
- Surrender.
Omaha, Neb,. March l2.--hx'Dep w..
United states Marshal "Bill' h,chaa sS
:. s.onn,ng in this city with frienas,
He was interviewed at the ,,,,h re-.
hotel by Des Moines man WA WA N,
card to his disappearance ahu 'I ~
smli;van robbery, with when ne Is,
oharped with having been an aIoom
uiice Richards is considerably Gilan 70
"a IN anpearance and looks like Nv
sad cone through considerable troupie
as i.te Streaks of gray have appealt
I'd through his hair and 1t IS evluIne
lhat he has undergone conelueiao.S
suffering In the conversation mi ';,,
with him he stated that he was wilr
~ ~ come back to Iowa ana lace !
any and all charges as soon Do nnr;ny
matters have been arranged. frnm
his stay here his wife arrlVeu a,o
Creston and met him at the a Ugh
Thev talked over the troubles whicn
have beset him, and just as soon a.
r. 10 possible Mr.. Richards VIII
tnrn to Creston to take up his resi-
dence at that point. ,. 81
The story he told is as follows
am absolutely innocent OF any conn
ton with the Sullivan ROBBERY anu
can prove it by several reputaple WIZ
nesses that such is the case. was
not at the Sullivan home at the time
If the robbery, and it's accomplish
ment was without any knowleuse ~
on my part whatsoever. l was IL
Hamilton the day before the roppe!y
occurred, just as has been stated IN
the papers, and went there 10 hect
nv brother, who is engaged in the res.
tuarant business. Baird was Drougn.
to Knoxville, wounded from the efects
Of the shots fired by Sullivan that
night. had known Baird for years
and was instrumental in sending MN
to the penitentiary. We had peeh
nersonal enemies since that event.
and when I approached him IN hnoA,
vile. I recognized him at once. Balrd
stated to me:
.Bill, am going to die. l have
caused my mother a great deal Vi
trouble, and she is almost crazy now
over my wicked ways. For God sake,
don't tell my name so that she Will
not have to suffer for this
II did not promise him what l would
do. and turning around in the crowd
some one suggested that a doctor
should be sent for. Others Joined in
saying Let him die; don't send for
doctor. The scene and the words OF
Baird touched my heart, and | stated
that a doctor ought to be sent Tor.
Some one said, who will pay for the
doctor?' l declared that would If no
one else would. A doctor was sent
for and when he arrived he wanted 10
know who would pay him for his
trouble. I told him that would, and
asked him how much it would be. He
replied that it would be Sc. l told
him that l did not have the money
with me, but that l would raise the
amount in the morning, which l did
by borrowing it, and the doctor was
paid. 1 did not tell anyone who Baird
was purely out Of sympathy for tie
wounded man. l returned to. Creston
the next morning and when l read in
the papers about the alleged connec-
ton had with the robbery and being
in trouble over another matter
simply lost my head and skipped.
was 81 200 short in my accounts with
the estate for which I was admins
traitor. The relatives were pushing
me hard for a settlement. I had
given a surety bond and knew that
the bond company would be soon after
me unless settlement was reached
This, in connection with the hue and
cry raised by the papers, caused me
| to go out of the state. came up tt
Omaha and from there departed fol
Mexico. l was in that country fol
several weeks, but no matter which
way l would turn would meet some
one from Iowa. I returned to Omaha
and have been here since in communi
cation with my friends. l have beer
Indicted in Marion county and thu
bonds have been fixed at $4,000. Thi!
sum is too large for me to raise ant
my friends are now making an effor
| to have it reduced. AS soon as THU
takes place and the bond is furnishe:
shall return and surrender am no
at all afraid of the outcome when the
case comes up for trial and my limo
cence will be clearly shown. e..
II have always believed that if hal
made no demand for doctor wher
Baird was in Knoxville likely to bleet
to death not the slightest suspicion
would have ever been aroused as te
any connection with the robbery. The
mere fact that I was acquainted with
Baird and did not disclose his name al
that time is all the foundation there Is
or has been to my being implicated in
the robbery. l have devoted a good
many years of my life to the hunting
| down of criminals, and not in a single
instance has my conduct been other
wise than straight and honorable
When the trial comes up, If it ever
does, can show by reputable wit
nesses where was during my trip
from Creston to Hamilton and return
During my trip conversed with more
than fifty people There is scarcely
an hour of that time which cannot be
accounted for. Possibly l did wrong
in skipping out, but many a better
man with less trouble than l had
has made unfortunate steps of that
kind. am anxious to meet the
charges, but do not care to remain
in Jail under bond" ,L.
Mr.. Richard has employed an at
torney at Knoxville to look after his
interests. III ..,s
cORYDON MYSTERY EXPLAINED.
Corydon, March 13-Elijah Thorn.
as, a boy 16 years old, has confessed
to a series of crimes which have mys-
tilted Corydon people for year past.
Thomas claims to have had his con.
science aroused by the preaching Of
Miss Gleason, an evangelist. When
pressed, the boy made a confession
which implicated Hazen Rolf, who was
at one time an inmate of the reform
school, and John Jones of Lineville.