The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1903-10-07
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\. CARS WERE ROBBED

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Lengthy" Allen or "Stove-
pipe" Allen, a. he is familiarly
known, was arrested Tuesday
morning in this city about l
O'Clock on the charge Of robbing
systematically for many months,
cars along the Great Northern
between Larimore and Williston.
The capture Of this willy fellow
was very exciting and the his
tory Of his many crimes would
put to shame the man who wrote
the Nick Carter detective stories.
Allen is six feet tall and as
crooked f1guratively speaking as
he is tall. His partner was ar
rested at Havre, Mont, on tho
charge OF robbing G. N. cars and
Allen came to Minot with a man
whom he supposed to be his
friend, to raise a lot of goods
which had been planted" near
the Great Northern stock yards
three miles east OF town. The
man proved to be no other than
Campben,a decoy, who was hired
by the detectives to win the con-
fidence OF Allen. The two men
went to the pit, where the goods
had been secreted, but someone
had been ahead OF them, for the
goods were gone. They came
back to Minot and Allen disclos-
ed the secret of his opening the
box cars.
He produced a small wrench
and with it he unscrewed three
little bolts holding the lower
track of the end doors OF the box
cars. This allowed him to enter
the car without breaking the
seal. After he had taken every
thing he wanted from the car, he
would crawl out of the car and
place the little bolts back in their
places and no one would suspect
how the goods were taken from
the cars. Allen opened three cars
that night just to show his friend
how it was done. Campbell for
merly was a bar tender at Havre
but was out of a job and Allen
had no trouble to persuade him
to accompany him to Minot.
Sheriff Scoffeld was notified
early in the evening that Allen
and Campbell were in the city
and they were going to the stock
yards. He accompanied the de-
tectives behind the men to the
stock yards, in hopes that they
could be captured with stolen
goods on their persons. After
they returned to the city, Allen
and Campbell were seen walking
near the 500 crossing. They
were confronted by Tom Hanna,
a detective, who formerly was
United States Marshal, at Graf
ton. Another detective was with
him and they lost no time in
covering Allen with their guns.
He saw that the Jig was up, his
hands went up like a fash. Cam
pbell, who OF course, was only
playing the part of a bad man,
broke and ran but he was order
ed to halt, and his hands went
up. The men were taken to the
county jail. Campbell was tax
en- away and Allen was told that
his partner was lodged in the
city Jail. He still thinks that
Campbell is in the tolls. Allen
seemed surprised the next morn
ing when the complaint was read
to him. The detectives say he is
the greatest car thief in the
United States. He is an all
around bad man and was armed
when captured.
Mrs. Jane Rowan's place was
searched, as it was whispered
that some Of the stolen goods
had been secreted in her place.
When Sheriff Scofield went to her
home, she would not allow him
| to search the house without a
warrant. He left the woman in
charge of two detectives while he
went for the warrant and she at
tempted to burn some clothes in
the stove during his absence but
was prevented by the men. Stol-
en- goods were found in a shack
near her home. = In her celler q
half a barrel of whiskey was
found. Joseph Rowan's pawn
shop was searched Tuesday after
noon and it is estimated that
81, 500 worth OF shoes, canned
goods, clothing, ETC., were found