Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-08-13
BERT SHEPHERD, MEMBER OF a
PROMINENT FAMILY, UNDER
ARREST AT MuscATINE.
KNOWN IN oTTTMwA.
Young Man Has Several Acquaint-
ances Here Who Have Known Him
as Rather Wild. But Not criminalIy
lncIined-story of Awful Crime.

Muscatine, Aug. 10. = Especially
Bert Shepherd of Oskaloosa is under
arrest here on the charge of murder
ing Arthur Meade in the restaurant be-
longing to Thomas Mccarthy at West
Liberty, early in the morning of May
IA. The officers have been working
quietly on the case ever since the re-
lease of Harry Gay, who was arrested
soon after the crime was committed,
but proved his innocence, and the ar
| rest of Shepherd today is, they think,
the solution of the mystery surround
ing one of the most wanton murders
in the history of West Liberty.
Story of the Robbery.
About 1850 o'clock in the morning Of
May IA two masked men entered the
restaurant of Thomas mccarthy at West
| Liberty and covering the employees and
patrons with revolvers ordered the for
mer to turn over the money.
Meade Resists.
Arthur Meade, who happened 40 be
nearest the men refused to throw up
his hand when called to do SO. Instead,
ne attempted to tear off the mask from
the face of the nearest bandit and re-
ceived bullet through his body from
one of the guns.
i iDes Almost Instantly.
With the blood squirting from the
4 wound, Meade fell to the floor and ex-
pred almost instantly.
Others Yield.
/ The others in the restaurant AFTER
witnessing the desperate work OF the
men complied with their demand. One
OF the bandits continued to guard tile
party, While the other rifled their pock-
cts, securing several So bills and
small amount of silver. The entire
amount taken is believed to be about
S25. IS
Took No Jewelry.
AS far as can be learned. the BAN
dlts took no watches or other lew
elry, but confined their work to reliev-
ing their victims of money.
| Good Work.
The entire affair took but few
| ueSh'. fhilSi SECURING all une mon
ey they could find, the men backed
hastily out of the door and disappear
ed as If by magic. The remainder of
the party We're so Mortified by the
shooting of one of their number that
they did not recover from the shock
until after the holdup men has dis
appeared from sight
Had No CIew.
Only a meager description of the
highway men was obtained. 1t is stat
ed that one was of medium height,
while his companion was tall and
muscular. 1t is stated that the tall
man acted as guard while the
other busted himself in relieving
the pockets of his victims of their
contests
. The small man is believed to have
been about 5 feet 4 inches in height,
and 1t is judged he weighed between
100 and 1876 pounds
Victim Was Young Man.
Arthur Meade, the victim of the
bandits bullet, was young man
about 25 years of age. He had been
in the jewelry business at West LIB
erty and was well known in the sur
rounding vicinity.
Arrest of Gay.
Gay was arrested about week afts
er the commission of the crime at
; Runnells, a small town near Des,
!. Moines, and it was thought that he.
was guilty of Meade's murder How
ever, he proved to the entire satisfac-
ton of the officers that he was inno-
cent of the charge and he was releas-
ed. Interest in the matter gradually
waned, but evidently some of the Off
Gals have been busy, for the arrest of
Shepherd indicates that they have
: done considerable investigating.
Bert Shepherd is well known in OF
, tumwa. His home is in Oskaloosa, but
: for several years he has been in this
city often. He and brother played as
a tennis team several years ago in sew
eral matches in Ottumwa with repre-
sentatives of the local Y NJ. C. A., and
the Shepherds were then known as adj
mirable young men of good character.
Their father is w. G. Shepherd, we'll
TODD coal operator who resides at Os-
: kaloosa
Bert, who is now but 20 or %
| years of age, is inclined to be wild, it
is said by those who know him, and
, for some time he has not made his
home at Oskaloosa, preferring to put
in his time in several other towns in
this and other states.
He was known as good fellow"
however, and no crime has ever been
laid at his door. The only solution
l that can be offered for the problem fur
+ nished by his arrest is that if he COM
i mitted the murder of Meade it was