Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-06-16
TO PROVE AN ALIBI.
This Will Probably be aBin"
Richards Task in Robbery Trial.
a FRIEND SAYS 1T WILL BIZ EASY
Later Developments Tend to Show
That Richards Was in the Restau
rant at Hamilton During the sulli.
yam Robbery.

There is no doubt in my mind that
BIZ Richards will be acquitted when
his case comes to trial, and do not
believe now that he will even ask for
change OF venue from Marion coun-
+ ty, said q. R. Mason, clerk of the
United States circuit court, who is in
Ottumwa taking evidence in the case
of the Continental Supply Co. VS. the
City Water Supply Co. Mr. Mason is
and has been for fifteen years a close
friend of William Richards, the ex-dep-
uty United States marshal, who is
charged with completely in the rob.
berry of Mr. and Mrs. p Sullivan at
Hamilton last January. Mr.. Richards,
who is well known throughout Iowa on
account of many splendid feats he per-
formed while in the employ of the gov
ernment, was a much hunted man for
several months, and after having been
lost he found himself SO easily that his
temperance was even more wondered
ct than his disappearance The partic-
ulars of the case with which it is al
legged he is connected are familiar to
the people of the city and state at
large, but there are some matters
which have never come to light which
are interesting and which tend to show
the innocence of Mr.. Richards in spite
of the allegations that are made
against him.
Mason-Richards.
Mr. Mason, who is a brother of eX-
Senator William E. Mason Of Illinois,
and who is well known in political cir
cles in Iowa, has known Mr.. Richards
for Is years, having been actively as
ISOLATED with him in the employ Of
i the government for a part of that
time. He is probably as capable as
any one man to judge as to the inno-
cence or guilt of the accused man and
ever since the first whisper was ut
tered against Richards the fedora
court clerk has been one Of his stout
est supporters. He has maintained
that Richards was innocent in. spite
of the evidence which it is said has
been gathered AGAINST him. and he
still insists that the man will be able
to- clear himself when the case comes
to trial.
WiII Prove hii.;
Mr.. Mason says that Ri,ha~ls will
be able to nro~e by ~c--ara1 r,cn that
when the rnhhrry ncc.---oa NJ vas
III llit- InFli 'fItilll II. Sf}N-
erai h'neks from the S''''i--.r hc-re
and that he was the"o ''ntil sbcns f--e
rain-5tHs before tha hc'd-'n -,er -sade
ttc'~ escape ard he rhon+ins~ nf Baird
took rlaae Accordirg to the 4esti-
D7nrv Of ~ SnlIivsr~ in III. Baird
ltrial h ~o',ners enent ha'f an hour
IN the hnvr- ard this would tend to
shcw tha4 p;ohr-as knew nothing of
the INTENDED hcld-up.
The Wro-g Man.
r. IL eaid tat Nv. and Mrs.. Sulli-
van clair7 .f,t thev reonerized one
of tn r.ar rho WIS in tho Ncrse at
the tire ~ the rnhbrrv as Bill" Rich
ardr. Tnt thov also sr'd that they rec
ognized another Of the robbers as a
man who lives at Eddyville and who
was arrested but early proved that he
was at home when the crime was COM
Tnitted If this is authentic the testi-
mcnv of the Sullivans could not be
relied upon for very much against
Richards, SO his friends think.