New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1903-07-01

C.. w. Mccowann. Stranger, Thought
Himself Crook.
Informed Authorities He Was Wanted
i at MarshalItown, la.
Surrendered to Sheriff VIM. j.. Julius
Early Monday Morning.

tracted spree and finding himself in
New Ulm, he remembered having de-
frauded the merchants Of an Iowa city
and determined to surrender himself
to the authorities and return to take
his punishment. That, in brief, was
the strange story told to Sheriff VIM.
J. Julius Monday morning by man
giving his name as G. W. MCGOWAN
and claiming to be resident of New
York City. 4s.
+ Just after court opened that morn
ing Deputy Sheriff Chas. Brust re-
ceived a visit from a tall, we'll dressed
gentleman who volunteered the infor-
nation that he was guilty of a crime
and who desired that he be placed
under arrest. Sheriff Julius was sum
moned from the court room and to him
the self-confessed crook unburdened
himself of an narrowing tale of woe.
He stated that he was an advertising
promoter, working the time-honored
hotel register and kindred schemes,
and explained that seven weeks ago
he made contracts with number of
merchants at Marshalltown, Ia. When
he had the advertising matter all
ready for the printer and had made
his collections from the business men,
he received telegram from New York
City that his wife had died. Over
come with grief, he took drink of
whiskey to steady his nerves and that
was about all he remembered until he
woke up in New Ulm, with the single
exception that he family recollected
having been in New York. While he
deplored his fall from grace, he did
not desire to excite compassion by it's
recital, and wanted to be sent back to
Marshalltown to be tried for obtain
ing money under false pretenses.
After listening to his story Sheriff
Julius instructed Deputy Brust to
wire the sheriff at Marshalltown and
this was done, after (which MCGOWAN
was confined in cell at the county
Jail. @
When visited there by Review rep
resentative he repeated the tale to the
reporter and added that for sometime
he had acted as the advance agent for
a theatrical troupe. He could give no
definite statement as to how he reached
New Ulm but presumed he came here
from St. Paul. One thing he remem-
bered, he said, was that not particle
of food had passed his lips since last
Thursday. Dilating uponhis "crime,'
the man asserted that he had lived an
upright life for 81 years and that the
shame occasioned by his act was un-
bearable. He had been partially pun
ished however, by losing his trunk,
grip, clothing and diamond ring
worth S240, which he believed was
stolen from his finger. Then, leaving
his troubles for a moment, he improved
the opportunity to lecture the scribe
upon intemperance; pointing to him
self as the horrible example.
McCowan's appearance was not
that of an adventurer. He was over
six feet tall and was very we'll dressed
in a black suit of clothes of expensive
material. His linen was clean, his
shoes neatly BACKED and he carried
an umbrella carefully rolled. His
hair was iron-gray in color and he
had a brown moustache; the only
traces OF his carouse being in his
blood-shot eyes and haggard features.
He possessed less than a dollar in
money but carried a good watch. In
conversation he talked nationally and
it does not seem probable that he was
mentally unbalanced.
All day Monday he was kept in con
finement but in the evening, when no
reply had been received from the low
officials, he was given his freed ON:
leaving the city on the south-bound
Minneapolis & st. Louis passenger.
His case is a strange one. If his
story is a myth it is. hard to assign a
reason for his advancing it, buff the
crime was really committed it was
probably Of 50 trivial a character as
not to warrant the MarshalltoWn Of
fcers going to the expense Of securing
his return.
Later Developments have shown
that there was truth in Nice owan's
story. AT noon yesterday Sheriff
julius received a telegram from Sheriff
tt Shoemaker Of M arshaltown. which
read as follows: Yes, arrest and wire
me # he will come without reanisition
papers. Name, G. w. McC sowan: alias
Mack. Tall, slender;, had SANDY
moustache. = The message from the
Iowa people arrived too late, however.
for the man had already been released
from custody and had left the city.
Their carelessness in not answering 10,
sooner will doubtless cause them
trouble in again locating their man.