Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-01-13
Later Developments Prompt OFF,
GERS to Hunt Richards.
SAID TO HAVE ACTED SUSPICIOUSlY
Several Facts Which Have Been Dis
covered in Past Few Days Lead Au.
thorities to Doubt Former United
States MarshaPs Innocence.


OF successful career as deputy UNI
ted States marshal, w. A. Richards,
famlliarly known as Bill" Richards,
man who has been in Ottumwa sew
eral times and is well known here, is,
judging from all that can be learned
regarding the case, a fugitive from the,
officers OF the law of Marion county.
Developments in connection with the
robbery on January 2, of Mr.. and Mrs
F. Sullivan, at Hamilton, convinced
the officers at Knoxville that they had
sufficient grounds for asking from
Richards an explanation of his conduct
on that night and subsequently, and
warrant was issued Saturday evening
for his arrest. Although he was seen
several times at Knoxville and other
points in Iowa last week, he cannot
be found now and no trace of him can
| be discovered.
Baird's Story Not Credited.
Later events in connection with
the Sullivan robbery point very strong
| ly to Richards as the man who en-
/ gineered the whole scheme, in spite
/ of the story which is told By Frank
! Baird, the injured robber, who is in
/ Jail at Knoxville. Information which
has been gained by the officers lead
/ them to believe that they are on ths
right track and that the mystery
which at first surrounded the robbery
i is clearing up considerably
Baird is still in Jail and when seen
| yesterday by representative of the
Courier his condition was apparently
far from safe. The left side of his
| face is shot into an almost unrecogniz-
able mass of flesh and one of his legs
is badly injured. Physicians say that
foreign substances have entered the
wounds and that Baird will indeed be
fortunate if blood poison does not de-
velop.
Richards Connection.
Many circumstances which are said
to have been connected with the rob-
berry have lead Sheriff Bybee and 9TH
ers to suspect Richards. The story of
his connection with the affair begins
several days before the actual rob
berry took place, and if he is found and
arrested he will have some tall ex-
planning upon his hands. According
to. the information CLEANED by repre-
sentative of the Courier at Abba,
Hamilton, and Knoxville the story ip
ais follows:
| William Richards, whose brother is
said to be conducting liquor busi-
ness in Hamilton, was staying at the
Sullivan home prior to the trouble and
it is claimed that he was on very IA
miliar terms with the affairs of the
i family. He is said to have been with
4 Mrs. Sullivan when she got the money
for the farm she sold, and it is al
lleged that he advised her to deposit
| in hn hon OF 1io fn1 !,
that the one at Bussey was unsafe.
On his advice, it is said, Mrs. Sulli-
van took the money home to Hamil-
ton but was delayed by little events
which INTERVIEWED, and before she.
could get the cash out of her care ths
robbery took place.
| Key Disappeared.
Il The key to the door through which
the robbers entered the house disap-
peared about two or three days be-
fore the crime was committed, at
time when the door was unlocked.
This fact is not significant, however,
except as connected with other cir
cumstances.
\ Boy Out of the Way.
4 On the evening of the robbery, Fri
day, January 2, it is said that Rich
;. ards, who ate supper at the Sullivan
! home as usual, asked two or three
times what time the family would re-
/ tire that night and that about 8
/ o'clock, when Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan.
the formers sister, and Mrs. Sulli-
vans son were sitting in the house,
Richards, who was with them, sud-
denly announced that he was going
down town, and asked the boy if he
would like to accompany him. To
this the lad aoquiesced, and the two
started for the business portion of
, the little town.
Wore Cap.
Richards and the boy went into a
restaurant and ordered oysters, but
they were told that there We're no
! good ones at the establishment, and
while they We're considering what they
should eat Richards told his compan-
ion that he was going out for few
minutes and the boy, at his request,
lpromised to remain at the restaurant
/ until his (RichardsD return, so it is
said.
According to all that can be learned,
4 Richards went almost straight back
7 to the Sullivan home after he left the
: restaurant, though, judging from the
: story told by the Sullivans he saw his
=