Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-10-01
MISSOURI BANDIT STEALS TWO
4 HORSES AND ESCAPES FROM
= OFFICERS. u.j1s,,
SURROUNDED IN WOODS
Two sheriffs and Their Deputies, with
4 a Body Of Armed Men Numbering
Nearly 200, Hope to Effect His Cap
ture Tonight.

Bloomfield, Sept. 29.-(Specia) -
Accused of stealing two horses and
suspected of robbing bank in Mis-
souri,, an unknown bandit is being
hunted by 200 armed men and at last
reports this afternoon the man hunt
ers have high hopes of effecting the
capture of one who has shown him
self to be one of the most dangerous
characters ever seen in Davis county.
Two sheriffs one from Missouri and the
other from Iowa. are at the head of the
posse which has been chasing the Mis-
souri outlaw through Davis county
:since yesterday afternoon and although
awo battles have occurred and several
sshots have been exchanged no one has
been injured and the outlaw is still at
large.
Came from Missouri.
Yesterday afternoon, as stated in the
Courier of that date Sheriff Shepherd
of Davis county received telephone
message to the effect that dangerous
horse thief was coming into Davis
county, riding horse which had been
stolen at Memphis, Mo. Sheriff Shep-
herd and his deputy, Ed Cox, started
ont at once to meet him. In the mean
time the sheriff of Scotland county,
Mo- with his deputy, had chased the
finally overlook him. about $3.50
O'Clock in the afternoon. near the
Methodist church at Stiles, a few miles
southeast of Bloomfield.
Battle at Stiles.
The Missouri officers attempted to
halt their quarry at Stiles but the man
fired upon them and several shots
were exchanged none of which took eff
feet. During the melee the bandits
horse threw him to the ground and he
took to his heels making his escape in
dense piece of timber land
Hoped to Effect Capture.
Soon after the fight at Stiles the Da
Wis county sheriff and his deputy met
the Missouri officers and the four men
gathering together posse of twenty
or thirty men, surrounded the woods
where the desperate was hidden
Meanwhile, darkness fell and some
time during the night. although the
best possible watch was maintained
the man escaped his pursuers.
Steals Another Horse.
At daylight the chase was again TAX
en- up and it was learned that the
horse thief had made his way toward
Pulaski. The posse, which had grown
in number, started out for that place
arriving there in time to learn tha
the bandit had stolen a horse and bug
gy belonging to DR.. w. H. Shelton O
Pulaski.
A Second Fight.
"A few miles from Pulaski the pur
suers again sighted the horse thiei
and second running fight took place
but the distance between the two
parties was so great that none of the
shots took effect. However, the pur
sued man again abandoned the hors
and buggy and ran into the timber.
Sends For More Men.
At 2:30 o'clock this afternoon Sher
If Shepherd telephoned to Bloomfield
for more men and a large party wa.
soon organized and armed and started
out to take part in the man hunt Tht
desperate is located in dense wood:
on Chequest creek, nine and one-hal
miles northeast of Bloomfield, and tn,
officers hope to effect his captur,
sometime tonight or early tomorrow
morning. The woodland where he i
in hiding will be surrounded and al
the posse will, when the re-enforce
ments from Bloomfield arrive, contain
about 200 men, it is thought that tn
thief will be apprehended and CAP
tured