Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-03-30
Fred Hoffman, Wanted For
Cedar Rapids Burglary
Makes His Escape
GAINED OFFICERS CONFIDENCE
A Smooth Printer, Badly Wanted for
Robbins Catholic Church of Altar
Jewels Valued at saoo-Arrested Here
and Escapes Half an Hour Before
Officer Arrives for Him.

Realizing that the penitentiary star
ed him in the face should he be taken
| to Cedar Rapids, Fred Hoffman. alias
Fuller, alias Waters. wanted at Cedar
Rapids for desecratng and robbing
| the alter of the Church of the Imma-
culate Conception, and arrested here
Saturday morning by Deputy Sheriff
Hutson, made good his escape just one
half hour before Captain Mcclure, of
the Cedar Rapids police force, arrived
to take him back to the scene of his
crime.
Hoffman is smooth, and no mis-
take and he SO gained the confidence
of Special Officer Tom Reed that the
working gang to the Jail yard, put in
an afternoons work, and then to visit
the MarshalltpWn Herald office to get
little money that was due him for
labor. He entered the Herald building
thru the alley entrance, just opposite
the Jail door, but didn't wait for his
money. Instead he hurried east thru
the building and emerged from the boil
err house door. several feet further down
the alley. Reed saw him running, but
could not leave his other prisoners.
The alarm was quickly given and both
Sheriff Shoemaker and Deputy Hutson
entered in the search. Hoffman could
not be found, however, and Sheriff
ta irp
when Captain Mcclure arrived at 4:45,
to inform him that he had no prisoner
to deliver to him.
Hoffman was known here as Waters.
He has been here several times, en-
ployed in different printing offices, and
is a god printer. He went to work at
the Herald Office last Tuesday and
quit Saturday forenoon between 9 and
10 o'clock, saying he wanted to go to
the postoffice. Deputy Sheriff Hutson
had notified EDITOR Ayers that he
thought he would want him, and to
keep him posted as to his movements.
When the man left for the postoffice
Mr.. Ayers called up the sheriff's office
and notified DEPUTY Hutson. The lat
ter Immediately arrested him and Mar
shall kozlovsky. of Cedar Rapids, was
informed.
Sheriff Shoemaker did not know that
Hoffman was out of the Jail. with the
prisoners who are doing city time in
work sentences. Special Officer Reed
who has charge OF the city work prison
ers found Hoffman when he went to
make up his afternoons shift, In with
the other prisoners. He had no card for
him, but Hoffman said he would much
prefer to work than to lie around the
Jail. He worked with the others all
afternoon, and when they were to be
locked up at AIS, made his escape.
Hoffmans crime is a strange one,
and differs greatly from the ordinary.
He robbed church and desecrated
the alter. On the night OF March 10
he entered the Church of the Immacu-
late Conception. stripping the altar OF
its valuables, including a number of
jewels, valued at about $780, The
Cedar Rapids police have been work.
ing hard to locate him, and Captain
Mcguire had made four trips to other
cities before coming here, to examine
suspects under arrest, always to find
that the wrong man was in custody.
Hoffman is man five feet eight or
nine inches tall, and will weigh be-
tween IT'S and 1856 pounds He has
black curly hair and a dark brown
moustache. and is ~ years of age. He
will be found, In all probability, hang
ing around printing offices. He is said
to be a hard drinker and frequenter
of saloons.
Captain Mcclure was very much dis
appointed at being so near to his COW
eted prisoner and then losing him. The
officers at the Rapids were jubilant
over the arrest, and Rev. Father Gum,
rector of the church, could hardly con-
tain himself for joy. He had begun to
fear that the perpetrator of the crime
in his church was to go UNPUBLISHED,
and it may now prove that he is correct.
Every possible effort will be made by
the local officers, both the sheriff and
his deputies and the. police, to effect
Hoffman's capture.
QUARREL LEADS TO AN ARREST.