The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-10-21
Committed Burglary in Shelby
tuesday Afternoon.
He Was Quickly Caught BY
Ray E. Salisbury.
Bound Over to Await Action of
the Grand Jury.
From Thursdays Daily.

From Thursdays Daily.
Mike Kelly, well known to the police
of Mankato and st. James, was brought
to the city on the Omaha train last eve
ming by Deputy Sheriff B. O. Killmer of
Amboy, and Ray Z. Salisbury, farm
er of Shelby, living four miles northwest
of Amboy. Kelly was under arrest,
charged with breaking into Mr.. Sails
bury's house and stealing therefrom q
quantity of iewelry, and other prop
erty. The accused man had confessed as
soon as arrested and if he does not
change his mind, he will plead guilty
last evening before Judge Plymat in the
larceny in the second degree. Kelly waiv
ed examination and was bound over to
the grand jury, the amount of his bond
then lodged in the county Jail.
Kelly has been known about this part
ten been taken into custody before, but
nobody had any idea that he would COM
NIT such a crime as he must now an
swer for. Last winter, however, he serv
ed a Jail sentence here for stealing an
overcoat at st. James. He has often
been arrested for drunkenness at st.
James He has worked from time to
time on the farms in the vicinity of st.
James and other places. He seems, ac-
cording to his own statement, to have
no relatives in this part of the country
to help him, and will probably
remain in Jail to await his trial. He is
man of about fifty years of age.
Mr.. Salisbury and his wife left their
house securely locked up on Tuesday af
ternoon and went to Amboy, the former
with load of flax to sell and the lat
ter to visit sister living near the vii
lage. There are no other members of
the household and nobody was taking
care of the house during the afternoon.
Mr.. and Mrs. Salisbury returned about
six O'Clock. Nothing wrong was noticed
until Mrs. Salisbury found that she
could not open the cellar door, which was
on the outside of the house. Somebody
had pulled out the staple, securing the
chain and paddock by which the door was
locked, and had driven the staple back
in such way as to make it necessary
to pull the staple out again in order to
open the door. Evidently the cellar had
been entered, but nothing had been stol-
en- from it.
Nothing further of suspicious ma
ture was noticed until the next morning,
when it was discovered that the screen
of one of the doors had been cut near
the hook in such a manner as to en-
able anyone to unlock it. A search of
The house was now made and it was
found that burglar had been there,
aving succeeded, to all appearances, in
unlocking the door by means of a
key, other than the one made for the
watch and chain, belonging to Mrs. Sails
bury, two pairs of gold cuff buttons, two
gold shirt studs, some collar buttons,
two vests and pair of pants, pair of
fur mittens, heavy suit of underwear,
an overshirt and some other household
articles.
Mr.. Salisbury Immediately set out to
find the thief. He issued general
alarm over the Willow Creek Telephone
system, and went over to the home of
his brother law, Frank Hanna Here
he met Fred Wendt, neighbor, who said
that on the day before. a stranger had
called at the Wendt house and talked
with Mrs. Wendt and asked whether he
could get work around that part of
the country and whether he could ford
the Blue Earth. This was about noon on
Tuesday. The same man had afterwards
taken Mr.. Wendt's boat and gone across
the river.
Not long after receiving this inform
alton, Mr.. Salisbury received telephone
message to the effect that a stranger
with bundle under his arm had been
seen walking on the bank of the Blue
Earth. A description of the man was
given. Mr.. Salisbury now obtained from
Mrs. Wendt description of the man
who had called there. The two descrip-
tions were exactly the same with the
exception of the package, which the
stranger did not have with him, when he
called at the Wendt home Tuesday noon
Mr.. Salisbury now telephoned for Depu.
ty Sheriff Killmer at Amboy, and before
long the two We're in buggy in pursuit
of the stranger. The latter was over.
taken without much difficulty. As he
saw the deputy coming across the bridge
in buggy, he made no attempt to get
away. The man proved to be Mike Kelly
He was searched and all the missing ar.