Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-10-08
FRANK sHERcLlFFE, JUST OUT
OF PRISON, ARRESTED FOR
OLD CRIME.
TOM DENNIsON BLAMED
Omaha Gambler Held Responsible for
This Latest Chapter in shereIiffe's
checkercd Life story-Thls Arrest
is for Depot Robbery at Lockridse

Council Bluffs, Oct. 6. = Frank
Shercliffe was arrested at Logan yes
terday evening by Deputy Sheriff
Barnes of Jefferson county on the in
dictment returned in 1900 charging
Shercliffe with the robbery of the
Lockridge depot.
Attorney Thomas of the Omaha
Civic Federation, under whose protec-
ton Shercliffe has been since his re-
lease from the TT Madison prison, at
once began habeas corpus proceedings
to secure Shercliffe's, release.
Thomas Blames Dennison.
Thomas says that he believes the
purpose of Shercliffe's arrest at this
time is to hinder his appearance
against Tom Dennison of Omaha.
Thomas is one Of the attorneys who is
pushing the prosecution against Den
nison. Dennison's appeal to the SUI
preme court of Nebraska Is to be
heard Saturday.
The Jefferson county authorities no.
cliffes release. that they would be at
the prison gate to arrest him when he
walked out on the Lockridge indict-
ment. When the time came they were
not there. claiming to have lost the
papers.
Lockridge is located in the eastern
part of Jefferson county on the Chi
cago. Burlington & Quincy railroad. 1t
was robbed March 20, 1890.
Shercliffe's Criminal History.
Frank Shercliffe started on his life
of crime in Missouri, where his family
lived His mother and his stepfather
resided at GAINESVILLE when he was
caught in the robbery of the Wabash
depot at Plattsburg, Mo-, in October,
1889.
He did time for this crime in Jail,
but, with William Clark and Charles
Pullman, broke out. Clark never was
heard of again.
In the following March the station
agent at Lockridge, in Jefferson coun-
| ty, was held up by two men and robbed
4 of his watch and money in the depot.
! The booty was found in the lumber
yard at Ottumwa Two officers dress.
ed as hoboes loafed around the yard
| without molesting the booty until the
claimants appeared to get it. They
were arrested, and proved to be Sher
cliffe and Pullman.
They then were indicted in Jefferson
county for this crime. The sheriff
feared another escape, and took them
to the Mount Pleasant Jail for safe
keeping.
Made Novel Escape.
One day, Pullman pretended to be
seized with a fainting fit. Shercliffe
called loudly for water for him. The
jailer fastened to procure the fluid
iShercliffe seized the pail as il to throw
the water over Pullman, but, instead
doused the jailer. He vas SO blinded
and confused by the totally unexpected
and ingenious assault that Shercliffe
and Pullman had disappeared before
he recovered from his sputtering con
fusion
Pullman was caught and taken tt
Fairfield. Shercliffe was not agai,
; heard of until his arrest for the Pol
lock robbery at California Junction
: but few days before lPullman's tria
someone broke into the Fairfield jai
. and released Pullman, who was neve
again seen.
When Shercliffe was paroled in 1901
: after the service of about ten year.
for the Pollock robbery, no effort wal
made by the Jefferson county author
tiles to modest him on account OF tn
old Indictment at Fairfield.