Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-08-15
Capture of Boy In Sioux City
Ext0rtion Case Was
Thrilling
soY MADE DESPERATE BREAK
Wealthy Farmer Received Threatening
Letter Demanding $500 - Deputies
Lay in Wait in Corn Field Boy
Shot Twice and Horse Shot Down
Principals Arrested Sunday.
special to Times-Reput'lican.

find in n rural mail box $1,000 OF eX-
tortion money, was attended with all
the lurid incidents of the Dead Eye
! Dick narrative.
The boy was put under arrest after
he had made a daring attempt to es-
cape on horseback from a rural mail
box where the money was to have
been deposited. AS he flew down the
country road at breapnecK speed he
was fired upon by four deputy sheriffs
who had been watching him from the
corner of nearby corn field. He was
shot three times IN the right hand and
arm. and his horse received bullet
in the left hip.
Francis was brought to Sioux City
yesterday by Deputy Sheriff w. c.
Kelso, of Sloan, who led the posse of
special deputies. The lad faces
charge OF making malic ious threats to
extort money, the information having
been filed yesterday in the court OF
Justice Wesley T. Stafford.
Saturday evening Francis was re-
leased on bonds signed by A. H. Ten
| his. Plat Hall and Milton Clark, of
Morning Side.
| Sunday morning John Arnold and
Dick Arnold, brothers-ir-law Of Fran
els, to whom, according to the letter,
Francis was TO deliver the money.
were brought to the county jail In
Sioux City in custody Of. Deputy sher-
| If w. c. Sloan. of Kelso. and Deputy
Sheriff E. w. Pecaut. They denied any
knowledge of the whole affair.
A Daring Scheme.
The scheme to fleece Feldner was
systematic and daring. but met with
utter failure, The climax was thrill
| ing enough to grace wild west novel.
| On last Thursday Jacob Feldner re-
ceived in his mail box a letter which
had been written with indelible pencil
| in wretched handwriting. Therein he
was charged with having wronged
"the Arnold boys" AS a penalty he
would have to deposit $1,000 in cold
| cash in the rural mail box of II. Ham
| ner located on bridge about mile
and half from Holly Springs, Han
ner living half mile north OF this
bridge.
| Feldner was informed that the mon
ey was to be taken from the box by a
young man who had been intimidated
| by threats and this young man was
| to deliver the money to the Arnold
brothers. Feldner was threatened with
sure death IL he failed to comply with
| tho Instructions. The writer OF the
letter gave himself the rather blood
curdling title Of Texas Bob alias
"Sure Shot" president OF the I'm
knowns," who according. to the letter
are engaged In the neutrality-suspicious.
mess OF righting other people s
wrongs.
Threats in 4 Letter.
Tho letter which Mr.. I'eldner receiv-
ed is as follows:
J. FeIdner: You have done your las,
II this is not carried out. heard how
you used the Arnold boys. now you
Will have to do something different.
You shall die your family shall die
your house and barn shall be burned.
You thought you was doing something
great and II was but hear what say.
/ am the president OF The unknowns.
I have men watching you. am pass
ing through will drop this In mali
box. I don't know who 1t belongs to.
it is too dark TO tell. o
But this is what want. Leave six
teen hundred $1,000 dollars In mail
box one milo west and one-half mile
north Of Holly Springs on a brtdg, IL.
Hammers box on August IL, "a. That
will be Friday. Put it there at ten
O'Clock sharp rain or shine. 1t will be
taken out by a person under the same
rules as you. Death II he does not do
as say. This person Will get let
ter the same as you. He win take the
! money and give each Of the Arnold
boys s hundred. he will have to do
it or get shot We have got him pick
ed out but he Will give them notice
to keep still and never say anything
as long as they live ard he will do
the same.
We have from twenty to one hum
dred men in every state. We have one
hundred in Iowa Some are watching
you. so don't let anyone hear Of this.
If you do you shall be shot your build
! ings destroyed so let nc, one see this
and don't tell anyone. put the money
| in package go alone between nine
and ten there will be men watching
you all the time. There will be five
men close to you when you put 1t In.
II you take anyone with you you will
be shot and anyone besides the right
one. He Is boy. I expect he will be
1 almost scared to death hut he will al
ways keep still about 1t rhese five men
will be in hiding close 20 the box all
evening Another will follow you bu'
/ YOU will not see him so do not try to
! find us or you shall die or anyone that
tries Well this is all must go on
! One man must die tomorrow night by
/ not doing as I said. Be prompt and
YOU shall live II not you shall die. this
| is our tenth case this year and it is
our business TO help the people who
arc wronged. Texas Boo or the Sure
Shot.
| This interesting mfssive bore the
postmark Of Hornick and the date OF
August 10 at 8 p. m. The writer said
he was stranger.
Feidner Is Alarmed.
| The letter alarmed Feldner. He
| showed II to members OF his own fam
| lily and then revealed the matter to his
brother, Philip Feldner, who lives on
an adjoining farm. jacob F'eldner
came to Sioux City and consulted his
som law, DIR. It. n. Aust, and to,
gether they took the letter to Judge
A. Van Wagenen, who accompanied
them to the office of Sheriff Charles
! w Jackson.
| Sheriff jackson Immediately laid
plans to capture the guilty parties