The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-12-16
Two Supposed Safe Blowers Ar
rested at Mountain Lake.
Marshal Goertzen Captured Men
Wanted at Sleepy Eye.
One of the Prisoners Was Seen
in Mankat0 Last Week.
They Had a Quantity of Safe
Blowing Materials.
From Tuesdays Daily.

From Tuesdays Daily.
P. p Goertzen, village marshal of
Mountain Lake, is the hero of the hour.
He succeeded yesterday in capturing two
men who are thought to be the par
ties who robbed clothing store at
Sleepy Eye last Friday night. If they
are not the men wanted there they are
certainly bad men.
Marshal Goertzen, in common with the
officers of the other villages, received
word from Chief of Police Paul G. Jack
OLSON of Sleepy Eye, asking him to be
on the lookout for the men who robbed
the store there, and giving brief de-
scription of them. He went to the banks
and notified them to keep lookout for
the men.
Yesterday two suspicious looking
strangers walked into Mountain Lake
from Butterfield and went to one of the
banks and had some silver changed for
So BILL The bankers at once notified
Mr.. Goertzen and at the same time had
parties shadow the men. The latter
became suspicious and walked out of the
village.
Marshal Goertzen at once got livery
team and two men and started after the
strangers, picking up two more men on
the way. He exercised considerable
strategy, for he realized that if they
were the men wanted at Sleepy Eye they
might put up fight. So he drove past
them to farm house and let his four
companions out, with instructions to con-
ceal themselves and make their appear
ance the moment he stopped the men.
The marshal then, bundled in a big
fur coat, started as though he would
cross the road to another farm house,
just as the two strangers were going by.
He hailed them and asked whether one
of them was the owner of the farm, and
they said "no" and started on. Just
after they had passed him he put his
hands into his overcoat pockets and
drew two revolvers and called on the
men to halt and throw up their hands.
They did so, and at the same time the
marshal's four companions came running
out, one pointing a rifle at the men. One
make break for liberty, but concluded
not to.
The men were searched and the larger
was found to have 32-calibre liver
johnson revolver. This man gave his
name as Alex Upton, and the smaller
said that his name was Charles Shontz.
When the men were gotten back to the
village they were searched again and a
quantity of safe blowing material was
found upon them, including two bottles
of nitro glycerine, some dynamite caps
and fuse, a syringe for inserting the nj
tro- glycerine into hole bored into a
safe, three pocket knives and six books
of postage stamps of % cents each.
There were also two candles, partly
burned, and some tooth soap.
Later on a third and more thorough
search was made of the prisoners, and
in the middle of the smaller mans back,
fastened to his suspender, was "A
calibre Colts revolver. This and the
weapon found on the other man were
both loaded. In the rim of the hat of
one of the men was found some bills, and
under their drawer legs and socks, just
at the top of their shoes both men had
a large number of bills closely bound
around their ankles. In all, $l2S was
found on the men.
The men claimed that they were from
Dakota and were on their way to Iowa,
where they lived. They would not talk
about the safe blowing material found
upon them. The men were fairly well
dressed, but were tough appearing.
Mr.. Goertzen notified Chief Jackobson
of the arrest. and the latter went to
Mountain Lake, and the two officers
brought the men to Mankato on the
early morning train. Chief Jacobson
took them to New Ulm on the seven
o'clock train. The grand jury met there
today, and it is expected that quick
work will be made of the cases of these
men.
Officer Robb identified the smaller of
the two men as one he had seen in this
city last Tuesday, while he was search
ing for the Morristown postoffice rob-
bers. Mr.. Jacobson also said that this
man was in Sleepy Eye the day before