The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-01-23

Williams was caught in Lawrence
Monday evening by Deputy Sheriff
Woodward. who arrested and detained
the negro ON account of suspicious ctr
cumstances When Williams tunneled
into the bank vault he could find no
money. but he stole SS.91 worth Of
stamps-1 .. 4. s. 9 and 10 cent sizes
and when he reached Lawrence he
sold the stamps for 81 to hack
driver. who at once went to the Off
GERS and suggested that the negro
might be a postof1ce robber. Deputy
Sheriff Woodward captured the negro,
and then telephoned Chief Goodwin.
who answered that he wanted Will
liams and would be after him on the
first train.
Chief Goodwin and Detective Pavey
went to Lawrence last night and got
back with their prisoner about 2
clock this morning. They s'sweated'
him until O'Clock this morning be-
fore he made full confession.
They had good evidence without the
confession, however. While mining
the concrete in the basement of the
bank the negro had taken off his
shoes to shake the lime out of them.
and the loss was not noticed In
making an examination of the base
ment after the attempted robbery was
discovered Chief Goodwin found this
tnsole. and had il in his pocket The
negro was made to remove his shoes.
and but one insoIe was found The
piece of leather held by Chief Good
win fitted exactly into the other shoe
After long session with Chief
Goodwin, Sheriff Lucas and Detective
% Hn ne rrfr
full confession. He said that he maffe
the attempt, and made it alone He
also gave a detailed account of his
movements. He commenced Opera-
tons on the bank vault Wedn esdav
afternoon and did not work on it that
night but resumed work the next day
and did not stop except to sleep until
Friday night, when he had mined
through all the masonry and was
ready to break the cement floor
He slept in the basement of the
bank. where he was not mOlested. He
waited until Saturday evening. after
the bank officials had left and then
taking a hatchet, broke through the
vault floor and began to work on the
safe. He kept this up until 1890
o'clock Saturday night, when he gave
it up for a bad job. and went down
the street to hide the pOcketbook con
tanning the stolen stamps. This was
hidden in the alley back of Peterson 5
ing of the stamps, he washed up and
removed some of the dust from his
clothing At 1870 he went to the po-
lice station and asked to be allowed to
sleep in the jail. as he had no place to
go. Jailer Kenney let him in, and he
was released Sunday morning The
officers at roll call We're told to take a
look at the negro, as he had promised
to fly the town. He then went after
the hidden poeketboOk and stamps
and called at the house of his brother
who lives near the Santa Fe tracks al
First street There he caught the rear
end of No. g. and went to Lawrence
He slept in the Lawrence depot Sun
day night, and crossed the street to the
Santa Fe restaurant Monday morning
It was at this restaurant that he sold
the stamps to the hack driver
He told the officers that his grand
mother, Mrs Mary Cook, lived at / 1226
Lincoln street.
The officers did not attempt to gel
any information Of the negro until they
got back to Topeka at o'clock this
morning when Sheriff Lucas was
waiting for them. Then they began on