The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-12-07
OFFICERS CATCH
IDAHO RObbER
Man Who Got Away With
Idaho Falls Hotel Mans
Money Captured.

Sheriff G. A. Sebring and Deputies VIII
son and Clark made an important capture
at the union depot yesterday forenoon
when Charles NJ. Peterson was placed I'M
der arrest as he alighted from a Cache
valley train. Peterson is wanted at Idaho
Falls, Ida, where he stole more than $500
from the till at the hotel where he was
employed Peterson had q gun in his hip
pocket and two others i'm a grip that he
carried at the time he was arrested Al
though he did not attempt to put up a
fight. il is believed that had not the Of
fcers surprised him and pin0ned his
arms he would have given them no lit
tie amount of trouble.
In some things Peterson showed conSid-
cradle skill in his attempt 10 get away,
and in others he did bungling work. At
ter making the haul he boarded the first
train going south. Before leaving. how
ever, he telephOned the hotel and told
them he was going away. Evidently
knowing that the train would be searched
on the way. he left the train at each
station and returned when the train had
started again. AT the Utah Hot Springs
station he did not get aboard the train
after leaving. In the meantime the sher-
iff at Blackfoot. Ida. was Informed of
the theft and by telephone he sent de-
scription of the man wanted to the local
authorities. When Peterson did not ar
rive on the train from the north, the Of
ficers thought that they had been baf-
fled, but a telephone inquiry located the
fellow at the Hot Springs. Before the
officers had arranged to go there and get
him, word was received that the fellow
was aboard the Cache valley train bound
for Ogden. While at the springs Peter
son had changed a portion of his cloth
ing. evidently hoping thereby to disguise
himself sc that he would not be recog-
nized
After being taken to the county Jail
Peterson refused TO talk but later he
told all he knew to Il newspaper man who
represented himself as being an old
friend. He said that he had been work
ing as a clerk for Mr.. Porter the pro-
prietor of the Idaho Falls hotel and had
access to all the funds in the house. The
rempter got the best of him Wednesday
night and when the cOlOred porter left the
office for a short time he went TO the
register and took all the money that 1t
contained. He said he did not know how
much money he got. This happened about
u 80 and a half hour later he boarded
train for the south. He said he had no
friends and no money to fight the cases
against him but that he was willing to
20 back and face he music. The most
significant remark he made was: Il will
tell them that / took the money, but l
will never tell them what for.
While telling his story of the theft and
his flight Peterson broke down and wept
like a child. He said that he had never
done anything wrong before and could
not explain why he committed the theft.
He said he had the three guns lust for
fun" Among his effects was found more
than $3.50. mostly currency The revolver
he carried in his pocket was a -44-caliber
Winchester. The other guns were ap-
parently new ones and did not appear to
have ever been used before.
The statement that he would not tell
why he took the money leads to the the
DRY that here is a woman in the case,
which is the cause for Peterson's Sc
crecy on that point. He will be held here
awaiting the arrival of the Blackfoot of
ficers. 1t is expected that he will re-
turn without eXtradition papers.