The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-11-25

y,
but he made the startling admission
that he was at the Rock Island depot
at midnight on the night of the rob-
berry. The sack is supposed to have
been stolen at about 1 o'clock that
night while the mail driver, Otho
Battles, was asleep in a shanty near
by. The sack came in over the Rock
Island train due here at 1 o'clock, and
was thrown on a truck on the depot
platform
Reed Tells His Story
Reed told the following story: "Yes,
I was with Battles Saturday night
when he drove the mail wagon to the
Rock Island depot. We left the depot
at II o'clock TO go over to the Union
Pacific depot after the Wamego mail.
1t was a cold night and left him at
the L. P. depot and went home. 1
was staying with Battles at his moth
er's house on the Central avenue road.
Battles took the mail from the U. P.
rain to the postoffice and then drove
back to the Rock Island depot to
meet the 1 o'clock train. He told me
Sunday that mail sack had been
stolen after it had been thrown from
the Rock Island train, and that was
all I knew about it.
"'I left Topeka Monday afternoon at
8 o'clock over the Rock Island for
Hominy. Okla, where my brother-in-
law, George Morgan, lives. I have been
there, staying with him ever since. 1
came back to Topeka early this morn
"
hours when Hutton arrested me out
at the Battles house
81 did not know was even suspect
ed of taking that sack My brother
in-law runs a dray business at HON.
my and he used to drive wagon here
for the Central Sash and Door Co.
used to drive a mail wagon here for
the postoffice people. 1 was let out
last summer. Since then 1 have driven
a wagon for the Capital newspaper of
fee.
'I can tell you one thing right now,
they were awful careless down at the
Rock Island with their mail sacks when
drove the mail wagon l remember
once of a letter mail sack that was
thrown out of a mail car on the second
track from the depot and it laid out
there between the tracks all night. 1t
rained that night and when 1 came
down the next morning after the mail
/ found the sack in a puddle of water.
They had to dry out that mail at the
postoffice that day by laying it on the
radiator.
II used often have to hunt all over
the depot platform for mail sacks. The
only way any one could tell about
registered mail pouch was when the
railway mail clerk would call out, This
is registered mail sack. be careful
with it, when he threw it out of the
car. They were never careful with any
sacks at the Rock Island and they
didn't used to be at the Santa Fe un-
til they lost a sack about year ago.
TT would have been an easy enough
matter for any one to have stolen a
sack from the Rock Island depot if
they had wanted to-
'I didn't run away from anything. 1
went to visit my brother-in-law. and
I came back here of my own accord"
Familiar With Mails.
Reed is only 19 years old and tells a
straightforward enough story He is
boyish looking, with blue eyes, a freck-
Ia fS fa1 aIx-lrv
movements. He is booked at the police
station as being held for investigation.
Suspicion first pointed to Reed from
the fact that he had driven a mail
wagon here and was familiar with the
method of handling the mail sacks.
Then he had not been at work for some
time and appeared to be in straighten-
ed circumstances until he showed I'D on
the streets Monday after the robbery
in a new suit of clothes. His sudden
disappearance from the city went to
confirm these suspicious. Reed had
money in his pockets when apprehend-
ed by the officers.
There is only circumstantial evidence
against Reed, but he will be held until
the return of Chief Eaton from Nc
Pherson county and until certain mat
ters pertaining to Reeds trip to Okla
homa and his sudden acquisition of
money and new clothes are accounted
for. Aside from the suspicion directed
toward Reed there is not the slightest
clue that would lead toward the clear
ing up of the mail sack mystery.
A sack of mail disappeared from the
Santa Fe depot last summer while Reed