Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-12-11
CONVERT A CRIMINAL
Man Wanted for Forgery Visits Res
cue Mission by Accident-HoIdup
Plans ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS at Cedar
Rapids.

Rapids.
Chicago, Dec. 11.-"Throw out the
life line was the song that greeted
a half drunken man who on Tuesday
night stumbled into the lifeboat Mis-
sion at 461 State street, thinking 1t
was a saloon.
On discovering his mistake he at
tempted to leave, but was detained by
the man at the door, whose duty it is
Ito cheer up the poor sinner who comes
to seek salvation.
Let me co." exclaimed the visitor.
as he tried to open the door. This is
no place for me. l thought it was a
saloon"
On Wednesday night the same man
returned to the mission and was rec
ognized by the door attendant This
time he was sober.
He waited until the meeting was over
and then approached r. FL Mcbride.
superintendent of the Garfield boule-
ward branch of the Y. M. c. A. In the
dimly lighted mission the man fell on
his knees and in a voice choking with
emotion told Mr.. Mcbride that he was
a criminal He said he had passed
two forged checks at Cedar Rapids, Ia,
and that he wanted to pay the pen
atty. 80.
J The convert said his name was Will
lam Crandall. Mr.. Mcbride advised
him to surrender himself to the po-
lice, which he did yesterday afternoon.
a telegram was sent to the Cedar Rap
II on n n received
corroborating the story told by Gram
dali. A policeman is now on the way
to Chicago to take him back to Iowa.
Mr.. Mcbride did not know 1t, but
while he talked with Crandall, the lat
ter had a revolver in his pocket. with
which he intended to commit a holdup
robbery He bought the gun from a
man whom he met in a State street
lodging house Wednesday afternoon.
This man told Crandall how easy 1T
was to get money by holding up a
saloon or drug store, and they planned
to do a LOB" that night.
Crandall was on his way to the place
of appointment where the man was to
meet him when his steps again took
him past the little mission. He paused
at the threshold and the singing caught
his ear. The man inside the door saw
him and beckoned him in.
On invitation of those in charge OF
the mission Mr. Mcbride was leading
the services. He asked if there was
sinner in the house who wanted to be
prayed for. Crandall, who was seated
in the rear, raised his hand. He was
kept until the services were over and
then Mr. Mcbride talked with him.
After leaving the mission Crandall
walked to the alley under the south
side elevated railroad structure, at
Eldridge court, where he threw away
the revolver. He returned to the lodg-
ing house. where he had staid two
nights, and went to his room.
1t was sleepless night for him. Be-
fore daylight he got UP and went to the
spot where he had thrown away the
revolver The impulse to rob had again
taken hold of him. He CROPPED around
on his hands and knees in the dark al
lev, but was unable to find the weap-
on.
From that hour until 3 o'clock in the
afternoon he wandered about the
street. Would he surrender to the po-
lice? was the question he asked him
self a thousand times.
Finally, after a struggle, he fairly
ran into the city hail and asked to be
locked up. He told his remarkable
story to Chief of Detectives O'Brien
who telegraphed the Cedar Rapids po-
lice.
Crandall is % years old. He was en-
pioyed as a plumbers helper by Harry
I'enton at Cedar RAPIDS Last Satur-
day night he forged his employers
name to two checks totaling s27 and
passed them. He says he was drunk
at the time.
He came to Chicago, DESERVING his
wife.
For nine years previous to last Sep
tenper Crandall was employed as an
undertakers assistant 10y William
Dampier at ST. Paul.