Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-11-28
BOSTON WOMAN
HERE ON SEARCH
MRS. REYNOLDS OF THE HUB
SAYS oTTuMWANs HAVE
TREATED HER WRoNGFULLY.
WANTS HElRLooMs BACK
Goods Stored in Care of Late /. .
Johnson and Subsequently Sold
Is Source OF Grief--Wm.
Kohl Bought Them.

| Crlticising the late L. o. Johnson,
and calling Mr.. and Mrs. William Kohl
well known proprietors Of large
secondhand store on East Main
street, the wrongful purchasers and
| sellers OF her property Mrs. Reynolds
of Boston, Mass, a comparative
| stranger is in the city and has been
| for two weeks past, stirring up
veritable tempest in her search for
several alleged he!Nooms which she
claims were left stored in the late
| Mr.. Johnson's care three years ago
and which have since been sold for
storage charges While Mrs. Reynolds
claims that a large quantity OF mer-
'chandise was in the outfit left here,
it is to regain the ownership of
| photograph. small rocker and a
quilt which she claims are heirlooms
of her family, that the effort is being
made.
Mrs. Reynolds resided in this city
over three years ago, living on North
! Market street. Upon leaving Otturil-
wa at that time she packed her goods
and turned them over to the late Mr..
Johnson, who was then conducting
| storage room in the second floor of
the building on the corner of Market
and Second street. now occupied by
the Ottumwa Railway and Light com
pany. P, r. Springer, of the firm of
Springer and company, an intimate
friend of the late Mr. Johnson's and
with whom Mr.. Johnson had an office
shortly before his death, stated today
that no word was heard from Mrs.
Reynolds all during the time of her
absence. No word was heard from her
until she arrived in the city & week or
more ago and Immediately began
search for her property
Gould Not Locate Her.
1 MI, Springer states that at the
time Mr.. Johnson's lease expired,
about two years and five months ago,
he moved his Office in with Springer
and company and also transferred
the goods then left in his care to the
building now occupied by the Spring
ers on East Second street
Wishing to close out the storage
business, Mr.. Springer states that Mr.
Johnson wrote time and time again to
locate Mrs. Reynolds but could get no
been in his possession eight months,
Mr.. Springer asserts, and as nothing
had been paid on the storage account,
Mr.. Johnson sold the lot at public auc-
ton. after they had been legally ad-
; vertised and posted
Among the bidders on the lot was
; William Kohl, who bought the consign-
ment for eighteen dollars, without
opening the boxes or trunks or being
familiar with the contents of the pack
ages. In the lot We're one box, one
) Darrell, two trunks, one settee and as
near as can be remembered, one or
: two chairs. The transaction occurred
over two years ago. Mr.. Kohl moved
/ the goods to his store, opened the
: boxes, trunks and barrel and put the
goods on sale in his place of business.
MI Springer, who was with MI
Kohl when the cases were opened,
states that in addition to some silk
dresses, new parasols, bracelets and
other small articles, that there was
nothing of particular value found.
; Mrs. Kohl stated today that NUM-.
Der of letters and possibly some photo
graphs were found in the trunks and
y were burned The entire lot Of goods
v was sold at various times as second
. hand articles. No account of the pu,
: chasers were kept as the consignment
was given no particular notice by
either Mr. Kohl or his wife.
Registers from Boston.
. Mrs. Reynolds registered at the
Y Washington hotel Saturday, Novembe,
t IA, from Boston, Mass, giving no in
!. itials. Learning of the death of Mr.
t Johnson and that the goods had beer
:, sold to William Kohl, Mrs. Reynold;
! accompanied by another woman, call
ed at the Kohl store last Saturday ant
r looked over the stock, merely saying
n that she wanted to look around the
/ store On Monday she called at Mr.
Springer's Office and after using the
: telephone for some time, opened a con
versation endeavoring to get some
;, trace of the missing goods. Mr.. Spring
;, er asserts that he explained the en-
= tire proceedings which occurred fol
y lowing the expiration of the late Mr.
Johnson's lease. She retaliated by II
leging that Mr.. Johnson had sold he
goods. The same afternoon she callei
: at the Kohl store again and there, MI
Il Kohl asserts, repeated her denuncia
S ton Of the late Mr.. Johnson's actions
y and added that both Mr.. and Mrs. Koh
Il wrongfully bought the goods and solt
them. She offered Mrs. Kohl $25 tt
: recover the quilt, photograph ant
r rocker
:, Found at Kohl Residence.
Mrs. Kohl. who resides at 1913 Norti
Green street, alleges that on Wednes
day afternoon, Mrs. Reynolds called
at her residence opened her door anc
! went through the house, searching
for the missing goods. Mrs. Kohl was
at the store; at the time, but her son
Frank, who resides with his wife ii
the south rooms Of the house, founC
: the woman in the hall between thu
)" two sections of the dwelling Franz
. Kohl asserts that she knocked on tn,
. hall door and asked to so through hi
II section of the house also, but permits
: sion was not given.
When interviewed today by a repres
entative of the Courier, Mrs. Reynold
absolutely refused to make any state
ment at all. She stated that she is TAX