The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-05-21
A. w. Mills, Wanted for Many
FOrgeries, Captured.
Working at Eskridge Under
Name of Ed Brown.
HAS A LONG RECORD.
Supposed to Be Wanted IN ST.
Joe and Guthrie.
Large Rewards Offered for His
Apprehension.

"A W. Mills alias Ed Smith, alias
Ed Brown, whose home is at AZ Eass
Third street, this city, was ldent!i l
and captured this morning at ESKrluse
as a noted crook, forger, and burglar
wanted at St. Joseph, Kansas CITY,
and Guthrie and number OF ot dloo
cities where rewards from sou 10 POW
are offered for his capture. The arIest
was made by Sheriff Erickson OF wa
baunsee county, and Marshal est
Erickson was down to see Eaton Ihurs-
day and their secret session ana huI-
ried departure gave promise Oh an
early doing somewhere. 49,
The success of the quest was tele
r{honed to the chief of police at y
o'clock this morning and he TOOK Inc
Rock Island train for Alma, the couI4
ty seat of WabaUnsee. at $3.50 CLOCK 70
confer with the sheriff and ASSIST AZ
the investigation. The large rewards
add zest to the case
Mills, living in Eskridge under Iile
name of Ed Brown for several Weeks
and shielding his purpose by ASSUMING
the trade of painter, had famliiariIeo
himself with the various posi- plHtles
for loot in the little town and II IS
claimed had planned the robbery OF d
1ewelry store when the sherln ledrheu
of it. Mills went industriously to PANT
ing again, having been tipped lIiat M ~
sheriff suspected him. Every week
mills would take the eastbound tram
and Chief Eaton suspected that the
Ed Brown of Eskridge was no otheI
than A W. Mills who came nome dl
lust those times stated by Erickson.
Descriptions from st. Joseph and kan
sas City and other places all conhrIn-
ed the identity of the man and the
sheriff did not hesitate to seize the DIG
game. AZ.
local police for-Inany charges OF Inert
and forgeryEbut has always been clever
enough in his work here to evade de-
lection. He admitted in short sweat,
ing by the sheriff that he mad pa
in Topeka and the chiefs nam onJece
in going to Alma today is to learn more
of this pal and his probable WneTe-
abouts in the hope of connecting the
two with the Swearingen robbery Wnlch
seemed from the message from Er1ck-
son to be possible.
F'ather-in-Law of Willis
The arrest of Mills recalls the sad
case of his daughter and George Will
Its who was sent back to the peniten-
tiary during the winter. The daugh-
ter is but 18 years of age George
Willis with record unknown to the
girl, though perhaps to the father
wooed and married her. He lived with
her at her fathers house, worked for
awhile and made a respectable hVtng,
then grew careless and refused to- 90
anything more. Then detectives traced
the forgery of a number of checks on
local banks to Willis and took him
one morning from his bed. 1t was the
first the girl wife had known of any
fault in her husband and she wept
and pleaded so hard the officers were
almost tempted to leave him for her
sake. They allowed him to eat her
hurriedly prepared breakfast and then
took him away. The same da-- she
learned that her husband was merely
or parole from the penitentiary at the
time she married him. He was forced
to admit forging the checks and the
parole officer came after him. The girl
wife was even then in a critical condi-
tion and refused to be comforted, beg
ging that she might die.
The officers have been notified to keep
watch on the girl to prevent any Vio-
lent action. Detective Hutton was de-
tailed to work on the case by the
chief before he left. both to protect
the gfrl-and to watch for the supposed
pal who might try TO slip into the
house for things belonging to his cap
tured confederate.
The officers concerned think no cap
tUre of the last several months in these
parts nearly so important or of such
widespread effect as this one, for it is
likely to clear up any number of mys-
ferrous burglaries in as many different
states.