Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-04-06
The ELDON BANK
CASE RECALLED
CHARLES A. STEVENS, WHOSE
CONFESSION CLEARED UP
CASE DEAD IN MICHIGAN
WIFE HAD INSURANCE
Stevens Was Thought to Have Died
Years Ago and $500 Was Secured
On Policy When He Was Still
Alive at Time.

Washington, Ia, April 3.-(SpeclaD
Mrs. Charles A. Stevens, widow OF
the former Eldon man who served
time for the robbery of the Bradley
bank in Eldon in 1897, and who has
just died in Traverse City, Mich, de-
cided not to bring the body to Wash
ington for burial and did not attend
the funeral in Traverse City. Mrs. Ste
vens believed that her husband died
some years ago and had collected S70O
insurance from the Iowa Legion OF
Honor as a settlement of a $4,000 pol
icy. There is no doubt, however, that
the man who fell dead on the streets
of Traverse City, and who has been
buried there. was her husband.
Stevens death recalls one of the
most remarkable and sensational Grim
inal cases in Iowa history.
Charles A. Stevens was for many
years an engineer on the Rock Island.
His home was in Eldon and he in time
became one of the leading citizens of
that town. He was foremost in every.
thing that was going on. His family
moved in the best society. In the
course Of time by reason of collision
he lost his position on the road The
city council at once made him city
marshal He made the best city chief
the city ever had. At a big revival
service he was converted He became
as prominent in church work as he
was in the affairs of the city He was
trusted as perhaps no other man in
the city.
On the night of January 81, 1897,
! h. L 11~h@ -
thousands of dollars. The robbery was
most sensational, but every clue fall
ed Not the slightest trace of the rob-
Der could be found. For days, weeks
and months the hunt went on. Then
came the sensation.
Marshal Stevens himself, after be-
ing Swallowed for months by Pinkerton
detectives under Captain Farsee,
threw the bomb. He confessed that he
himself had planned the robbery.
That he had called to his aid Dick Dur
kin, Joe Minard, William Richie and
Dick Dodd, all professional safe
cracksmen of Chicago, except Dodd,
who came from Ottumwa
| Stevens admitted that he had plan.
ned the whole affair, but that the
others had pulled off the job and dou
Bile crossed him by refusing to di
vide the "swag." They all went to the
penitentiary save Richie and Dodd
Stevens, by reason of his confession
got two and onehalf years, the others
longer terms.
While Stevens was in the peniten
tiary his wife moved to the home Of
her parents, highly respected people
of Washington, Ia, where she yet lives
Stevens came back to Eldon He ex
pected to be received by his ole
friends and invited to their homes
again He got the cold shoulder anG
soon moved to Chicago Then came {
report that ne had been drowned il
the river. The body, reported to be
his, was buried there by the family
Another report which received mos
credence in Eldon was that friends O
his pals, angered because of hi!
'peaching," assassinated him.
Eldon authorities also had repor
that he had been tracked from Chi
cago to Omaha, where he bought
miners outfit and left for the noun
tains.
That was the last ever heard from
him and in due time his wife was abb,
to collect on his life insurance. TIL
Bradleys of Centerville, spent thous
ands of dollars in ferreting out tn
bank robbery and in putting Steven
and his pals behind the bars.