The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-06-18
AUTO into A DITCH
CAR OWNED BY FRANK E. BROW
DER is BADLY DAMAGED.
Run Of BY Young Man Who Had In
vitsd a Couple of Friends to Ride
With Him; Abandoned Machine a
Short Distance From St. Peter;
One of the Boys Gives UP Story
to Police; Others Follow.

Frank T.. Browder's new $1,000 ks
sci Kar touring car was taken from the
barn of Charles NJ. Masters, where he
has been keeping it, last evening, and
run nearly to st. Peter and there
ditched. damaged and abandoned. Inc
car was taken without authority ana
without the knowledge of Mr.. Browder
during the absence from the city, by
Earl Clark, eighteen years old, who
lives with his parents on Broad street,
and who for month or more has been
taking care of three cars at the HUB
bard mill Mr. Browder is assistant
manager of the milling company, and
his car was among those cared for
bv young Clark, who sometimes ran
it back and forth from the barn. 1t
was Clark's duty to care for the cars
at the mill, clean them, and do other
things necessary.
Persuaded Friends to Ride.
1t appears that early last evening
Clark proposed TO two friends, John
Peterson, who has a position in w. r.
Crandall's iewelry store, and Chester
Dahlman who assists Secretary Force
in the Elk's club rooms, that they
take ride in Mr. Browder's car, as
that gentleman was out of the city,
having gone to Faribault with the
Elks. His companions assented, and
they went to Mr. Masters barn at
1870 O'Clock, and Clark took the car
out He claims that Peterson opened
the door and helped him crank the
machine as it cranked hard, but Pc
terson denies this. They both entered
the car there, and picked Dahlman up
on the sidewalk.
Clark and Peterson occupied the
front seat, and Clark managed the car,
and started for st. Peter, going at
a moderate pace. All went well until
they were crossing the slough just
before coming to the bridge at ST.
Peter at about $50 o'clock, and then
Clark's hat fell off, and i'm turning
around to get it he swerved the course
of the car and it went over an eight
foot embankment and tipped over on
its side. The glass wind shield was
smashed to pieces Clark was partly
under the machine, but pulled himself
out, and the trio escaped unhurt, as
by a miracle, but We're badly fright
ened. Dahlman says that Clark started
to run away, but that he called to him
to return and shut off the engine,
which was working rapidly. Clark did
this and the three then walked to ST.
IL p. m. train, and came home on
that. They agreed among themselves
to deny that they were in the car
or knew anything about it, and they
took no steps to have the car rescued
Parties in st. Peter saw it lying in
ing to whom it belonged.
Three Were Suspected.
The three young men We're suspected
as soon as Mr.. Browder, who returned
on the 9:05 p. m. Great Western train,
had discovered his loss and reported
it to the police. Clark was taken to
the police station, but denied all knowl-
edge of the affair, and was released
Then Peterson was taken there, and
at first denied knowing anything about
it, and claimed, like Clark that they
had gone to st. Peter on the p m
train. When pressed, Peterson finally
confessed and told the whole story.
Clark and Dahlman We're then taken
into custody, and the three were held
until Mr.. Browder could make formal
complaint against them.
All three young men deny any in
tention of stealing the car, and say
that they simply went for ride, in
tending to return the car Clark
thought to return it without Mr..
Browder's knowledge that it had been
out. The maximum penalty for taking
a car under these conditions is three
months in the county Jail, but UNI
doubtedly the young men will be re-
quired TO refund the damage done to
the car.
What Peterson and Dahlman Thought.
Peterson and Dahlman claim that
they thought that Clark had a right
AZ tdhC the tdi. DuI tulS uOtS HOU
coincide with their subsequent actions.
Clark was quite repentent when locked
up, and expressed regret at what he
had done, but said that while he had
suggested the ride, the other two
knew that he had no right to take the
car and that they urged him on to
take his employers property without
his knowledge or consent.
The machine is the first of its make
to appear in Mankato, and is pow
erful, four-cylinder car, 1909 model,
and very speedy.
How Owner Found Car.
Mr.. Browder learned of the theft
at ten o'clock last night, when he was
notified by Schwender Bros, of the
finding of car answering the descrip-
ton of his forty horse power Kissel
Kar. Mr.. Engesser, the st. Peter
brewer, suspecting that the car was
owned in Mankato, had telephoned to
this city, Mr.. Browder went to the
barn and found his car gone
This morning Mr.. Browder went to
ST. Peter and found his car lying
on its side, on two wheels, with the
con<inuad ~ n.c> r..,o