The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-02-17
WIFE OF MILLIONAIRE WRESTs
LIGHTED EXPLOSIVE FROM
DESPERATE MAN.
CUlPR|T NOW IN PRISON
Gun Walks Into Kansas City Mer-
chants House and Demands $1,000.
Intended Victim Sizes Intruder and
Wife and Son Disarm Him.

Kansas City, Feb. 16.--LaWrence M.
Jones, millionaire drygoods merch-
ant, president of the Jones Drygoods
company, his wife and his son, Ches-
ter, narrowly escaped death today at
the hands Of a desperate man who
entered Mr.. Jones home and with
dynamite bomb in one hand and
revolver in the other, demanded $1,000
from Mr. Jones. After clever man
euvering Mr.. Jones managed to gain
the mans consent to accompany him
and his son to bank for the funds.
While the trio were about to enter
the Jones motor car to be whirled
down town, Mr.. Jones threw himself
upon the man from behind and seized
him around the chest in such a fash
ion as to pinion his arms. Both fell
and rolled down the stone steps at
the edge of the Jones' porch. Ches-
ter. the son, was upon the intruder
before he could recover. The young
man seized the mans pistol In one
hand just as the trigger was pulled.
The weapon failed to explode. Mrs.
Jones then ran in close and seized
the bag containing the bomb which
she carried to the house. An examina-
tion of 1t showed that the match had
ignited but failed to explode the pow
der, the bag doubtless having smoth-
cred the flames.
Gives a Name.
At the police station the intruder
gave the name Of c. II. Garnet. He
acknowledged, however, that this was
not his real name. Garnett is about
five feet, six inches tall, weighs about
$50 pounds and is 40 years of age. He
has the appearance Of being for
eigner, but speaks English quite we'll.
He has q tanned skin and dark hair
recently cut. His eyes are a watery
brown and are crossed. His ears are
set close to his head and with his
black SLOUGH hat pulled far over his
face, one instinctively thinks Of bor-
der ruffians Garnett says he is 40
and in hard luck. His home is in
Omaha
I'm not ashamed of my inten-
tions," said he. II didn't slug a poor
man over the head in a dark alley.
I made up my mind to go out to some
mansion in broad daylight and make
my demands"
A maid at the Jones home corrob-
crates Garnett's statement that he
called there on last Saturday. Gar
nett told an interviewer that he
planned to make the late j. K. Bur-
ham, also a wealthy drygoods man,
his victim. At the Burnham home he
learned that Mr.. Burnham had been
dead two years.
Saw a Sign.
"On my way downtown from Burn
ham's," he said, "I saw the Jones
brothers sign and decided to go after
Mr.. Jones. I looked his address UP
in the telephone directory and you
know the rest"
Following Garnett's statement. the
police late this afternoon found the
house where Garnett proposed to i'm
prison Mr.. Jones after getting the
money. 1t Is a small frame affair at
313 Linden avenue in Independence,
Mo-, a suburb. A closet on the sec
ond floor of the house was rigged
up for the prison. A large screw
ring was set into the wall about four
feet from the floor. A chain with
links Of one-quarter OF an inch thick
ness was attached, so that about
three feet of the chain fell on the
side. At each end of the chain was
a new lock. These were for n"
Jones' arms. On the floor just inside
the doorsill was the second chain,
each end Of which bore lock. Then
Garnett had made a bench that just
fitted into the closet 1t was suf-
ficiently high so that when the vic
tim sat down he could have been Sc
curely chained in place. The house
is ir secluded spot. Garnett said he
proposed to chain Mr.. Jones up, noti-
fly Mrs. Jones Of her husbands where
abouts by mail and make his escape.
Lawrence M. Jones is we'll known
throughout the entire country because
Of his interest in national water
ways. He was a delegate to the
recent National Waterways conven-
ton in Washington. He has been
conspicuous in republican party cir
cles in Missouri In 1908 Mr.. Jones
was a delegate at large from Missouri
to the national republican convention.
He Is pioneer merchant whose for
tune has grown in equal proportions
with Kansas City.