Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-12-17
RALPH PURSEL, OF THIS CITY,
coNFEssEs THEFT OF GOV.
EMINENT MAIL.
AMOS CUMMINGS HELD
AS AN AccoMPLlcE
Both Employed in Mccomhs Barn -
Upon Being Arrested at Instance Of
Postoffics Inspector Boys Are Separ.
ated and Pursel Confessss-1akes
Officer 10 Where Sack 10 Hidden.

Contrasting to the theft OF govern
;nent mail, contained in a pouch stolen
from McCombs Bros mail transfer
wagon early Friday morning, Ralph ID.
Pursel, aged 20, living at West Linn
street, an employe of the livery and
transfer firm, IS IN the county jail fac
ing serious charge that, upon convic-
ton, viii mean a long service i'll the
penitentiary. 3.nlos Cummings, aged
10, OF OsNaioosa, is being neId as an
ternoon, there is no evidence, excepting
cIrcunstAntiai, 10 show that Cummings
was coAnec.eu with me tneI, cum :
mings is also employed al the NC
Conbs barn
Arrests Made This Forenoon.
Upon the kAowIeoSe OF iae mail
poUct! robbery trlGaJ morning Pos
master {. Ii. Sni,h wired Pos,oA1ice
Inspector {. l.. cam, of AIues, ana Nil.
Cam arrived FRIDAY afternoon. b
mere chance the officers, who mad beea
dong some quiet inves sigatins, had
Know ledge that led 10 at least ssupect
Pursel ana Cummings. w orkiag on
inns Theory both young men We're
placed uI.,.er arrest at 10 O'CLOCK this
morning d the -McCombs Darn o! Chief
of fonce Nicholson. Deputy Chief
Clark, ana officer B1eckel
Pursei Breaks Down; Confesses.
Immediately upon tne.i arrest Pursel
and Cumm.as Nele separated. PURSE
being taken by Chief Nicholson ana
Inspector Cain to the pos ,o1tice, ana
Cummings by the other officers TO po-
ice hta quarters.
IN Postmaster smiths private office
Pursel was put taru d gr..!lag ina,
vas a sweat box i'll every sense OF the
word. he broke Gown and confessed
shortly alter the questioning began,
and promised the officers ne would
show the hiding pace OF the registered
sack. which mad been removed from the
outside canvas pouch that was found
Friday afternoon in the barn at the
home OF DIR. Pauline l. Myers Town
send, near the Pursel home.
Takes Officers to Sack.
Pursel made good his word, and with
Chief Nicholson. Ins peetor Cain, and
Charles ]. McCombs. the young man
led the way to vacant lot on South
Ninth street, just north OF the Iowa
Cen raj tracks. Under a piece of old
sheet iron Pursel uncovered the regis
tered sack. 1t mad been opened, and
the contents rifled, but every piece was
accounted for. as per the entry slip al
the postofiice. Pursel told the Off
GERS that he had got SIS out Of the reg
lstered letters and packages.
Implicated Cummings.
In his confession Pursel implica tes
MS friend Cummings. whom he says
vas with him in the deal. and acted as
look out" The sweating process with
cummings has so far brought about no
confession, but statement by the
young man 70 the effect that he had
nothing whatever 10 do with The other
mail sack robberies pulled off here
within the last six months Neither
does Pursel admi, any connec lion with
either OF the Two former robberies.
Edsar's Chance Clue.
one OF the things that gave the po-
ace department scent upon which to
| Work vas a chance clue obtained by
officer Edgar early Friday morning
Both Pursel and Cummings are ern-
pioFed days, and al 2 O'Clock FRIDAY
morning Edgar saw both Of them AZ he
barn. Several others had seen the
'VuHs men together al / O'Clock the
Same morning, in a South Third av
ehte resta urant. The train which bore
lhe mail pouch afterwards stolen
reached the lion station at lis Ed
gar reported his having seen the tw,
noEs al the barn a, an unusually early
Z hour' When it came known the same
morning that the robbery had taken
place.
Young Pursel. who confessed thu
1heft, is son of Samuel PUrsal. q for
mer mail wagon driver in the EMPLOY
Oh McConbs Bros. Young Pursel him
sen drove the mail wagon at one time.
and las. spring, for three or four
months, was employed as baggage
man at the Union station.
Cain viii File Charge.
Postoffice Inspector Cain will dle the
charge against the young men, and
they will be arraigned Monday before
United States Commissioner Near
thur. in the federal court at Des
Moines
Penalty is Severe.
The penalty for stealing mail. which
is the general charge to be specified. IL
extremely heavy. A maximum Of FIVE
years in the penitentiary for each
package Of registered mail stolen can
inv In