Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-01-19

:. ArtlcS, legSlnS, ruDDerS, German
sox and overs, felt boots, rubber boots
all styles and all at as low price a!
Lis possible for good honest wearing
goods. ~
Shoe II. 4 F. Store
c. A. HAGBERe.
124 East Main.
Frank Lunkley and the latter's young
son Tom, who with a small boy named
Lawrence Brown, who had come to the
store to purchase some tobacco, were
the only persons in the place at the
time Of the melo-dramatic entrance
through the rear door of the bold rob-
| Der. Lunkley, in relating the instance,
! said:
II was standing on soap box piling
}up canned goods and packages of
J groceries on the shelf about o'clock
, when suddenly my attention was called
| to the fact that gun was focused on
me, and at the same time the none
too gentle command to get down here
and get into that back room by the
man with the gun. I answered, I'm
coming down, and lost no time in obey
ing the orders of the robber who had
in the meantime grabbed Tommy and
thrown him back toward the back
room. He then did the same to
Lawrence Brown, and when we three
were back near the rear door, Eugene
Sullivan. a cooper at the packing
house, entered the front door. No
sooner had he gotten in than he, too,
faced the muzzle of the gun and was
commanded to join us three at the
rear of the store.
Sullivan tricked the robber, how
ever, for when he was commanded
to throw up his hands and retire with
us he grasped what change he had in
his pockets and held his hands aloft
with apparent willingness to obey the
command. He held his money in his
hand and got away with it.
Kuhns Is Victim.
when about to begin his work of
going through us the robber was made
to cope with another situation that
added to his victims and gave him his
largest haul, for by the time Sullivan
had been added to the three of us
with hands aloft In the rear of the
room Allen Kuhns, the former owner Of
the store, with his wife, entered the
rear door Of the place only to be con-
fronted with the gun and the command.
to throw up their hands and join us.
Gets Money and Watch.
'"The robber then went through us,
getting $1S and gold watch from
Kuhns, some small change from me,
which with what he got from the
drawer amounted to about 1885. Moth
ing was gotten from Sullivan and the
boys except plug of tobacco which
young Brown had come In to buy, but
In his excitement left it on the counter.
He then opened the back door, and
with menacing look that BODIED III to
all of us, he threatened the first per-
son who opened the rear door with
having his head blown off"
TalIies With the Terror.
The description of the robber as
given by those who were in the store
this morning relating their experience,
tailed with that of the perpetrator of
the other holdups that have been ter
rorizing Ottumwans for the past week.
They stated that he seemed to be Of
medium height and weighed about 145
to $50 pounds; clothes dark and hat
pulled low over his eyes, and piece
of what seemed to be blue face yelling
drawn up over the lower half of his
face to a point Immediately below the
eyes.
Knew Of the Sale.
A man was seen scurrying through
the fast falling snow on the Iowa
avenue crossing by track tender who
was sweeping the snow from the
switches, but unaware Of the robbery
at the time he give little thought to
the fellow beyond noting that he
crossed the tracks and was soon lost
in the thick haze of falling snow. Mr..
Courtney is satisfied that the perpe-
traitor was aware Of the change in the
ownership Of the store and took the
chance of finding one Of the owners
alone in the store at the hour, he
called. During the afternoon while
Kuhns and Courtney We're going over
the details of the sale the stranger
who had been loafing about the store
made himself quite at home and seem
ed sufficiently interested in the affairs
of the two young men to take glance
over their shoulders while they did
their figuring. He was present when
Courtney stated that both had better
90 to the bank and draw out the
money which was to cover the sale.
Although Kuhns demurred at this sug.
gestion, Courtney did leave the store
for the purpose of drawing out the
money and this. it is thought, was the
motive of the robbery. The police are
working hard on the case and feel that
the prospect of landing their man Is
bright, as more than one clue has al
ready shown UP and all are being
worked with care to finally capture
the robber and put stop to the
holdups.
NS,.r uolar Rriouc re p,,vtor u,bo