The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-08-04

is several blocks from the business
section, he did not learn of the rob-
berry until he arrived up town. Par
ties with him at the depot knew
nothing of ii. The robbers selected
a good time to do their work, either
by chance or because they had learn
ed of the marshals practice of meet.
ing the trains.
How Did They Escape?
II is not known IN what manner
the cracksmen made their escape.
No automobile was seen on the
streets, nor was anyone seen board
ing the lilo a. m. train. 1t might
be that the parties who did the
work had conveyance in the out
skirts TO take them away, or they
might have boarded some freight
train.
The postoffice is located in a
building by itself on the west side
of Main street. Postmaster Chris
Jensen is also manager of the Farm
ers' store.
Lake Crystal has been the scene
of several aggravated cases of law
lessness in the past ten days. First
there was a shooting that turned
out TO be a murder, then there was
a case of highway robbery in which
three workmen were held up and
robbed after two of their number
had been severely beaten up by
five holdups, and now comes the post
office robbery.
Sheriff Not Notified.
The sheriff's office in this city
was not notified of the robbery,
through some oversight, no doubt,
and learned of it this morning from
local newspaper men. Marshal Neu-
mann no doubt took steps at once
10 notify surrounding towns to be
on the lookout for hoboes and sus-
piciouS characters, as that would be
about the only chance to get the
men, as they were not seen and no
description of them is known. 1t
is not even certain that more than
one did the job, but this class of
crime is generally done by two or
more, as it is necessary to have
someone on watch while the prep
aratiOns for the actual safe blowing
are going on.
inspectors Visit Lake Crystal.
Postoffice Inspector II. O.. Smith
was notified at st. Paul of the rob-
berry, and passed through Mankato
on the 1920 a. m. Omaha train
On his way TO the village to investi-
gate the matter.
Sheriff Osten, who returned from
Redwing at 1890 a. m, took the
noon train to Lake Crystal, to see
if he could pick up any clues.
John r. Boylan, postOifce inspect
or, went TO Lake Crystal, this morn
ing, TO make an investigation of the
robbery.
Suspicious Looking Fellows.
Sheriff Osten was advised by the
Lake Crystal authorities just before
he took the train for that place
that they had descriptions of a cou-
pie of suspicious looking characters
who were seen in the village last
evening. The sheriff did not get the
description over the phone.
A couple of tough looking charac-
tiers got off the Omaha train ar
irving from st. Paul at noon today.
They hung around the depot few
minutes and then sauntered over TO
Front street. The police are keep
ing an eye on the couple. ~
Robberies at Sherburn.
Sunday morning the saloon of
John Mauis and the harness shop of
George Weinknecht at Sherburn
were robbed. The safe in the lat
ter place had been tempered with
and money to the amount of SIS
belonging to the Woodmen lodge,
also notes valued at 5000, were TAX
en-. At the saloon a bottle of beer
was drank and a bottle of whisky
stolen.
One night early in the week the
postoffice at Simpson, small town
near Rochester, was burglariZed, and
no clue has been obtained to the
guilty parties.
The Milwaukee depot at Alpha,
Jackson county, was burglariZed be-
tween three and four o'clock yester-
day morning, says The Fairmont
Sentinel. The agent there is
young lady named Miss Francis
Smith. She and a young brother
occupied a room in one part of the
depot. They were awakened by the
noise of some one breaking into the
building by prying open a window in
the office, and quietly slipping out
of window to their room, ran up
town and gave the alarm.
The burglars evidently heard them
20 and had decamped before any of
the men uptown could be aroused
and go to the depot. The burglars
secured about thirty dollars from
the till and the agents gold watch.
In their haste they had overlooked
seventy dollars in the girls hand
bag which lay in the desk in her
room.
Messages Sent in All Directions.
Phone messages of the robbery
were sent out in all directions.
Agent Fogerty of Sherburn, who
as his name indicates, is not averse
to getting into a scrap if necessary
armed himself and with Marshal
Tenhoff went out west on the Mil
waukee tracks, believing that the
robbers would follow the railway
track to the next town and there
board the first train out. Their