Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-01-26

MES and quarter IN an envelope
which had been left there by Mr..
Brown to give to a customer who had
| come to the store during the afternoon
and had forgotten to get his change.
The envelope had been torn open and
the quarter removed. DR.: Armstrong s
keys had been placed in the same
envelope which had contained the
quarter with the instructions to return
to DR.. Armstrong. The store was
badly torn up, the bandits evidently
! becoming mad in not getting more
money and had decided to turn things
topsy turvy. Mr.. Brown found that
the thieves had broken three eggs into
the cash register, had mixed cranber-
ries with the sailed peanuts, thrown
| tea in the cranberries and had scat
tered banana Feelings over the floor.
The robbers were evidently hungry, as
they took jelly roll from the show
case and opening the ice box had
taken out four bottles Of milk which
they had partially emptied. Cakes of
sweet chocolates in the confectionery
case were also taken and eaten by the
thieves. A long row Of drawers on the
south side of the wall show case had
been opened by the thieves, they evil
IDENTIFY believing that Mr.. Brown had
hidden his money about the store. A
few matches were found around the
safe in the office, which showed that
the men had tried to work the combt-
nation.
After partaking of what eatables they
| wanted and which they had washed
down with milk and cream, the bandits
then turned their thoughts to amusing
themselves and going into the north
west corner of the store, behind the Ice
! box, hidden from view OF the street,
had played cards, as deck was found
scattered about the rear end OF the
store. The bandits after finishing
their thieving and vandalism left the
store through the rear door. Mr.. Brown
this morning found pair OF old cot
ten mittens in the store which were
turned over to Chief of Police Gala
CHER, who visited the scenes of the
lloldup and robbery this morning and
went over the grounds carefully. While
the pair Of mittens are a very small
clue, it may be the means by which
the bandits are apprehended.
Turns Things Topsy Turvy.
Mr.. Brown this morning, in speak
ing of the robbery to Chief Gallagher,
said:
Everything was ransacked and the
first thing discovered was that three
eggs had been broken in the cash
register. l found cranberries mixed
with the sailed peanuts, and tea
thrown in the cranberries. The draw
ers in which, we keep rice and other
bulk articles were all opened. found
-, hrn1
that the bandits had entered the store
by this route They had replaced the
glass in the door. Nothing about the
desk was touched, but / found several
burned matches around the door of the
safe. I looked into the ice box and
found four bottles of milk which had
been partly drunk and banana Feelings
scattered over the store. found the
deck of cards thrown about the floor
and an old pair of cotton mittens.
Further investigation shove that the
robbers had thrust part Of pie
crust into a jar of Havana cigars"
Saw Party in Store.
More light was thrown on the rob-
berry this morning when Mr.. Brown
stated that he had noticed suspicious
party in the store yesterday afternoon.
IT saw him standing by, the stove"
said Mr.. Brown, land noticed that he
was looking around. The robbery
plainly showed that whoever COM
mitted the theft was acquainted with
the store"
Committed BY Same Parties.
Chief of Police Peter Gallagher is
convinced that the holdup and the two
robberies of last night were COM
mitted by the same parties who held
up Patrolman Nels Nelson, locked
three men in the ice box at the Tom
Santen saloon and relieved them of
their money. robbed George Collins,
street car conductor, and held up the
proprietors and customers of frocery
store in the East End. 5-a
Two Men Held as Suspects.
In the arrest this morning of Frank
Spencer by Officer Gershon Llewelyn'
and Frank Parsons by Constable War
rem Criswell the police believe that
they have two men who may throw
some light on the robberies. Spencer
was discovered near the DR.. J. N.
Armstrong home early this morning by
Walter McElroy, who lives across the
street from the Armstrong residence.
He, watched the man whose actions
we're suspicious and following him to
the city where he notified the police.
Spencer was arrested by the police
although Day Desk Sergeant Michael
Morrissey identified him as the man
he released from Jail this morning.
Spencer would give no reason for be-
ing in the neiehborhood and he is be-