Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-01-26
POLICE SEARCH
FOR H0LOUP men
PATROLMEN ARE DETERMINED
TO ARREST BANDITS WHO
HAVE TERRoRIzED CITY.
GALLAGHER TALKS
Head of Department Declares People
Should Not Criticise the Officers
AS They Are Doing Their
Best.

Despite the fact that the police have
worked necessarily during the past
two weeks In trying to nab the ban
dts who have been causing excitement
IN the city, they have no clue. The en-
tire force was on the alert last night to
see that repetition of Monday nights
crime did not occur, but the bandits
seemed to have been inactive Chief OF
Police Peter Gallagher remained at
the station until midnight, hoping that
a clue to the bandits could be secured
but nothing happened. The ponce are
hopeful. however, that the bandits will
be caught, but they are handicapped,
owing to the fact that the holdup men
work in one part OF the city one night,
remain quiet for several nights and
then start their work in another part
of the city.
Chief Gallagher Talks.
We are doing everything possible
to catch the bandits" said Chief Peter
Gallagher in an interview today. yet
I the patrofmen have been criticized by
people of the city because they have
not nabbed the maruaders. Some de-
clare that the police are scared, but
that is deliberate falsehood. The otti-
GERS are more eager than any one else
In the city to catch the highwaymesl. It.
is impossible for night force of seven
policemen to be on every street OF
the city during the night hours. The
people must learn to protect them
selves, know of several citizens who
are leaving their money and valuables
at home when they come up town at
night, fearing the bandits will hold
them up. These people are protecting
| themselves, and others should do
| likewise. Persons going home late at
| night who see suspicious characters
coming in their direction, should re-
treat and not walk into the leveled
revolvers Of the holdup men. We run
down every clue and are hopeful OF
catching the robber.''
Three Men Cause Scare.
A call came to the police station
last night that three suspicious char
acters were seen on North Mclean
street. Mrs. John Ryan who lives on
the street, stated that men tried to
gain entrance to her home about 11:4O
o'clock. She declares that one of them
asked her to open the door, declaring
that he had message for her. She
says that she told him to stick the
message under the door which he re-
fused to do and becoming frightened,
she notified the police. Two men are
also alleged to have tried to enter the !
home of William Grub on the same !
street. Miss Ruby Grub was the only
person in the house at the time and
was badly frightened. The two men |
who were seen prowling around the |
Grub home were accosted by the
police on West Second street, after
they had received the telephone call to
that neighborhood. They turned out |
to be two young men who had been |
looking for people in that neighbor-
hood and were released
People Garry RevoIvers.
Fearing that the bandits will get |
them, many Ottumwa citizens have /
armed themselves with revolvers and |
are carrying them around at night for
means of protection. A local hard
ware dealer stated today that he had
numerous calls for firearms yesterday |
and today.