The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-07-05
SEARCH BY THE POLICE
REVEALED /: lost GOODS
LIE
From Tuesdays Daily.


The north end of the city never
| had as MUCH excitement as was ex-
perenced yesterday afternoon when
Chief of Police Donahue, Sheriff
Osten and Deputy Sheriff Ario, went
| through the house of Mr.. and Mrs.
Scott Smith on West Rock street,
after having secured a search war
rant. The officers arrived at the
place about half past four yesterday
and entered the house with the war
rant. Complaints made during the
| day had resulted in the suspicious
! of the police regarding Mr. and
Mrs. Smith, and when several wom-
en- had warrants sworn out for the
arrest of the couple, the search
which followed uncovered a find of
a number of articles which it is
| believed had been stolen.
AS was stated in The Free Press
lof yesterday, Mrs. Peter Stemper
complained to the police that Mrs.
Smith wore a dress that she had
stolen from Mrs. Stemper, and sus-
! pected her of stealing the clothes
from a priest at the ST. Peter
and Paul's church. An inves-
tigation was made, and surprise aft
| er surprise was experienced yester-
day when trunks were opened and
drawers pulled out. Perhaps hun
dreds of dollars worth of the finest
! dry goods and the finest laces. were
found in single trunk. There was
no doubt on the part of those who
We're in the house, and there were
many, that the goods had been
stolen, although Mrs. Smith stoutly
denied this accusation, saying that
| the search, Mr.. and Mrs. Smith
and family were brought to the
county Jail, where they spent the
night.
Women Were Excited.
The officers began at one end of
the house, followed by troop of
women, excited and gesticulating,
and finished at the barn outside
When chief Donahue entered the
house, he found Mrs. Smith lying
on couch in a very indolent man
ner. He looked in the stove, around
the corners and then went into the
bedroom, where the main search
was begun. Here began scene,
similar to a bargain counter sale in
a large department store.
Women hocked at his heels to
claim their goods, which they said
had mysteriously disappeared. Eli
klugherz met two reporters on the
way to the scene, and when he
learned that Smith had worked for
the gas company, he Immediately
recollected that a fine new ball
bearing wringer had been stolen
from his barn, while the gas COM
pany's crew had been allowed to
use the barn while working in his
neighborhood. The reporters went
out in a machine, and Mr. Klugherz
followed the officers.
In the bedroom, the dresser
was searched, and then began a
series of gesticulations, murmurs of
things into a topsy turvy condi-
ton. .., .. - ......
There's My Dress.
There's my Dress" shouted one
woman, as the officers uncovered a
piece of bingham. "And there is
that new sheet of mine," happily
shouted another, while a third wall
ed, "They dig up everything, but
my yellow bingham hasn't showed
up yet"
Troops of children were around
the place as the search went on.
While the officers and women We're
going through the trunks, Mrs
Smith began to grumble at the way
things were handled, saying that
she had earned everything she had
by the sweat of her brow, while
shouts of "shoplifters'' were heard
in the rooms, as the women con-
ferred among themselves. Outside,
the street was damned with chill
dren.
At one time a woman present
aespied the dress Mrs Smith wore,
and demanded that Mrs. Smith take
it off at once, while Mrs. Smith
retorted that it was her own, and
that neither would the lady nor
anyone else make her give it up.
The woman who claimed the dress
started to pull at the garment, and
then both dropped. down, and were
about to settle matters with one
act performance in fisticuffs, when
an officer stepped between. A few
moments later another woman
SiohhSu oh oPioh, " WHICH MI
Smith chung, saying her grandmoth-
er gave it to her.
AS Chief Donahue pulled out sew
eral pairs of socks, Mrs. Stemper,
who had lost so many articles, eX-
claimed in surprise that she again
beheld the same socks she had
washed for one of the priests at
the st. Peter and Pauls church
Each priest has a number, which
is sewed on each article of wear,
and Mrs. Stemper Immediately rec
'ogniZed the number.
Found Fine Dry Goods.
Rugs were torn up and bed
sheets claimed, and after the search |
in the bed room, the party went on
to the dining room. Chief of Po-
lice Donahue opened huge chest,
and then to his surprise and all
those who were in the room, laid
out some of the finest of dry goods.
From there the search led into |
the cellar, but nothing was. discov-
cred here, and the party then went
to the summer kitchen. Here the
clothes wringer that had so mys-
teriousy disappeared, was found. |
Mr. Klugherz was called and he
identified the article at once. Mr..
Smith stood on the low steps lead
ing to the kitchen, and when Mr..
Klugherz espied him, there began
a wordy argument, in which the
lot {,,;4 - al