Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-10-28
Boy of Fourteen Turned
Over to Police After
Robbing Rooms at "Y"
TOLD OFFICIALS
VARYING STORIES
Said He Lived in Chicago
and Was En- Route to
Sisters Funeral

Howard Kirkpatrick, lad Of about
fourteen years, hailing from Grinnell,
was last evening turned over to the
police by the Y. M. c. A. authorities
after they had become convinced that
the boy, whom they have been hous-
Ing for the past three days, was q
thief His plea In police court this
morning bears out the suspicion.
Young kirkpatrick had been telling
the secretaries in charge that he was
stopping off in Ottumwa awaiting
train connections for his home In Chi
cago. It has since been learned that
he comes from Grinnell and that he
was spending money here believed to-
have been stolen from his relatives
there.
Came Here Wednesday.
Kirkpatrick came to the local as
ISOLATION building about 1880 Wednes.
day evening and asked for accommoda-
tons for the night. He said that he
was student in Grinnell academy and
that his home was in Chicago. He
also stated that his father was an al
umnus of Grinnell college and that
chap as himself should be out there
in school. His sister he said had died
Monday at the home In Chicago and
he was on route there, to attend the
funeral and had missed his train and
wanted to wait over here until morn
ing train. He told the Boys secretary,
Deal that he was a member Of the
Riverside Y. NJ. G. A. in Chicago but
had forgotten his membership. ticket
that would allow him to enjoy the priv
ileges Of the building while here. He
seemed to be SO visibly affected by
the death of his sister and so lonely
that the men OF the association did
everything they could to make him
comfortable.
Still Here Thursday.
Nothing was seen Of him Thursday
morning and 1t was supposed that he
had left Ottumwa on No. 10 at 7:16.
However Thursday afternoon he came
into the once and said that he was
not going on until that evening as the
funeral had been postponed until Fri
day. Later in the evening he came
into the ONCE again and this time said
that he could not get q sleeper reser-
vations and would wait until No. 10
Friday morning.
Secretaries Suspicious.
When he failed to 80 Thursday ev-
ening the association officers began to
feel that the lad was not telling q
straight story. Friday morning when
he again came in saying that he had
missed No. 10 and would continue his
journey Friday afternoon they were
firmly convinced that his story was q
fake. He said that the funeral had
again been postponed and that he had
wired his father when he would ar
rive and went out saying that he want
ed to go to the telegraph ONCE 80 as
to receive the return message from his
father. The address that he gave as
the Chicago residence Of his parents
was 1914 Audubon avenue care OF
Hines flats.
Call Grinneil.
AS soon as he went out the secretar-
les called Grinnell college authorities
over the long distance and found
over lON6 ulbLdHCo dAu lOuuu OuI from
them that the boy had not been a
student in the academy there nor had
his father ever attended school there.
They then called local police author
tiles who Immediately got in touch
with the authorities at Grinnell.
Robs Y. M. c. A. Rooms.
A dormitory resident upon returning
from work last evening discovered