The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-07-07
Officers Slipped Him Away
From His Grasp.
WANTED TO CLAIM REWARD
Missouri Police Saw Chance for
Government Coin.
II Just Sat and Twiddled My
Thumbso-Kiene.

I'm mad and I don't care who
knows it," declared Sheriff L. l..
Kiene this morning, when he got back
from ST. Joseph after a futile effort
to take into custody the elusive per-
son of William Naugle. alias Walter
M. Nelson, wanted in Topeka for the
robbery of the Commercial restaur-
ant on Holiday street, where he is al
legged to have stolen $s6 and a watch.
It is sad story of the double cross
which the sheriff brought back from
the Missouri city-one to wiring tears
of anguish from any officer of the law.
The prisoner whom the sheriff sought
and didn't get was turned over by the
st. Joseph authorities to the United
States army post at Fort Leavenworth
to be returned to prison to finish a
term for desertion-and thereby
hangs the tale.
carl Goff Of the police department
notified ST. Joe that we wanted Nau-
toned to them that beside being
wanted here for robbery he was want
ed for desertion. There Is a standing
$50 reward for deserters. There was
also a $25 reward for Naugle here. He
robe where J. G. Voght, the restaurant
proprietor kept his money, and stolen
$96 in cash, besides getting the cooks
watch at the same place. He hired
an automobile and drove to Holton
where he took the train. The st.
him until they heard from us and we
expected them to hold him for us.
Talk 1t Over.
"I got over to st. Joe Sunday night
and called up Chief OF Detectives
HetheringtOn. He asked me to walt
until morning to talk it over. went
to see him in the morning and talked
to him and to James Clausen. chief Of
police. 1 thought they seemed rather
unconcerned about the matter. They
didn't seem to caro- whether got sback
to Topeka with my prisoner or not
While we were talking they excused
themselves and left me sitting in the
office twiddling my thumbs for half
an hour. When Hetherington came
back he announced that Naugle had
been taken away.
Rushed to LeavenwOrth.
TT was then I discovered that they
had rushed him to Leavenworth dur
ing the night to claim the $50 reward
for Detective Cooper. who made the
they wanted I'd have given them the
$25 Topeka reward and made up the
difference out of my own pocket. May
be they didn't think I had the. money.
I went back to Leavenworth and was
told by the officers there that thew
would have gladly let us have their
prisoner but for the fact they had al
ready paid the $50. Now we will have
to wait until Naugle serves out his
three months in the federal prison for
desertion before we can get him for
trial on his robbery charge.
1T had a talk with him in st. Joe
and he told me all about how he got
the money over here"
Sheriff Kiene returned to Topeka
with $63 of the stolen money and the
missing watch.
Naugle, who had formerly worked
for voght, had been left to care for
the restaurant on Sunday while the
proprietor was out. Finding himself
unable to pry open the door Of the
old-fashioned "clothes-press," where
he knew the money was secreted, he
moved it away from the wall and
broke through the back of it. reached
in and took what he could. He missed
about as much as he got.