Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1914-01-23
HIS BURGLAR HUNT
Under the Circumstances It Is
Probably Just as Well It
Was FruitIesS.

Darkness was closing in on the city
as | returned from work. Entering
my home, l noticed the street had a
deserted. wintry appearance.
The men in my neighborhood, near.
ly all of them, work nightwork, and
many were leaving their homes as
was entering mine.
On this particular evening one Of
my neighbors whose husband had al
ready left for work, told me as | was
entering my home that she was very
frightened, for when Der husband went
to work a stranger who had been
standing at the corner had followed
him.
told her that II was doubtless
nothing at which to bs frightened, but
in case the stranger again appeared
n the neighborhood TO let me know.
and | would watch him.
About five minutes later happened
TO look from my parlor window and
saw a stranger standing In front OF
my home, apparently watching it. |
eyed him for few minutes. then went
on the porch to see what he wanted.
As soon as he saw me he asked IL |
knew a milkman by the name Of Hank
ness
told him that was positive there
was no one by that name living on
the street At this he went away.
Several of the woman in the neigh
borhood, especially those whose hus-
bands were at work. told me that he
was the man who had been around
earlier in the evening.
They we're nervous by this time, but
I asked them to call me If he returned
and would have the police take him
in custody.
About half an hour later Mrs. Hill,
two doors above me, whose husband
was also one of the night toilers, rang
my bell and informed me that she had
Just come face to face with the In
truder in her back yard.
There is an alley running back OF
our homes which turns at the END
houses back on to the street.
Although am no hero, or partic
ularly brave man, this fellows persist
ence nettled me, SO, telling Mrs. Hill
TO telephone the police l started for
the alley.
l searched the alley thoroughly. but
no trace of him could I find. The po
liceman arrived, and together we
searched the house. then again
through the alley.
As we emerged on the street again
one Of my neighbors across the street
said that he had been on her front
porch peering in her parlor window
We were about to search the neigh
.orhood thoroughly. when Joune
man, one OF my neighbours sons. asked
me what the troIDle was.
When ! told him he said a man hac
Just asked him the same question, ant
a bystander near had referred thu
stranger to a house two squares away
OF course ! thought this ended 1t
as apparently he was only seeking thu
rerson he had asked for, and that my
neighbors had imagined some Of the
happenings.
The policeman. however, said
We'll follox; this up
After numerous inquiries we fount
a family by the name Of darkness
the descriptions tallyng with thu
strangers.
When we asked them If they hat
any visitors, they first denied it. ant
later the LADY, of the house told Vi
that her brother. whom she hadn'
seen for four wars. had paid her
visit. She called him OUT. and iden
fitted him as iha mar that had beer
lettering around.
He denied, however, being in any
body's yard, and we, attributing it Il
the nervousness Of the women, de
parted.
We told the neighbors of our find
ings, and although they wished tt
have him arrested the policeman salt
that we better leave it 60. as he woult
hardly ever return to that nelghbor
hood.
About a week later as picked up
newspaper | started when / saw tn
strangers picture on the front page.
was almost struck speeches. Will
establishment, however, by the state
ment under the picture, which was t.
the effect that the stranger was N
other than a desperate criminal, VIII
had a record of always shooting Of
the slightest excuse, The day before
in a fierce fight up the state, he ha'
been killed and a half dozen polio
wounded, some of them probably MOI
tally, in a pitched battle between
When I told my neighbors about II
one of them said that she had quite
large sum of money in her home, tina
her husband had brought from bene
fetal organization and going to put !
in the bank the next day.
went around to see Hardness, tn
milkman, but found the house empt
and the neighbors said he had move
the week before after occupying tn
house for only two weeks. The polio
searched the empty house, but foun
nothing. Whether they were accom-
plices or relatives. no one knows.
| often wonder what would hav
happened If had cornered him befor
the policeman arrived, as had bea1
unarmed and would have been N
match for the desperate.