Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-12-12

| was HSuTlHS vi tTduilS lOT Inc SuOW
and asked me If Ruth and would stay
with 1t. I-old him that did not think
so, as ! wanted to go back to Kinks
vile and work for the Bell people and
anyway the show business was about
over for the season. He said, Don't
you worry; I'll keep in this trading
business and I'll swap the show for a
skating rink, picture show or some
thing. Stay with me, kid, and will
stick by you. Mac, you will make
more money with me in year than
you would with the Bell Telephone
Co., in ten. Later on, if everything
pans out all right, I will let you in on
some of my trades. If the show
makes good money then it will be
good money for you, and l will pay
J you expense money until we get start.
ed in this rink He appeared to me
to be in earnest and firmly believed
him in everything he said; he was a
splendid appearing man and wonder
full talker.
About 4 o'clock on Saturday after
noon, he came to Ruth and l and said
that he had made the deal for the
show and that he wanted us to run it
for him. At first l told him that did
not want to do that kind of work. He
said that he wanted us to take it to
West Point, Pennington and Moulton.
where he, had heard that there were
going to be some fairs staged. Final
ly, after he told me that he would give
me a good chance to make some
money, l said l would go and he in
structed me to go to West Point and
look over the ground and if everything
| loked favorable to phone back to
Goudown and he would send the show
on to me. He said that he (Mellot)
was going to Osceola to see about a
skating rink and was going to take
/ Jessie Springer with him.
Couple Go to West Point.
1--WE went to West Point and looked
over the ground and, after finding out
that there was fair going to be held
there, staked off a twenty foot space
for the tent and 'phoped to Goudown
| to send on the show. l understood him
to say that he would and that it would
be there the next day. We waited all
the next day but no show arrived. We
knew something was wrong, SO came
on to Pennington as Mellott had told
us to, he understanding that there was
! fair to be held there. After stopping
there and discovering that there was
none to be held there, we went back
to Milton, to find out why Goudown
had not sent the show, as Mellott had
promised to do. He said that he had
had no instructions from Mellott to do
that and, as the place was in the
sheriff's hands, was afraid to do any
thing for fear that he might be held
responsible.
Il had been told by Mellott that his
headquarters were at the LaClede
hotel in Ottumwa and that if l ever
wanted to write or phone him there,
to always use the name of Johnson, as
he did not want his folks at home to
know anything about his dealings or
trades and that he always went by the
name of Johnson around the LaClede.
So / came to Ottumwa then, right
away from Milton to try and see Mel
lott about the shows. Ruth and
came to Moulton first on the way here,
as that was another place he had told
us to investigate and then she stayed
there while came on to this town.
went to the LaClede and found Mel
lott. He asked me how the show bust
ness was coming on and told him not
very we'll and told him about Goudown
refusing to send tire show on to us to
which he replied, Oh, that Goudown Is
a blockhead. l told him what to do,
I'll tend to him when l go down there.
You and Ruth come to Ottumwa and
wait for me and will go to Milton and
trade off the store We left that at
ternoon, | going to Moulton to get
D,,%l, i 10 Ia VIZ OF
Junction on his way to Milton.
To Come Back That Night.
"Mellott said, Now you folks be
sure and get back to Ottumwa to-
night l told him that we could not,
and when | said that we could go to
Abba over the night Wabash and get
into Ottumwa about 7:15 Sunday
morning, he said, That will be all
right, as soon as yet get there go
right to the LaClede and tell the clerk
that you want the rooms that l told
them to reserve for you We arrived
here as planned, went to the LaClede
asked for the rooms, registered under
the name of Earl Burton and wife and
went to our rooms. Since we were at
Milton, Ruth and had not maintained
innocent relations and stopped every
place as man and wife. Mellott knew
of all this as had told him time and
again of my love for the girl and he
said that that was all right for us to
be travelling that way.
1--WE stayed here all day Sunday and
up to Wednesday night. AS remem-
Der it, Mellott came in Tuesday noon.
We had seen his brother-in-law at the
hotel on both Sunday and Monday and
Mellott had sent a message to us by
this relative, saying that they had
started for Ollie in Mellott's car and
when near Batavia, it had broken
down and he had sent his brother-in-
law on with word for us to wait here
until he came, while he went home az
ter getting the car repaired. On the
day he was to come l went to the
depot to meet him. Almost before the
train stopped he jumped off and shak-
ing hands said. Go back to the hotel
and wait. l have my wife and daugh-
ter with me and I will take them to
Friedmans' and leave them, then come
back and talk to you folks l did as
he said, and in about an hour he came
to the hotel and said that he was going