The copper era and Morenci leader., 1915-09-10
ALLEGED METCALF
BANK RObbER
CAUGHT

has 6CCn ITdlIGQ TOT
the Past Week by Sheriff Cash,
Taken Into Custody at soeorro, N.
M.
On Wednesday night Sheriff Cash
and Lee Steens, a New Mexico depu.
ty. arrived in Clifton with Ben Fow.
ller, whom they suspect of being i'm.
plicated in the robbery of the Met.
calf bank on the morning of the 25th
of August. When arrested Fowler
was in company with woman com.
panion who told Cash at the time
that she would put up a cash bond Of
from $1,000 to $4,000 if they decid.
ed to let Fowler out on bond. At
! the time of his capture Fowler was
insistent upon knowing the kind Of
treatment he would be accorded if he
accompanied the Sheriff to Greenlee
county and upon being informed that
: it would depend solely on his own
conduct, and that if he conducted
himself properly he would be accord.
ed the very best of treatment, and
Fowler consented to accompany the
officer without extradition papers.
Sheriff Cash took up the trail OF
the alleged robber on Eagle at the
point where the posse abandoned it
and eventually trailed him to Salt
Lake, New Mexico, where the man
had lone shack for refuge. From
that place he was followed to Mag
dalena, the Sheriff being all the time
an hour behind his man. At Mag.
dalena Fowler arranged for an auto.
mobile and was Joined there By the
woman and they left in the direction
of Socorro. Cash wired the sheriff Of
Socorro county to be- on the lookout
for the machine and according to his
instructions the man and women
were arrested upon their arrivafrMc
Socorro and held untiI Sherfn Cast
arrived to escort the prioslzer to Cfff.
ton. When arrested Fowler had
about $12o verth of cash and checks
in his possession.
Thursday morning w. E. Kelly
cashier of the Metcalf bank and
Walter Doudna, who was present
when the bank was robbed, and sew.
eral Mexicans who saw the robber at
the time came to Clifton and locked
/ the prisoner over for identification,
able to ascertain for certain whether
he is the man wanted, although he res
sembles in many respects the man
who committed the crime. Fowler u
man of powerful build, being about
six feet tall and weighing close %
200 pounds and has dark hair and
eyes. The man has bad record, be.
ing an ex-convict from the Santa Ft
for holding up an automobile tourist
party in New Mexico. He is consider.
ed tough character in New Mexico
and Oklahoma by all who know him
and he has been connected with
shady operations in both states.
Upon being asked where he was
at the time of the robbery Fowler
stated that he did not remember
whether he was in Arizona or New
Mexico, however, according to re.
ports he had been drinking heavily
of late and enjoying himself in every
way and spending money with q
wanted or not Sheriff Cash is to be
commended upon his arduous pursuit
of the suspect when his actions
while being trailed point conclusive.
ly to the fact that he wished to
avoid capture, whether on account Of
the bank robbery or for some other
crime, and the sheriff thought his
detention for Identification purposes
would be advisable. His actions are
not those of an innocent man and II
his Identification is established in
connection with the Metcalf affair
the sheriffs office will feel amply re-
warded.
Cashier Kelly received 4 letter
from the bank robber on August 81,
dated Ell Pase, and reading as fol.
lows:
"EI Paso, Texes, Aug. 81, 1918
Dear Banker:-
Il made a mistaak, an taking these
old bills am sending them back to you
are good fellow if you were in El
Paso l would buy a drink.
No. in Ten Years."
The address on the envelope was as
follows:
Estate Bank of Metcalf,
Metcalf, Arizona.
:. CO Banker"
CONTINUED on Page Eight)