Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1915-02-17
OSSIAN BURGLAR CAPTURED
POLICE OF PRAIRIE DU CHEN
ARREST YOUTH NAMED
GEORGE COLE WHO
CONFESSED.
Had Suit Case Well Filled With DIFF.
ferent Stolen Articles. Deputy
Sheriff Bucknell After
RequisitiOn Papers.

ephone by the mayor of Ossian and
also by Otto Gunderson, who was in
Prairie du Chen, and notified that
a young fellow was under arrest at
Prairie du Chen who was suspicion
ed of committing recent burglaries
at Ossian. Sheriff Ellingson was at
Spillville on official business, and
the call was answered by Deputy
Walter Bucknell, who with Jailer
Dennis Koran left for Prairie du
CHEN Friday night,
A young fellow aged nineteen
years, an orphan boy, who original
ed from Chicago, who gave the name
of George Cole or Gondak, was ar
rested at Prairie id Chen Friday,
after selling a diamond ring to a
jeweler there for $40.
When Deputy Bucknell and Jailer
Koran arrived in Prairie du Chen
they met the policeman who had
made the arrest, and he had two
watches with him, one of them which
was identified by Fred Downward
of Ossian, a jeweler in the employ
of Gunderson's drug and jewelry
store, who was also called to Prairie
ldu CHEN.
Afterwards the officers went to the
city Jail, and we understand Cole
confessed to about five recent burg
aries at Ossian. At first he denied
the burglary of the Milwaukee depot
at Ossian and shooting of the oper-
ator, but later confessed to that al
so.
Besides Ossian he admitted burg
laries at Postville and Waukon. He
had been in Winneshiek about four
years, and was in the employ of a
farmer near Castalia, who dis
charged him. About his first
crooked move around here was
at Postville, where he secured a job
in a hotel. He got to smoking so
many cigars in the hotel that the
landlord was compelled to lock the
case, but the boy opened the lower
part of the case and took two boxes
of cigars out and to his room. The
landlord discovered the theft and
discharged him. -.
After the burglary of the depot and
the shooting of the operator at Os-
sian, he walked to Castalia, which
took him about two hours. He board
ed train there for West Union. AT
Donnan Junction he took train
back TO Calmar, and from Calmar
back through Ossian to North Nc
Gregor, and then drifted over to
] Prairie du Chen. In the latter city
he stayed at private residence, ever
since the robbery of the depot at Os-
sian. Last week the people who he
stayed with, who by the way kept
roomers, went to q show. The lady
of the house forgot her diamond
ring, which she usually wore when
going out. She left it in a hand bag
on the piano. The next day she mis-
sed it, and looking around the piano
found the ring on the floor with the
set gone.
His undoing came when he sold
a diamond to a local jewelcr. He
made written confession to the
district attorney at Prairie du Chen
of all crimes he committed at Ossian,
Postville and Waukon, but denied
committing any burglaries at Prairie
du Chen. He had suit case in his
room we'll filled with different arti-
cles. such as iewelry, etc. He also
confessed to burglary at Ossian last
fall of some overcoats.
The young fellow is held at Prairie
du Chen, where he will have hear
ing today Wednesday, to see if he
cannot be connected with some OF
the recent burglaries in that city, o:
which he denies any part in.
On Monday County Attorney
Houck made out an order for requisi-
ton papers, and Deputy Sheriff
Bucknell departed for Des Moines tC
get them from Gov Clarke and he
will go from Des Moines to Madison
Wis. to get similar papers from Gov
Phillips, Of Wisconsin.
Sheriff o. o. Ellingson departed
yesterday for Prairie du Chen with
a warrant for Coles arrest. He will
meet Deputy Bucknell there today.
On Monday Marshal A. F. Jones
of Prairie du Chen, who arrested
the burglar. came to DEBORAH and
appeared before the grand jury anG
County Attorney HOuck and gave hi:
testimony concerning the arrest. etc
l.. Cornelius, the jeweler. to whom
Cole sold the diamond ring was alst
, here, as well as Edwin McCloskey, ;
Prairie du Chen business man. wht
got the story from Cole about rob
bling the depot and shooting thu
agent at Ossian.
Otto Gunderson and his jeweler
Fred Downward and Clyde Eddington