Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-08-06
Special to Times-Repub1ican.

Special to IlmeS-RepuDllcan.
Iowa City, Aug. civilian c.
Loo1nis and w. Robert Smith. the al
legged bank robbers and auto bandits,
caught in Rock Island and Detroit, re-
spectively, and brought to Iowa City.
charged with the North Liberty bank
footing, are expected to plead guilty to-
day. They waived examination late
Thursday afternoon, when arraigned
before Justice George A. Ewing. and
were remanded to Jail. as a bond Of
$4,000 each was demanded of each
and, of course, they could not provide
any type Of security.
That both men have confessed and
are ready to waive Indictment and
trial and plead guilty before Judge r..
p. Howell, in the district court, is the
allegation of the chief Of police, John
w. Miller. who with George Bidweli,
Of Attorney General Cosson'a staff, has
been trailing the men three weeks.
Judge Howell was out of town Thurs.
day afternoon and evening. or the men
would have taken their sentence, the
police allege. before sunset Thursday
within a few hours after their return
to the city that saw their thrilling auto
fight on July Is.
SmlIn u S0fO.
LOOMS wanted q chance to squeal
because they caught him." said Bob"
NSmith, after he was brought back from
Detroit and locked up. That yarn
about me Tipping him out of his share
of the money was false. Do you think
I'm that kind of guy!" he asked as
he looked thru the bars inquirinsly. Il
wouldn't do trick like that"
-
by Detective Cox OF Rock Island and
Special Agent Bidwell of Attorney
General Cosson's office. Chief Of Po-
lice Miller Of Iowa City went to Chi
cago and met the party, returning here
with them.
Know LOOMS Three Years.
Smith admitted the robbery of the
North Liberty bank. He said he had
met LOOMS three years ago. Loomis
had come to the gambling rooms where
Smith was working to play. Later he
left Rock Island and was gone year,
after which he returned.
after we left North Liberty we
the money. said Smith. 'Lcc.n!:
how he could have been cheated. He
got half Of It."
It was learned by the chief Of police
had returned to Smiths home in that
place. Smith had asked his sister to
go down town and purchase a Palm
Beach suit for him. While she was
gone the two men divided the money.
City officer to secure evidence on the
fxRyn f,y~ jc1A ~
state agent and the Davenport and
Rock Island police.
Hero Four Days.
Il was back in Davenport three or
four days after the robbery" he said
~ won $50 in Davenport and won
some more around here. was living
high in Detroit"
Smith was calm and apparently rec
onciled to his fate. When LOOMS was
brought over from the county Jail he
gazed thru the bars at his heavily
bearded face.
you need shave worse than do"
he told Loomis. That was all there
was in the greeting, and Smith stepped
out OF his cell to be handcuffed to his
pal"
Would Resist Arrest.
III I had anything on me you fell
lows would have had to fight" he told
Detective Cox and Special Agent Bid
well. He had thrown away his pistol,
he told them. He was arrested on one
of the Detroit streets when walking
with his wife.
Smith made a complete verbal state
men to the Johnson county authorities
en- route to Iowa He said he intend
ed to forego the fofmality Of jury trial
and enter plea of guilty. He said
he wanted to start serving his time
Immediately.
IT LOOMS hadn't been so crazy to
stay around here to marry that girl
things would have been different" he
said. He had q divorce case in Dav-
export and when he got his divorce he
wanted to marry this other girl, She
worked in hotel IN Davenport and
then went to one in Moline. Well, he'll
have plenty Of time to think it over
now"
Smith told reporters he had secured
employment in q Detroit automobile
factory and was going to work yester-
day.
Il was. going to start out all new
again.. he said. II had made up my
mind that had played by last cards,
and was going to try and go straight.
But they have got me now"
Native Of Iowa.
According to Smiths own statement
he has lived in Davenport and Rock
Island practically all his life. He said
he was "a years OF age and was born
in Cedar Rapids. He came to Daven-
port, he said. when he was years Of
age. His parents had lived on Rip
ley street near the down town section
and later moved to Rock Island Smith
had worked in automobile garages UNI
I'll he took UP gambling several years
ago.
His mothers father, he said, was Dr..
Warner, one Of the original owners OF
the Harper House in Rock Island. Her
folks had prospersd Il. these .rs-...s e, hut
her hhsband vas not DO fortunate. He
died when comparatively q young man
and the widow moved to lows City. She
Is now residing 1t that place.