New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1916-11-08
ONE IS HELD FOR
C0MFRBY ROBBERY
JAMES MURPHY REMANDED TO
GRAND JURY ACCUSED OF
BURGLARY
BROTHER DISCHARGED; FATE
OF BURNES is POSTPONED
A WEEK

James Murphy, alias Art. Henderson,
alias James Donahue, accused of being
one of the men who robbed Erickson &
Kirso's store at Comfrey on the night
of October 13, last was held to the
grand jury, by Justice N. Henningsen,
Thursday morning, following a hearing
which was held Wednesday afternoon,
bail being fixed at $1,000. The charge
against Henderson, alias George Kruse,
was dismissed, the evidence not being
sufficient to hold him, in the opinion
of the court. The case Of James Burnes,
also charged with being implicated in the
robbery, was taken under advisement
until next Thursday. Following the
hearing Wednesday afternoon which
lasted until after 6 o'clock, recess was
taken until 9 o'clock the next morning,
when Justice Henningsen rendered his
decision.
St. Paul Attorney Appears
Several witnesses were examined by
the prosecution, conducted by County
Attorney Adolph Frederickson. T.
J. Newman, a St. Paul attorney,
appeared for the defendants.
The first of the states witnesses ex-
amined was Edward J. Kisro, of the
firm of Erickson & Kirso, whose store
at Comfrey, was robbed on the night
of October IS. He described the nature
of the robbery and how the thieves had
entered the store sometime between
10:40 at night and the opening of the
store on the following morning. He
said the store was locked at the close of
business at 8 o'clock the evening of the.
18th and that later in the evening he
when he left, both doors, at the front
and rear, were securely locked, land at
that time the stock was all in it's proper
place. In the morning when the place
was opened, empty shoe boxes and other
articles were scattered about the floor.
Examination showed that the lock had
been forced open evidently by some
/sharp instrument, which had cut notice
able slit in the decreasing. Mr.. Kisro
positively identified a number of neck
ties and four pairs of shoes recovered
from one of the prisoners when arrested
in St. Paul.,
Night Policeman John Girg, Of this
city, testified that he saw a Ford car
pass through New Ulm, going towards
Mankato, shortly before o'clock on
the morning of October IA.
Albert Schmelz, telegraph operator
at the Northwestern depot at Sleepy
Eye told the court that he saw the
prisoner who gives his name as James
Murphy in the depot at Sleepy Eye about
5o'clock on the afternoon of October 10,
when he appeared at the ticket window
and sent telegram to his wife at Sioux
City, and again about $50 on the same
day when he sent another telegram.
Detectives Tell OF Arrests
Paul Gottfried, member of the St.
Paul City detective force told how he
and Detective Carr, of the same force,
arrested the three prisoners. Burnes
and Murphy were arrested in Murphy's
room at the Spalding hotel in St. Paul.
With them were their wives. Hender-
son, who is only 10 years old, was in
another room at the same hotel, with his
alleged wife. The detective told of
finding the property recovered in Muir
phys room. Burnes was stopping at the
Windsor hotel where he said they found
a suit case containing two pieces of silk
and two dozen knives. In Henderson's
room was found half dozen skeleton
keys, made from wire nails. Gottfried
said that several steel files were found
in Ford car which ostensibly belonged
to Murphy, but which later had been
claimed by man at Erie, III. from
whom it had beenstolen, and which was
restored to the owner by the St. Paul
police.
Detective B. A. Carr, corroberated
the testimony of his brother officer, and
said he was in Murphy's room when
Burns came in and informed Murphy
that his "jitney' which he had been
driving was in front of the hotel.
Both detectives said they had never
known anything of either Murphy or
Henderson until they had been assigned
tothe present case, information of which
came to them in telegram from the
police force at Sioux City, Iowa. They
said they had heard of Burns for the
past six months.
Deputy Sheriff H. F. Jahnke told Of