The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-04-21
Hollis Printy and Charles Seward OF
This City plead Not Guilty in
ottumwa Court and
Tell Details.
IMPLICATE THREE MORE
irwin Seitz Alleged to Have Ad-
vanced Money to Finance Rob-
berry and Disposed of
Goods Taken.

The following story which gives de.
tails OF the Ottumwa brass robbery
for which Keokuk men were arrested,
is taken from the Otumwa Courier:
A. e. Mullen, G. B. & @. detective.
and Henry Richards, constable, aided
by Rock Island Agent Potts at Eldon,
recovered 1,1S5 pounds Of stolen brass
journal bookings, which had been tax
en- from the Burlington shops in OF
tumwa, and five young men implt-
Gated in the theft have been arrested.
The men arrested were William Sny-
der, 0ttumwa; Hugh fBiackiet Ry-
land, Hollis Printy, Charles Seward
and Irwin Seitz, all Of Keokuk.
The men were arraigned in Justice
Jones' court Thursday, except Ryland
Two men, Printy and Seward, pleaded
guilty and made confessions, implicit
ing the others. Snyder, who made
verbal confession to Mr.. Mullen, Mon
day at the county jail, pleaded not
guilty.
lnpIicate Junk Dealer.
The confessions OF Printy and Sc
ward cleared up the mystery as to
how the brasses had been stolen.
About a month ago, William Snyder,
a young man now living in Ottumwa,
but formerly of Keokuk, tipped off to
the other young men. Ryland, Prtnty,
and Seward at Keokuk, that there
were a number Of brasses in the @
shops in Ottumwa which might be
taken. These three went to Irwin
Seitz, a tunkman in Keokuk, and
make the haul. The boys claim that
1,N hat
wanted the money. and that he gave
them $25.
Taken In Boat to EIdon.
The young men who confessed. said
that they then came to Ottumwa, and
kicking in the west door at the shops,
one night, they took twentyfour
brasses. hiding them in the sand be-
low the Vine street bridge. They
came back on the night of April 10
and broke in window and carried off
about 1900 pounds of brass to the
river, putting it into boats When
they came to the place where they
had the other brasses buried they
found only sixteen, and supposed that
Snyder had taken his share. They
then took the brass down the river by
boat to E1don. Then they hid the
loot TN stump. and went to keokuk |
TO get an auto, which broke down
when they loaded It. 50 they procured |
more money from Settz at Keokuk to |
fix the car. Printy said that they
took l 900 pounds down from Eldon !
IN the car to Seitz in Keokuk, who |
shipped It to Chicago.
Agent Causes Arrest.
On Wednesday Of this week the |
boys attempted to ship some kegs Of
the brasses from Eldon to Keokuk |
over the Rock Island. The Rock Is
land agent, Potts, being suspicious,
pried into the kegs, and wired Chief
Clerk Hale of the Burlington at OF |
tumwa that he had found the brasses
and asked for instructions. Mr.. Hale |
told him to hold the brasses and have
the men arrested. Ryland and Printy
were arrested.
In the meantime, Mr.. Mullen had |
been working on the case In Ottuna-
wa, He found out from a drayman,
that young man had been making
inquiries as to the charges for dray-
ing some brass journals, and found |
that this man was Snyder Snyder
was then locked up in the county fall
and Mr.. Mullen and Constable Rich
ards forced him to tell who other
members Of the gang were. Later.
Snyder pleaded not guilty, and denied /
making the confession. i