The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1919-03-07
|M'C0LL TO LOOK >INT0 TIE
THUG, PROTECT CLAIM
STORY FROM OWATONNA
Business Man Relates How, His
Store Was Robbed and
Youth Stolen

Il 80 aui, rcOiu diy So.-iuFSotiSd-
ton into statements of Owatonna cit :
liens, intimating that st. Paul. is a
rendezvous of crooks. will be made by
7, Commissioner McColl of The depart
ment of public safety.
i Councilman discussed the charge
made before the board Of directors
of the st. Paul Association by the
st. Paul rob Southern Minnesota and
dispose of their loot here.
Following the discussion Commits
Z sionef McColl said he would call
members of the police department
before him and confer with County
Attorney /O'Brien on whose office re-
Election Was cast by the Owatonna
men.
I, Sitting of the charges will be diff
ficult for the reason that the Ovation
ra compliments did not give names
ad preferred their charges in gen
eral way.
! Reported $4,000 in Silk Stolen.
j. F. Fitzgerald of Owatonna told
the ST. Paul Association heads that
his store had been robbed at night
last June of valuable striped silk
goods, such as are used in making
mems shirts. The loot was valued at
$4,000 ~
According 10, Mr.. McColl, who was
at the directors meeting, Mr.. Fitz-
gerald said that three or four men
drove up TO the store in an automO-
bile. A sentinel was stationed out
side.
While the men were looting The
store, according to the Owatonna
version of the theft, boy about sew
lenteen years old drove near the store
to put an automobile in garage.
The sentinel stopped The youth at
the point of gun.
81 haven't any money" the boy
said
"Oh. that's all right the bandit re-
turned, according to the story told
to the ST. Paul Association directors;
come With me-"
Was Taken to ST. Paul.
The/boy was placed in the thieves
automobile when they left the store
with the stolen silk and brought to a
/ car line on the outskirts of ST. Paul.
! According to the boy. he was given
! 10 cents for carfare downtown and SIS
to buy ticket back TO Owatonna, by
the bandits. They left him alone at
the car line about a. m.
Later on, according to the Ovation
Ina story. another silk robbery occur
tred in Minneapolis. The silk was re-
i covered, according to the story told
| yesterday. by members of the Min
neapolis police force, who entered an
i unarmed ST. Paul store insrhe night.
Through the man whose store was
| robbed in Minneapolis Mr.. Fitzgerald
! was able to get samples of the silk
] recovered. He said that the design
/ corresponded with the design of the
silk obtained in the robbery of his
store.
/ The Mystery of Buick.
Another story told by Mr.. Fitzger-
aid, Mr.. McColl said, had to do with
the theft of Buick automobile from
an Owatonna resident. The machine
was new and the owner had it only
half an hour when it was taken.
/ The story is that the owner came
to st. Paul and some member of the
/ police department asked about the
! reward. The car owner is said to
have increased the reward.
/ According to his story, he was told
Ito return in the afternoon. He did.
/ A new Buick car, stood in front OF
! Central station, he said. He looked
! at the numbers on the ear and said
they were not those of his car.
] Police officers told him the num-
/ bers were changed as quickly as pos
/ sibIe by automobile thieves. In the
end the Owatonna man took the car
with him and still has it, though he
is in fear that the real owner Of the
, car will claim it at any time. He
never has been sure that he really
got back his own car, according to
/ his story.
! The Owatonna mems version Of
their experience with the ST. Paul
| officials included an incident in which
x is said q man went to the county
a'tnrney's office here to get "a com
I; plant.
Was Refused Complaint.
| He was refused the complaint, &C
+ cording to the story and told that ii
was no use, chose fellows will Beat
YOU at it." The inference is that the
| persons who were alleged to have. the
stolen goods were top clever to be
taken to court
County Attorney O'Brien said there
was no truth in such statement.
! In discussing the identification of
! the striped silk goods by Mr.. Fitz
gerald Mr. McColl pointed out that
person could go into any number
of stores and find the same kind of
| goods.
As to the police insisting that. the
lear stolen in Owatonna BELONGED to
1 the man who came to claim it, Mr..
1McColl said it was ridiculous to as
sumo that anyone in the police de-
could buy new Buick car
1for the amount of the repewed Of
1fered.
They AIIege Police Protection.
J, Reports from the capitol today
], added details to the story as it has
leone from the directors meeting OF
1.-THE st. Paul Association, as follows:
4 leave st. Paul alope-don't pull
] any rough stuff mere. and you will not
4 be molested." the Owatonna delega-
i ton asserted is the st. Paul attitude
toward crooks callign this city home.
i st is said they are getting police
lrrotection, and whether this is true,
There is evidence that the st. Paul
police show no disposition to assist in
lapprehending criminals or recovering
property in robberies committed in