The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-05-01
MURDER AND MAN HUNT HERE ENDS LAST
NIGHT WITH THE men IN THE PEN|TENT|ARY
Precautions
BY Officers
Every Contingency Was Provided
for Until 1t Was Definitely
Known Where Men Would
Be Taken to Jail.

The news of the capture OF thu
desperadoes spread with the swift
ness of the news of their crime and
pursuit It was known to the furthest
confines OF the city in a few min
utes
A horseman started the good news
by riding rapidly down the Des
Moines river road shouting:
They're caught!
The cry was taken up and passed
by word of mouth and telephone.
Women telephoned their friends, and
men shouted it to one another across
the street in the residence districts.
Waiting For the Prisoners.
Just what had occurred down there
in Loomis slough was not known
down town for some time, and 1t was
much longer before any word came
about what the officers were doing
with the prisoners.
The rumor spread quickly that the
officers, posse and prisoners were
coming in the Hilton road. County
Attorney McManus met them near
the scene of the capture and gave
excellent advice.
But the guard Of the prisoners did
not stop to telephone their inten-
tions, and even the officers on duty
at headquarters did not know the
program.
But they prepared for anything
and everything with great thorough
ness.
Down town it was perfectly evil
dent that it was very unsafe to place
the two robbers in Jail here.
Ready For Anything.
The two possible detectives here
of Chief Hennemann were the city
Jail in Lucas avenue and the county
Jail at Fifth and Concert streets. At
both places measures were taken for
instantaneous action, if the men
were brought to either place.
Mayor Lotion had an automobile
close by police headquarters, and IL
the prisoners were brought there
they would have been rushed from
the vehicle they were in to the wait
ing car and whisked toward Grand
avenue.
Deputy Sheriff Montgomery had a
fast automobile with a daredevil
driver and Officer Lafever of the
police force, ready at the county
Jail. 1t was headed out Fifth street,
ready to take in the prisoners and
start for Fort Madison in an instant
after they arrived in front of the
court house.
Sheriff,s office Prepared.
Sheriff Scott is away under the
care of physician, and Deputy Sher-
if Montgomery arose to the occasion
in every way. He was very active
in the man hunt and then used ex-
cellent sense after the men were
caught.
He moved the prisoners in the Jail
around into distant corridor from
the cage usually used and was ready
to safeguard the two negroes If he
should be compelled to put them in
the county Jail here. Every contin-
gency was provided for in his prepa-
rations.
The most interesting strategy Of
the evening was that of Mayor Lof-
ton, who remained at police head
quarters, Commissioner Hemmy be-
ing down in the Des Moines bottoms
with the prisoners.
Some Successful Strategy.
The police carefully kept passage
way cleared through the crowd in
Lucas avenue, wide enough to per-
NIT an automobile with the prisoners
to get to the station door.
This convinced the people that
the two criminals were to be brought
there. and they staid, waiting pa
tiently
At this time, the last word had
been that the men We're to be taken
to the county Jail, and it was thought
best to keep the crowd at the police
station until they were in their
cells. The plans succeeded admir-
fConf;nnod ~, paro Cl