The Mankato free press., 1920-12-10
YOUTH WAS THE SLAYER
Former kasota Boy Killed
Mill City Grocer
BALMES BOYS NABBED
Grewsome Tale Related BY The
Eighteen Year Old Who
Fired Fatal Shot

q. Paul, December "A box Of
American Beauty roses, sent In
moments Of compassion for their
victim, resulted early yesterday In
the arrest Of three young men, two
Of whom Minneapolis police declare
have confessed to the shooting Of
James A. 6orte In his grocery store
at S146 Fourth avenue south, the
night Of December I during an at
tempted hoid.up.
Saturday noon q messenger boy
brought 20 the office Of Captain
George w. Wells, chief Of detse-
tlvss Of the St Paul police depart
msnt q plain box bearing the label
Of o Superior, Wis.,, florist.
Written In lndsllbie pencil was
the simple address: ."To be de.
ilvsred to Dorts, the man who was
shot In Minneapolis Wednesday
night"
A careful study OF the box and
the floWsrs inside revealed no other
marks Of Identification.
Faced with q strange situation,
the like Of which he had never
encountered In all HE years Of po-
Hoe work-that Of a ounman send
Ing flowers to his victim-Captain
Wsils Immediately notified the
Minneapolis department. and the
ssndsrs Of the roses were traced
through the florist to Minneapolis
from whore the purchase wac di-
rsetsd.
Three youths. two Of them farmer
residents Of Kasota, the oldest of
Ihem twenty years OF age, have con-
lsssed killing James A. Borte, who
Was shot In an attempted holdur ct
his grocery store. 3l4b Fourth avenue
south. "Wednesday night, the police
announced today.
Two Of the boys are brothers,
Percy Balmes. eighteen years old.
lies James avenue North, and Don
llA Ralmss, twenty years old, 1902
avenua. The third and young
sst member IL the trio Ia Rouel Carl
ION. ssys-teen years old, S02 Sixth
5trc:....
from all three. J. 3. Walker, chief
u police, said he had obtained q de-
.ailsd account Of the murder which
showed that Percy Balmes did the
shooting, says The Minneapolis Journ-
". The confession was obtained af-
Ter several hours Of questioning, fol-
owing the drst arrests which were
made at $3.50 q. m. today. The Balmes
brothers were the nrst arrested after
, citizen appeared at police head
quarters ct 3 q. Iin. today and gave an
account Of the affair which he is re :
ported to hare obtained from friends
10 whom the boys had talked. The
police have not revealed the name
pf their informant. Young Carlson was
arrested q his home about 8 q. m.
Percy Balmes was the drst to weak
On several hours later when he was
being questioned by Detective Mike
Duny and admitted he did the shoot.
.ng. according to the detective. Con
lessions were then followed by the
others, Duffy said.
since. the boy said while his finger
prints were being taken In the noIice
bureau. when the auto
mobile with the detectives came up to
the house today knew who It was
right away and knew why they had
come. I'm going to rlead guilty ali
the way through"
Boys Tell story Of Murder.
The fatal holdup was decided upon
accordin@ to th~ oo-S--.
SION. when Percy Balmes went to the
a. ID. I. office, where Carlson " as e.A
ployed as q messenger, and met him
While standing at Fourth ar ~-d '-o--
quette Nv Q short time later they were
Joined by Donald Balmes, whom Can.
son had not met before. Donald was
married three months ago. The three
went to his home while he changed
his clothes and then started out to find
q store to rob.
Donald and 1 hadn't been workins
for q while and we needed money
Percy Balmes told Superintendent,
Walker. "On the way out to his house
we talked about holdup and decided
that would be a good way to get some
coin: Carlson said he would 60 in or
II with us.
Says store "Loeked Easy"
when we left Donald's house W.
walked out to Fouth ay and Twenty.
eighth st before we found a store thai
We thought we could stickup, but
there were too many PEOPLE around &c
We didn't try It. The next place tha,
looked good to us was Borte's store
~ LOVASu easy.
"To Get Our Nerve up."
After deciding to hold I'D the
place We walked around the block
couple Of times to get our nerve up
Carlson stayed outside the store when
Donald and / went In to Full OF the
job. Donald was asking for some OF.
garets when / yelled hands up" Il
two women who were near the stove
and Borte, who was behind the connt
or. Instead Of holding up his hands. hs
started for me. / was afraid he wal
going to try to take my gun, SO sho
at him three times before he fell.
Fled After Shooting.
I'VE ran outside without trying x
take any money and stayed togethel
until we got to Chicago av and Thirty
second st. We separated there and
told my brother that would meet hin
later at his house. I didn't know tha
Borte was killed until read about 4
In the rapers the next day"
Leaving his brother, the boy said
he walked to Eleventh av 8 and TWEEN
ty ninth Ut, where he met Carlson
who said, according to the police, tina
he started away before the shooting
began.
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