Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1920-10-06
YOUNG men PLEAD GUILTY.
-Four Appear Before Judge Springer
and Plead Guilty to Charge
Against Them.
Sentence VIII be Passed on Them by
the Court ON Friday Morning.

Sheriff o. o. Ellingson did a
mighty good piece of detective work
last week in taking into custody
three young men, who are charged
with the robbery and slugging OF
Ole Myran, Madison township far
mer, at his home q week ago Satur-
day night, or early Sunday morning.
The young men under arrest are
Alvin j. Foss, Melvin Wick and
Joseph WEIGH.
At the Myran home the sheriff
found mask and several strips
torn from a handkerchief. On the
corner OF one of the strips were the
initials "A. j. F." With this bit OF
evidence the. sheriff went to the DE.
corah laundry and found out who
the initials belonged to, Alvin J
Foss. He kept the information Quiet
and looked up Foss' associates. He
then connected Melvin Wick up as
an associate, and knew he operated
an automobile. He had the. descript.
ion of the rear auto tire tracks
found near the Myran home. Then
he located the car and found the car
vas the one that stopped in front OF
Foss' rooming house on. Main street
the Sunday before, and he concluded
that Wick was the fellow he wanted
so early Friday morning the sheriff
drove. out to the Edgar Arness farm,
about four miles south of Decorah
where Wick worked. The sheriff
arrived before the family had arisen,
and when Wick got UP he placed him
under arrest and brought him to De-
'corah, and! he confessed to the sher.
I'M of being, one of the. trio, and also
told him who his companions were
After the sheriff placed Wick in Jail
which was about 8 o'clock he went
out and arrested Foss at his place OF
employment in a bakery here. A,
about the noon hour he located
Welch in the Mailman Pool room
WEIGH was playing a game of poo
when the sheriff approached him and
told him he wanted to see him. Tho
boy made a request to finish tho
game, but the sheriff couldn't see il
that way, and placed him under ar
rest at once, so he landed all three
in Jail inside of few hours.
Melvin Wick had been driving I
Buick roadster around here fol
several months. The sheriff asked
him where he got it, and be told hin
that he had purchased it for SI2O0
But the sheriff couldn't swallow tina
and a little further questioning
brought out a confession that he
stole the car at Stoughton, Wis. las,
July. During the summer Wick work.
ed over at Waukon, and he intimated
the car belonged to his boss.
The grand jury was in session al
last week and on Saturday they took
up the evidence against the youns
men, and on Monday Indictment
were returned against all three
> The grand jury also returned two
indictments against Glen Doud, the
young man arrested by Sheriff Ell,
lingson at McGregor a couple OF
weeks ago and charged with the
robbery of the restaurant at Castalia
He Was indicted on two counts,
entering and larceny from building
in the night time.
Della Bulmer was also indicted for
assault with intent to commit great
bodily injury The latter plead not
guilty.
4. Alvin Foss and Melvin Wick plead
guilty to the charge before Judge
Springer yesterday morning. Doud
also plead guilty, and sentence will
be passed ON them Friday. The three
appeared in court without attorneys.
Attorney Frank Sayre appeared as
attorney for Joseph Welch, and was
given time to answer the indictment.
This Wednesday morning Joseph
Welsh appeared in person and by
his attorney, Frank Sayre, and enter
ed plea of guilty. 20 A2i~'ign
II is an unfortunate state OF az
fairs that these young men ind
themselves in, and they will have TO
pay the penalty. No suspicion ever
rested on them before, and this is
their first serious offense, and
surely bold and daring one they
committed,