The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-05-20
EVANS ADMITTED GUILT
THEFT FROM FREIGHT CAR
IS THE CHARGE
Arrested Last Night BY Special
Agent Ario; Goods Are
Recovered

EDWARD n. Evans OF west MdukdlO
was caught red handed about mid
ward Ario OF the Chicago and North
western railway in the act of robbing
box car on Northwestern time
No. AL while the train was in mo-
ton between Mankato and Judson.
Evans admits his guilt, and in a
statement to The Free Press says
that he was driven desperate by the
fact that he is out of work. in debt,
and has four motherless children to
support.
Special Agent Ario was patrolling
the yards in the vicinity of the Blue
Earth river bridge about eleven
o'clock last night when he saw a man
board time freight No. 4S1 short
distance west of the bridge. The
officer determined to also board the
train and keep watch on the man.
When the train on its way to Judson
had reached a point seven miles
ing Tracks," where there are always
"slow ORDERS" Mr.. Ario saw the man
break the seal on car and enter 1t.
Soon all kinds of boxes and packages
began to drop from the car. Later the
man leaped from the train.
FIashlignt Is Thrown
Ario dropped off short distance
beyond and returning. turned his Hash
light on the man who proved to be
Edward E. Evans Of West Mankato.
He is alleged to have said: II am
done, you've got me-" Placing Evans
under arrest Agent Ario walked four
miles to Judson. where he tagged
No. ST. Boarding this train with
his prisoner he went as far as New
Ulm, where he met District Specis.
Agent e. ]. Murphy and Special Agent
o. M. Ray, who happened to be at
New Ulm. Jerry .Reardon, section
from his well earned slumbers and
with the aid of his gasoline car he
brought the, officers and the prisoner
to the scene of where the freight had
been dumped alongside of the right
of-way. Three cases OF raislns, a case
of pepper, one case of Palm Olive
soap, one case of Bakers cocoa, one
case of Hershey's prime chocolates.
one case of Copenhagen, Nsnuff, fifty
pounds of high class prunes, butt
of horseshoe tobacco, case of april
cots and one case Of packages OF
erapenuts. All of this loot was
brought by the officers to the Man
kato police station, where Evans was
locked up over night. Upon examin.
at ion of the loot at the police sta
ton by Agents Ario and Ray, it was
merchants at Sanborn and Wanda
Some Of the goods were consigned to
Barte & Son of Wanda. to H. Dietz,
Sanborn, and Schendle Brothers OF
Wanda.
Evans was "sweated out" by Coun
ty Attorney C. E. Phillips, Agents
Ray and 'Ario and. Chief of Police
Landmark, but he would not admit to
.Nfk IS r,xyt1 nfvac htrf
he dumped off the freight train last
night. Signing written permission.
to reach his premises and house on
Winona street, Evans accompanied
the officers there, ad search was
made. No stolen goods was found,
but in the basement of the house In
a ten gallon jar was found some mash
consisting of sugar and cracked corn,
which Evans said he had intended to
and make dandelion wine. The wine
was left brewing by the officers.
When Evans reached his home in
custody of the officers his smallest
child came over from his aunt's place
near by and wanted to know that the
men wanted his papa for. Evans
Rugged the child to his breast and 1t
was considerable effort that he kept
back the tears. He explained that
three years ago his wife died leaving
him with four small children to care
for. He has been living with the
children and supporting them as best
he can. Last winter he trapped, and
made some money, but for long time
he has been out of work. sat on
the porch last night after / had got
the children to bed and got to think
ing of being out of work and in debt.
The children have no shoes, and no
one will trust me. Seeing box of
starch lying alongside of the tracks
where it had apparently been thrown
from the train gave me the idea that
might get much needed food in that
way / know 1t was fool thing to
do, but now / am UP against It."
The special agents mentioned stat
ed to The Free Press that within the
past three months time freight No.
481 had been robbed at least a dozen
times. At about the same place that
Evans dumped of his loot consider
able goods was picked up on April
27. There has been more than the
usual amount of thieving going on
this spring all along the line Of the
Northwestern.
Evans was bound over by Judge
Hiram Golf in the municipal court
this afternoon TO await the action Of
the district court on a charge Of
grand larceny in the second degree.
His h0nd WAS nlaced af - ZOO.