The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1922-05-26
KNIFE IS THRUST
CLOSE TO HEART
FRED KLEIN VICTIM or
ROUGH STUFF
TOLD TALE OF HIS LIFE
Confessed To Police That He Es-
capped From Prison At
Detroit, Mich.

With a knife wound in his left
breast not far from the heart, in
flicted by man with whom he be-
came involved in rough and tum-
BILE fight in the Omaha railroad
yards yesterday evening, Fred
Klein of Detroit, Mich, is now be-
ing cared for by the police.
According to the story told to
Klein, he and another man named
Kelley, who Klein says lives in
Nevada. together with another man
who had considerable "roll Of
money on his hip had been drink
ing moonshine down in the yards.
The man with the roll as he became
drunken and drunken, became more
and more liberal with his cash.
Kelley suggested to Klein that they
rob the man. Klein said he had
trouble once before, and had deter
mined to go straight the remainder
of his life. He insisted that Kel-
ley let the man who had the money
alone. This led to dispute and a
clash between Klein and Kelley. In
the melee Kelley pulled a knife
and stabbed Klein as stated.
Got AssaiIant BY Throat
Klein says that he got his as
sailant by the throat and at first
intended to choke him to death,
but let him go. When again at
tackled by Kelley, Klein grabbed a
club and beat Kelley over the head
until he had him subdued. Than
becoming weak from loss of blood
from the knife wound, Klein after
sitting in the yards for some time
made his way to the police station,
where he asked for aid. DR.. A.
V. 1Denman was called and he treat
ed the wound
The knife blade luckily struck a
rib and did not penetrate the chest
wall or Klein would not be relating
the story today. He was given a
bed at the police station last night.
Was Ready To Return To Prison
Some TIME after he had been
treated by the physician. Klein
.confided to Night Desk Sergeant
and Officer Volk that he had some
time ago escaped from q prison In
Detroit Mich, ant. WAS ready to 20
back and face the music
This morning he stated to q Fro.
ing the year 1920 he had broken
into freight car in Detroit. Mich.
and was later arrested and placed
in prison on that charge. He and
five other men planned a jail de-
livery. The other five backed out
when the time came, but he made
his getaway on September 81, 1920.
and had been at large ever since.
travelling under the name of Long.
He has been following the occupa-
ton OF umbrella member, and had
been going straight"
Straight and Narrow Path
"A reporter you say. Well. YOU
might as well have the straight OF
1t. | came of good family back
home, but like many another fellow
let strong drink get the better OF
me. While under the influence of
liquor one night in Detroit / broke
a seal of a boxcar and was caught
at it. It's a federal offense. / put
in some time and when the oppor-
tunity offered itself to get outside,
l look It i have wandered up and
down the country always with the
determination that the Straight path
is the only one to follow. Do you
know that in my dreams out In the
1ungles and in the hundred and one
places where | have laid down for
the night. kindly old face haunt
ed my sleep. She seemed every
night 70 be asking me to return to
her.
Dreams Of Mother
tell you, Mr.. Reporter you can
my feelings when /
tell you that the one dream of is
my mother now seventy five wears
old. have not dared to write back
for. fear that the letter would he
picked up bv the authorities.
don't know where she is living or
dead. know one thing I am going
back and face the music said Reir,
with catch in his voice.
!, Chief Landmark has teiesraphed
tne Detroit, Mich, authorities that
he has Klein in custody.
A search of the yards was made
bv the locol police. but no trace Of
klein's assailants could be fnr,nh