The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1923-08-24
Slayer of Sheriff Fulkner
Killed In St. Paul
LEAPEDFROMAUTO
Fugitive Made Another Geta-
way From Officers; After
wards Found
[ ASSOCIATED Press Dispatch. ]

ASSOCIATED Press Dispatchl
st. Paul, August 17-Edwtn Rust,
slayer of Sheriff l. c. Fulker of Aber-
deem, S. D., was shot TO death in a
gun battle with st. Paul police here
early today when they attempted TO
arrest him.
Rust, for whom an extensive
search had been made since July
when he shot and killed the sheriff
on a train near Wolverton. Mdnn.,
was killed few hours after he had
escaped from officers who had ar
rested him on a charge of stealing
an automobile.
Made Another Getaway
The officers, unaware of Rust's
identity, had arrested him when he
drove up to a garage in a stolen
automobile with a woman companion
to whom, police say, he had been
paying attention. On the way to the
police station, Rust handcuffed, dove
from the automobile, darted into an
alley and disappeared.
The detectives, assisted by q wo-
man, then located Rust's residence
at 2111 Dayton avenue and as two
of them entered his room, the fugi-
tive opened fire.
Two shots went wild, and in the
return fire Of the detectives Rust was
struck in the neck, the chest and
and was dead when detectives reach :
ed his side.
Ends Two Months Search
The killing of Rust brings to an
end a search of two months in which
every state, county and city officer
Of the northwest has participated,
following his escape subsequent to
shooting Sheriff Fulkner who was
taking him from East Grand Forks,
Mimi, to Aberdeen to face a rob-
berry charge.
After killing the sheriff. Rust
jumped from the train, robbed a
motorist of his hat and $1.10 and
then vanished. He was reported
seen at various places in the north
west and at Little Falls, an officer
reported he had engaged in gun
fight with man thought to be the
fugitive. The man escaped
A reward of $500 for the arrest
of Rust, dead or alive, was at once
offered by commissioners of Brown
county, South Dakota and since
then officers throughout the north
west had been on the lookout for
the man. Rust is said to have had a
long criminal record In California
and to have been under parole from
Folsom prison near Sacramento.
In st. Paul Since August
When the sheriff's slayer jumped
from the police automobile last
night he was handcuffed. Police
have been unable to learn what
method he used to remove the man :
acles. -,
Rust had been living at the Day
ton avenue address since August
under the alias Of Peter Thorson,
police said, and had dyed his blonde
hair black to escape detection. The
officers did not learn of the real
identity of the slain man until af-
ter the gun fight, questioning Of the
woman by Chief of Police Sommers
In the interim having ELECTED the
information.
When he was first arrested last
night officers who searched Rust
found a revolver and a crucit1x In
the same pocket.
The body OF the slayer is at the
county morgue and holdup victims
will he brought there today In an
attempt to identify him as the man
who perpetrated several recent rob
'0- Trail To Repeat Coup
When Rust was arrested last
night on a. charge Of automoplie
theft he attempted coup SINH
lar TO that which ended in the death
of Sheriff Fulker.
Rust was being taken to the Cen :
trail police station, riding between
two detectives in the police car,
At that time this identify was not
known. Rust dropped his cap to
the floor of the car and asked an
officer to pick 1t up.
When the officer stopped over to
pick up the cap, Rust made a move
to slug him with his manacied
hands, but stopped as the other de-
tectiye presse q revolver against his
neck. Rust shot Sheriff Fulker as
the latter stopped over to adjust
manacles of Rust's ankles at the
slayers request.
Searching For Letterman
It was when the police reached
the Central station that they re-
marked on their prisoners attempted
to brain the detective and noted the
similarly to the killing of Fulker.
This resulted in the mans in
Identification, for pictures Of Rust
taken from police files were linden
titled by the detectives and by the
woman who was with Rust when ns
was taken on the auto theft charge
After Rust dove from the automo
bile, police believe he communlcat
ed with a companion who sawed OF
the manacles. Police believe this
| friend is Owen Letterman, escaped
convict and Rust's pal.
Letterman and Rust escaped from
prison at Folsom, California May IL
1923, stole an automobile and came
to Minnesota. Letterman later was
arrested at Aberdeen and sawed his
way out of jail there. Police are
searching for Letterman.N
Detectives Broke Into Room
Detectives Thomas A. Brown
Staley A. Cassidy and Austin Nc
Turn To Page IL; Column IL
Nelly located Rust in the home of ]
| Tracy, where he had taken a room
saying he planned to attend college
/ this fall. -s...e
Shown the room Rust occupied
Brown burst 1t open and leaped In
side, Cassidy at his heels. Mcneil!
hod haan sent to guard the rear o.