The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1923-04-27
HOPE TO UNCOVER
CRIME IN DETROIT
Woman Leading In Search
For Alleged Slayer
BURNS THE HELPER
Man Locked Up Believed BY
His Friends To Be
innocent

Detroit, Mich. Aprf, 2I-ro:ice
hero are seeking far and wide tho
man with hand like a claw"
For on his arrest depends tie free.
tom Of Leo Sauer1nan. lodged behind
the bars OF Marquette (Aich.) prison
upon conviction OF a coldblcofied
murder OF which his friends believe
he is innocent.
Ihrs. Helen Bauman. comeIy young
sister OF Sauerman, is leading the
light against what she believes is an
oror OF justice.
While the facts in the ccse would
9eeGl to warrant az sppeal to the
governor for pardon, hrs. Raupan
has persistenuy refused to allow her
counsel to take such an action.
Il Lnow a pardon would free him
SIC says, "but 1t would not clear his
name Tlom tha stain Of the murder
charge-the mark or CAin."
Seeks an Appeal
So the devoted sister is striving,
With the aid Of counsel, TO have the
case, appealed 70 the state supreme
court.
3arerman was convicted last Octo
Der Of numbering Alex Dom browsM
in January, 1922. Ssuerman is charged
Win having gone to Dom Drowskis
aome with three companions, includ-
ing Homer Noel and Melvin Brown.
who have confessed their completes
but have denied they ever knew
Sauerman, in an effort to steal a
quantity Of bootleg liquor alleged 10
have been in Dom brcwsk's posses
sion.
Dombrowski refused to turn over
the liquor and Sauerman shot him,
according TO testimony of Dombrow-
skis widow and eleven year old son.
Brown and Noel have been tried
for murder and have been convicted.
Ihey confessed their part in the
crime to both federal and state
agents. They are now waiting sen
tence. -
Since Sauerman has been waging
ms hight for liberty, disclosures iii
the case have been sensational and
nave shown the key for Sauerman's
exit from prison to be the location
ana apprehension of mystery man.
called Hill and also Evans, who has
TWO fingers missing from his lett
hand, and who is declared in confes-
slons or other men as the leader of
a notorious band of hi jackers and
liquor warehouse robbers.
Burns Gives Aid
When Sauerman's counsel atteup-
ted TO obtain new trial for him.
permission was secured from William
j. Burns, chief of the bureau Of in
Vestigation of the United States de-
partment of justice, for local agents
OF the department to testify in
Sauerman's behalf.
The department of Justice records,
opened in court, declare that there
was no mystery about Hill 'the CLAW
man, that he was real person. and
a ruthless leader of a desperate
band of outlaws that did not hesitate
In shooting in their raids of ware
houses in Kentucky and on other
bootleggers over the country.
The entire band had federal badg.
es and represented themselves as fed
eral agents in search OF liquor in
many Of their raids, it was shown.
People Aroused
The Sauerman case has so aroused
public opinion in Michigan that it is
believed to have had a powerful in
fuence in causing the defeat recently
of capital punishment bill intro
duced into the Michigan legislature.
Michigan does not punish murder
ers by death. The maximum penalty
is life Imprisonment.