LeMars Sentinel newspaper
Dated November 14, 1919

WILL TRY BANDITS
GUNMEN AND BANK ROBBERS TO BE TRIED AT COMING TERM

The November term of the Plymouth county district court will convene
next Monday with Hon. C. C. Bradley presiding.  The grand jury for the
term are:
Jos. Becker, Plymouth;
C. W. Brotherton, Remsen;
J. Brandstetter, LeMars;
Jas. Gibbons, Union;
Fred Gronemeyer, Preston;
Wm. Janssen, Stanton;
F. W. Kehrberg, Garfield;
Fred Remer; America;
John Traufler, LeMars;
Philip Winter, Hungerford;
J. B. Wolf, Marion.
There are thirteen criminal cases on the docket.

The county attorney states that the case of the gunmen and the Westfield
bank robbers will be taken up first when the petit jurors convene on
November 24.  Wm. Convey and Wilbur Siglin were indicted by the grand
jury at the last term of court for murderous assault on the sheriff.
The men who robbed the bank of Westfield will also be tried at this term
of court.  They are Culver Kennedy, Lee Barrington, Harry Smith, M.
Cullon and Jas. O'Keefe.

The other criminal cases on the docket are of minor import.  The state
of Iowa is plaintiff against the following:
Lone Hansen, larceny;
Oscar Palmer, bigamy;
J. F. Hansen, appeal from justice court;
J. A. North, wife desertion.
Athol C. Haile is out on bond pending good behavior and Ernest
Greenfield under bonds to keep the peace. 

The following cases have been assigned for trial:
Julia Esther Smith vs. W. W. Ross,
F. L. Kingsley vs. J. F. Ellsworth et al,
Geo. W. Stride vs. J. P. Marx,
T. E. Klay vs. G. H. Mammen,
R. Van Syl vs. G. H. Mammen,
M. R. Faber vs R. Van Zyl.

Thirteen cases are noticed for trial and sixteen old equity cases and
there are twenty-two new cases filed on the calendar.

VIOLIN RECITAL
The appearance of Wm. F. T. Mollenhauer at Western Union College chapel
Wednesday evening in a violin recital drew a good house,
notwithstanding.  It was the first cold snap of the season.

LeMars Sentinel newspaper
Dated Tuesday, Nov. 18, 1919

CAPTURE ALL FIVE
ASSASSING ARE CORRALED BY POSSES YESTERDAY
TWO ARE CAUGHT AT MAURICE

Escaped Jail Breakers Hid in Corn Fields in Day Time and Barns at
Night—Are Taken to Sioux City for Safe Keeping

The five bandits, who broke jail on Friday night, after shooting Sheriff
Maxwell and his son, William, were captured yesterday and are now lodged
in the Woodbury county jail for safe keeping.

On Sunday evening about 8 o'clock a telephone message was received that
a young son of Joseph Stinton had been held up and robbed, while leaving
his father's farm, near Struble.  The young man is a deaf mute.  He was
husking corn at the Bullington farm the past few days and was returning
there after spending Sunday at home.  He was driving a horse and buggy
when a short distance from the house was stopped by two men, who pointed
guns at him.  They took his watch and a few dollars.  He said the men
were masked or had handkerchiefs over their faces.

On receipt of the news of this hold up, the supposition arose that
members of the Convey gang had perpetrated this fresh outrage.  New
posses started out for the Stinton place.

Thinking this would prove a new clew on which blood hounds could be
used, a telegram was sent down the line to Ross C. Baldwin, of Waterloo,
to intercept him on the road and bring back the bloodhounds, which he
had taken east after working them here on Sunday.  The message got him
at Storm Lake and he returned to LeMars yesterday morning.  The dogs
were taken to the spot where Stinton was held up and started on a trail
which led to a school house a little ways off.  Here the dogs seemed
puzzled and were casting about for a scent.  Dick Stewart of LeMars
appeared on the scene and informed the members of this posse that two of
the members of the Convey gang were corralled in a bunk house on the
Great Northern railway at Maurice, by a party of Maurice men.

Stewart added that he was on his way from LeMars to Ireton and stopped
at Maurice where he learned two men had been seen to enter a bunk house.

He left the Maurice man on guard while he went to the Stinton place to
inform Mayor Eilers.

Sheriff Groneweg, of Council Bluffs, says when the LeMars men arrived at
Maurice they found Convey and Lee Barrington had been captured by men in
Maurice.  Convey appeared cowed and was shaking and shivering and was
suffering from frost bite.  There were brought to LeMars in R. B.
Dalton's car, he having driven the officers out.  Near LeMars Convey and
Barrington were switched into a car which skirted the outlying part of
town and taken by Deputy Sheriff Sickler and Cecil McGruder to Sioux
City to avert possible mob violence which had been threatened by some.

Barrington was talkative and answered some questions.  Convey remained
silent and acted as if he was scared to death.

Philip Deuschle, section foreman at Maurice, was in LeMars yesterday.
He said he was startled when going into the bunkhouse to find five men
in there.  They had evidently slept there all night and built a fire at
which to warm themselves.  They wanted him to get them something to eat
and said if he squawked it was “dead or alive.”

The posse immediately took up the chase for the three outlaws who had
escaped, O'Keefe, Smith and Cullon, who had gone on up toward Sioux
Center and bout three or four miles up the track came up with them.  The
men were lying at the side of the railroad partially hidden by when a
rifle was brought to bear on them, rose up and surrendered without
offering any resistance.  There were hungry and cold and broken in
spirit by the experience of the previous three days and looked like
whipped curs.  There were loaded in cars and brought to LeMars and put
in jail, arrive here about 12 o'clock.  An hour later they were taken on
to Sioux City in the same care that had brought them in, L. H. Hatiliop
at the wheel and Chas. Lewsberry, Carl Witt and C. A. Lowell, an
Illinois Central special officer, having them in charge.  These men were
armed when captured but had no fight left in them.

A crowd of several hundred people had gathered at the jail and shouts of
“hang them” were heard from the crowd as the prisoners were brought
ought and the officers drew revolvers and waved the crowd back.
[the rest of the newspaper microfilm for this paragraph about the crowd
is extremely faded.]

TO HONOR DEAD YOUTH
MILITARY FUNERAL WILL BE ACCORDED WILL MAXELL

To serve his country during the great war with credit and honor and to
return safe and meet death at the hands of dastard was the fate of
William Maxwell, who died from bullet wounds he received during the jail
break on Friday night.  He passed away on Sunday morning.

William Maxwell was born in Plymouth county and lived here all his life
until called to service.  He was born on May 5, twenty-two years ago and
was educated in the country schools and the LeMars school.  He enlisted
when 19 years of age and served in Company K on the border and went to
France with the Sandstorm division and returned home seven weeks ago to
the day he was killed.

He was a fine young man, liked by everybody and his death is mourned by
his family, his friends, and host of friends.

The funeral will be held this afternoon at 1:30 from the house and at 2
o'clock at the Presbyterian church.  The funeral will be under military
auspices.  The order of the procession will be as follows:
Colors.
Band.
Escort – One Platoon.
Clergy.
Hearse.
Family.
Service Men.
Friends.
The pallbearers will be friends of his with who he serve in the army:
Ben Thelles,
Fay Terpenning,
Otto H. Heeren,
Luther C. Green,
George Hes___?
George Pech.

All the business houses and offices in the city will be closed during
the hours of the funeral in honor of the deceased.

LeMars Sentinel newspaper
Dated Nov. 21, 1919

GET LIFE SENTENCE
FIVE BANDITS PLEAD GUILTY TO MURDER CHARGE

THEY ESCAPE THE DEATH PENALTY

Desperadoes Were Brought to Court House in LeMars Under Cover of
Darkness and Hurried Away After the Sentence is Pronounced

Lee Barrington, Harry Smith, James O'Keefe, William Cullon and William
Convey must sever the rest of their lives in the Iowa state penitentiary
at Fort Madison as punishment for the murder of William Maxwell, who was
killed by the five men when they escaped from the county jail here last
Friday.  There were sentenced by Judge C. C. Bradley, of the Plymouth
county district court at 8 o'clock Wednesday after the grand jury at
LeMars had returned indictments of first degree murder against the five
men at 4 o'clock Wednesday afternoon.  It is the first time in the
history of the state that so great a number were given life terms for
one offense.

The men were brought to LeMars under cover of darkness and as soon as
sentence was pronounced the prisoners were taken back to the Woodbury
county jail.  They were taken from there under a heavy guard yesterday
morning to the penitentiary at Fort Madison.


The formal court proceedings occupied less than half an hour.

J. W. Kindig, of Sioux City, deputy state attorney, was retained by the
state to assist County Attorney Bedell.  J. W. Parsons, of Des Moines,
also was here, representing the State Banker's association to take a
hand in the proceedings.

The rapid disposal of the men came after J. W. Kindig, special
prosecutor, held a conference with the men and secured their promise to
plead guilty.  All of the bandits accepted the murder indictment,
although it is the option of several officials that not more than two of
them would be made to answer for the killing of young Maxwell.  The men
feel satisfied, however, and are appreciative of the protection they
received from the civilian posse that captured them and did not want to
risk any further exposure to a mob at a trial.

Three automobiles carrying the bandits, and guarded by Sheriff W. H.
Jones, of Sioux City; Sheriff Harlow, of Onawa; Sheriff Groneweg, of
Council Bluffs; Sheriff Myers, of Logan; Deputy Sheriff Jackson, Special
deputies Ed. Crook and Lee Glew and State Agents Risden and Van Wagnen,
left Sioux City at 6:30 and delivered the me to LeMars and returned them
to jail at Sioux City at 11 o'clock.

Sheriff Maxwell was consulted in the matter and inasmuch as capital
punishment has rarely been enforced in the state of Iowa, acquiesced in
the disposal of the men.

Only court officials were present at the dramatic scene which was
enacted in the courthouse.  The prisoners, guarded by officers were
heavily manacled and presented a coward, craven appearance.  There were
apparently glad to save their worthless skins.

Citizens on the street yesterday expressed their gladness that swift
punishment was meted out to the desperadoes but regretted that the
murderers of William Maxwell would not hang.