Shameful Thieves - 1879

MCDONALD, KENNEDY, CROZIER, FURLONG

Posted By: Cheryl Locher Moonen (email)
Date: 4/14/2017 at 10:26:30

The Clinton Age, Clinton, Iowa, January 31, 1879

Last Saturday night about 12 o’clock, Mr. B. M. McDonald, a Catholic priest who was stopping at the Central House was decoyed away from the house by a couple of roughs who knocked him down and took his watch and money. The operation was performed so quick that he did not have time to cry out before the thieves were pout of sight. He returned to the hotel and told his story and the police were put on track of the robbers.

One of the assailants has since been taken.

Since the above has been typed it has transcribed that the above gentlemen is not a Catholic priest. The error probably arose from his clerical appearance, and the fact that he registered from Ireland.

At 8 o’clock the same evening Mr. John Kennedy, an aged man living on Fifth Street near the railroad crossing was assaulted and beaten in a most shameful manner with a piece of railroad iron. The old man had been presented with a few dollars from some charitable railroad boys, and this seem to be the object of the attack. The young villains robbed the man of all the money he had, $1.25 and an order from Poormaster Crozier calling for $2 and decamped.

Mr. John Furlong living in South Clinton also had a call from the light fingered gentry. On Sunday night he house was entered by thieves who got his silver watch, some money and several items of minor value.