TIMMONS' GOLD MINE -- WHITEY TIMMONS (Part 1)

GITTINGER, TIMMONS, JOHNSON, BYERS, CONNELL, ANDREWS, ROBBINS

Posted By: David (email)
Date: 12/9/2004 at 13:00:09

The Chariton Leader, Chariton, Iowa
Thursday, March 14, 1907

'Whitey Strikes a Rich Lead While in the County Jail.'

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At the recent term of the district court "Whitey" Timmons was sentenced to
60 days in the county jail for entering a premises and stealing a robe. He
had almost completed his sentence when one day a half demented old Swedish
gentleman, not far from sixty years of age, was incarcerated with him, and
on this hangs a tale.

AUGUST JOHNSON, the Swedish gentleman mentioned, had been tramping about
over the eastern part of the county for several days, getting back door hand
outs and sleeping wherever he could get in. Later he shifted to English and
Pleasant Townships, and to all appearances he was a vagrant and his mental
condition caused considerable alarm. The citizens telephoned the Sheriff to
come out and get him, as the constables were at a distance, but were asked
to bring him in; this N.N. Byers said they would do, so he was brought to
Chariton, taken before Mayor Connell, who committed him to the county jail
for a period of ten days for vagrancy -- but practically until his case
could be investigated and if necessary turned over to Jacob Andrews,
overseer of the poor. The old fellow stoutly protested to Mayor Connell
that he had no money. On reaching the jail his outside clothing was
searched and a knife and a few trinkets were all the things found in his
pockets, but later developments have demonstrated that he had a considerable
sum of money on his person somewhere.

When "Whitey" was released from custody near the close of his sentence, he
immediately left the town and has not since been seen, which caused some
wonderment on the part of the officials. Later AUGUST JOHNSON said he would
like to go farther west and George Robbins, Deputy Sheriff, took him to the
depot and purchased him a ticket as far as Osceola. It was here the old man
first intimated that he had lost some money, by notifying Mr. Robbins that
he wanted the money that he had left with the fellow at the jail. But this
was thought only to be one of his fancies as he had several times told those
whom he was with that he was a rich man and had as much as $60,000, but when
pinned down, through the fear that he would have to pay his lodging bills,
he would deny having any money at all. In the meantime he had passed out of
the depot and when found was out in Brookdale addition. After being brought
back with two other gentlemen, he related the following peculiar narrative:

Soon after he entered the jail he told "Whitey" that he had money and
Whitey" made him believe that if the Sheriff or his Deputy discovered it
they (*can't read) him to let him be custodian and he would conceal it in
the bottom of a meal sack in which he kept his clothes. It seems that he
did so but the story was doubted,, until after corresponding with several
banks a letter was received from the People's Savings Bank, of Albia:

To Be Continued. . . . . G.J. Gittinger, Sheriff; Dear Sir:. . . .
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Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert
December 7, 2004
iggy29@rnetinc.net