Mike Abdo, Stanley Alfken

and Sister, Mrs, Jane Melntyre,

Released Monday Evening.

——–

GRILLED AS TO WHEREABOUTS

MURDER NIGHT

——–

Railroad Detectives Here

Monday Afternoon and Trio

Was Examined as to Actions.

——–

Mike Abdo, Stanley Aitken, and

the latter’s sister, Mrs. Jane McIntyre,

the former of Mankato and the

latter two of North Mankato, held

in connection with the murder of

Conductor W.D. Edwards and the

burglary of the Northwestern depot,

here early Monday morning of last

week, were given their liberty Monday

evening about seven o’clock,

following a grilling of several hours

by railroad detectives and local officials.

Insufficient Evidence

The evidence was insufficient to

hold them longer.

Abdo, 24, and Mrs. McIntyre, 28,

were taken into custody at a Twelfth

street, Minneapolis, apartment, Sunday

night by detectives and were

brought to New Ulm Monday on

the noon M. & St. L. passenger, and

turned over to local officials. They

were placed in the county jail.

Aitken Apprehended

Aitken, 30, was taken into custody

shortly after 6 o’clock Friday

evening at Mankato. Sheriff W. J.

Julius was communicated with and

he in company with Chief Alvin

Harmening and Jack Forster drove

to Mankato and returned with Aitken

about 9:30 o’clock. He was

placed in the county jail.

All three, it is said, put up no

struggle, when taken into custody

by the officers.

Had But Two Cents

Aitken had but two cents in

his possession, when searched at

Mankato by the officers. He was not

armed and put up no resistance. He

said,”I have never been in New Ulm

in my life.”

After being placed in jail Aitken

passed the time Saturday and

Sunday reading various magazines

on hand. He was reticent and maintained

that he was not in New Ulm

the night of the murder and robbery

and knew nothing concerning the

happening.

Aitken and his sister, when children,

resided in Amboy, and Winnebago

City. Their father is dead and

their mother is a street evangelist.

Abdo has resided in the Mankato

community for years.

Grilled the Three

Omaha. M. & St. L., Great

Northern and Northwestern detectives

were in New Ulm Monday

afternoon and spent most of the afternoon

questioning the three suspects.

It is said that the grilling made

no impression upon them and that

after repeated questioning they were

turned loose.

Story as to “Steaming” Auto

About 5 o’clock Monday morning

of last week Mankato officers

noted a Hudson coach drive over the

Minnesota river bridge. They claim

it was steaming, as if it had been

pushed to capacity for considerable

distance. It is said that Abdo, Aitken

and his sister were in the car. Abdo

and Mrs. McIntyre took an early

northbound Omaha passenger. It is

claimed they purchased their tickets

on the train, of the conductor and

Abdo had a roll of bills. There were

some twenties, tens and fives, in the

roll, it is said.

The three maintain, when questioned

here, that they had driven to

Mankato from North Mankato, to

take the early train and deny that the

radiator was steaming.

Mrs. McIntyre at the Door

It is said that when the detectives

rapped on the door at the Minneapolis

apartment, occupied by Abdo and

the McIntyre woman that the latter

came to the door and that Abdo was

in the room. It is also claimed that

neither had left the premises from

the time they engaged the room

Tuesday of last week until they were

taken into custody Sunday evening.

Near the apartment the Hudson

coach was found by the officers. It is

claimed that Wm. Abdo, a brother of

Mike, had driven it to Minneapolis.

Abdo Convicted

Mike Abdo was convicted on a

statutory charge in the Blue Earth

county court during the June term,

and is at liberty on bail fixed by

the state supreme court. He served

seven days of a nine-year sentence

when a writ of appeal for retrial of

his case was issued.

Hudson Car in New Ulm

A Hudson coach, in which two

men and a woman were riding

stopped for gas at a local garage

Sunday evening about nine o’clock,

but the attendant could not identify

any of the three held for questioning

as being passengers in the car.

Hole in Cap

Several days following the murder

and burglary Thomas Wright,

telegrapher, noticed that his cap had

several holes in it. One is in the bill

and the other is in the back. Both

could have been made by a bullet.

This is what he thinks, but it is impossible

that the bullet fired through

the window by the two-gun man

preceding the holdup, which passed

through the door jam, could have

passed through Wright’s cap, if he

was standing up.

Visit Scene of Crime

Monday evening, following

the liberating of Abdo, Aitken and

the latter’s sister, from the Brown

county jail, the railroad detectives

together with Sheriff W. J. Julius

and County Attorney T. O. Streissguth

went to the Northwestern

depot to investigate at the scene of

the crime. Thomas Wright was on

duty as telegrapher and explained

to them in detail concerning the

killing of Conductor Edwards and

the burglary. He also showed them

the supposed bullet holes in his cap.

They had him stand, hold his hands

up, and then the impossibility of the

bullet entering his cap when he was

in a standing posture, was evident.

Will Not Desist

Local officials, it is evident,

are somewhat disappointed that

the questioning of the three North

Mankato parties did not reveal anything

tangible, concerning the murder

of Conductor Edwards and the

burglary at the Northwestern depot,

but state that they will not desist in

their efforts to ferret out the criminals.

The railroad detectives will

also remain on the job and expect to

apprehend the criminals, if it is possible

to do so.

Find Handkerchief

A blue handkerchief was picked

up across German street from the

Jos. Epple home early last week, but

was not turned over to Sheriff Julius

until Saturday. Telegrapher Wright

stated that the man, who held up the

depot had a blue handkerchief tied

over his face.

Jos. Epple was preparing to take

the Northwestern passenger going

east the morning of the murder and

shortly after three o’clock heard a

car stop in front of his house and

then start again. He opened the front

door and looked out and noted the

car turned to go towards Minnesota

street. It is possible that the party had

the machine parked nearer the depot

and drove to German street near the

Epple home and picked up another

member and then continued on.

Another car stopped in the same

neighborhood shortly thereafter but

continued in the opposite direction

of the first car.

Brown County Journal,

September 25, 1925

———————-