Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 257, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 October 1914 — CORRECTING REPORT OF MONON INCIDENT [ARTICLE]

CORRECTING REPORT OF MONON INCIDENT

"Ego” Miller Was Not the Officer Who Detained Cliff Sumner and Glen Sanders.

Tiie Republican some two weeks ago contained an article about the' arrest of Cliff Sumner and Glen! Sanders, of this city, at Monon, as suspects in tiie robbery of stores at Lee, and told of their reported abuse >at tiie hands of a Monon ofc, filter whom they thought to be "Ego” Miller. Millers correct name is Alfred C. Miller, "Ego or ’Ago” being a nickname. He was not connected in any manner With the detention, however, qf the Rensselaer boys and is reported to have been at home, fast asleep during the time the incident occurred. Tiie officer on duty at Monon was Ina Robbins, the nightwatch constable. In the evening lie received a telephone message from Lee to be on the lookout for two men on a motorcycle. He states that tiie color o/ the motorcycle was not described. After midnight lie visited the depot restaurant or, according to his own language, the ‘’beanery” and sighted Sumner and 'Slanders asleep in chairs. He called Marshal Jim Wilson, being of tiie opinion that lie had discovered tiie Lee burglars. Marshal Wilson and Officer Robbins entered the restaurant and woke «the motorcyclists up, searched and questioned them. According to Sumner and Sanders, Wilson was -Very and jerked Sumner, who is quite small, up from his chair, shook him and struck him ni tiie left eye. According to Sumner the following conversation tool? place,: , . \ Marshal Wi'lson: "Where did you fellows come from?” t Sumner: “From Rensselaer. We were going to Monticello and when east of Monon about eight miles our machine broke down and we came back here to get it fixed.” Wilson: “You didn’t go through Monon when you, went to Monticello, did you?”

iSumner: “Yes.” Wilson: “You’fe a damned liar.” “What do you do in Rensselaer?” “Work in a garage.” “Who for?” “Fi rm’a n Th o m fiiso n “Do you- knoyv any man named Firman Thompson? I don’t.” “Sit down there.” < And the boys sat down. The officerswent outside and looked at the motorcycle 'and then went awiay. The boys’understood that they were under arrest and they made no effort to leave. Some time later, Robbins thinks it wias about 4:30, he went to. the restaurant and said, “We made a mistake and got the wrong men. You are at liberty now.” Sumner -and Sanders knew that he came inland said something about the wtong men,' but did not understand that he released them and they did not leave the "beanery” until about 7- o'clock the next interning, when they took their motorcycle for repairs. They expected Marshal Wilson, who they took to be the official of authority, as he had done all the talking, and they expected, that he would prefer charges against them and they waited until 9 o’clock before they started home. Constable Robbins was in no manner abusive, 4 but he says that “Jim was a little bit rough.” Sumner’s left eye was discolored for several days after he had received the blow. Marshal Wilson makes the claim that Sumner resisted when he woke him up and that he slapped him. Sumner says that he made no effort to resist, although tempted to do so, because of the rough tactics Wilson employed. Our old friepd, Constable Miller, however, was not connected with the case at all.