Farmers Independent

MAN WANTED IN 3 CITIES PICKED UP HERE BY SHERIFF

Was Member of Chicago Gang;
Had Passed Hundreds of Dollars Of Worthless Checks

Edwin Koza, alias Anton J. Cermack, James Morgan, George Graceland, Jimmy Morgan, E. J. Smith & Co., Joseph Halvarty and Peter Morgan, age 35, wanted at Crookston, Grand Forks and Minot, N. D.; on charges of obtaining money under false pretenses, and a member of Chicago's gangland, was arrested near here Thursday by Sheriff Oliver Barness and held under the charge of carrying concealed weapons.

He was identified by Sheriff Barness through a circular offering a $50 reward for his arrest which gave his description, in part, as follows: height 5 ft. 6 in., weight 135, large nose, wide, slightly pugged; has been broken. Bullet hole through leg. Welts and scars on his back. Old scar running diagonally over forehead.

A fishing party composed of Sheriff Barness, Dr. Taylor and DeVere Wilson on their return from Long Lake were attracted to Koza's car on an old road near Mallard by the screaming and arm waving of a woman who came running toward their car, apparently in distress. On complaint of the woman, Koza was arrested on a technical charge of carrying concealed weapons.

Various authorities were notified and Sheriff Barness received three messages in return, asking that the man be held and stating that there was a reward for his capture. Barness then notified the sheriff at Minot that he would hold him for the North Dakota authorities. and Sheriff W. E. Slaybaugh of Minot came to Bagley Saturday and took Koza back with him.

Stopping the car to question the woman who waved them down, the three Bagley men were informed that a man who had promised to give the woman a free ride from Grand Forks to Minneapolis, where her sister lived, had taken this isolated road and on reaching this lonely spot claimed that he had run out of gas and that they would have to spend the night there.

The woman said she then tried to get out of the car with the intention of walking back to Mallard. but that he grabbed her and made indecent proposals and threatened to shoot her unless she acceded to his demands, and that in the scuffle with him the door of the car flew open and she made her escape.

A short distance from where the men met the woman a car was parked by the side of the road and in it was a man, who, when they came up to the car. demanded that the woman get back into the car or he would get even with her. The sheriff then took a hand in the matter and asked the woman if she were married to the man and when she replied that she was not. he told her to get into his car and he would ride into town with the man. who at first objected, but later decided there was no way of escape when his attention was directed to the fact that Barness was a sheriff and that he would have to accompany him.

After arriving in Bagley, Koza gave his right name to the sheriff. Koza said his home was in Minneapolis, that the car which he was driving, which bore an Illinois license. was one that he had bought just before leaving Minneapolis. and that the woman's name was Mary Fosness. and that he had picked up her and a man friend of hers at Grand Forks. but that the lady's friend was arrested by the sheriff of Koochiching county. Barness then wired various authorities, with the result that Koza was turned over to Ward county officers Saturday for return to Minot. Sheriff Slaybaugh declared that Koza had passed hundreds of worthless checks throughout North Dakota and parts of northern Minnesota and that his police record from Chicago showed him to be a member of a Cicero, Ill., beer running gang. At the suggestion of the sheriff, Koza waived extradition and was returned at once to Minot.

As a result of this arrest Barness was awarded the $50 reward which he used to pay the cost of the telephoning to the Dakota authorities and divided the balance with others assisting in the arrest.