Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1866-03-02

L
For some great glory won
Some gem set in the ages
By even poor mans son.
SECRETS OF BURGLARY.
An Extensive Gang in the North and West
The ssOhio Farmers'"-Who Robbed Sam
dusky County Treasury .-IRteresting Bpi-
sodes in the Frnternity's Operations.
All our readers will recollect the attempted
robbery of the sandusky County Treasury last
November Of course it was subject Of uni
versal regret that the burglars effected their es-
cape, though no blame could be properly at
tached to any one for the failure to arrest them.
In the light of the following facts, this regret
will be still greater, since the operators in that
affair have been ascertained to be principals in
an extensive gang of robbers, whose depreda-
tions extend throughout the United States and
especially in the North and West. Had the
capture of MoCREA and his co-workers in the
attempt on oar County Safe been effected, it
might have resulted in the complete exposure
and overthrow of the gang.
1t is easy to see how any evidence short Of
an arrest in the act of burglary must fail to con-
vict member of such gang, since they have
almost unlimited means at their disposal with
which to operate in effecting the release of one
of their number. From the facts given below,
it appears that either one or other set of western
detectives and police, or both, have more or less
completely with the outlaws. And half the
truth is not told. Indeed, many of the robbers
themselves are gentlemen of high respectability;
or pass for such. McCREA, the gentleman who
came so near extracting $4,000 from our Coun-
ty Treasury, is a man of abundant means, fine
appearance, and lives in grand style at his home
in Springfield, Illinois. When the authorities
offer 81 900 reward for the apprehension of such
robbers, detectives hunt them up not so much
with view to obtaining the legitimate reward,
as for the purpose of extcrting much larger
bonus from the villains themselves as hush
money" But their time will finally come.
All detectives are not rogues, as those who are
will eventually learn to their grief
The following statement is furnished by
Messrs. W. W. and z. Ross, of this place. agents
of the Ohio Farmers Insurance Company for
Sandusky County:
9Ial lli 5sr SOS
lMessrs Editors: By your request, we make
the following statement of some of the facts
connected with the robbery of the safe of the
Ohio Farmers Insurance Company, and the
efforts made by the detective force to ferret out
the criminals engaged in that burglary. :
This robbery, many of your readers will re-
member, was committed nearly year since, in
Medina County this State. The amount stolen
was about $57, 900, including $49, 900 of Com !
pany funds and $4,000 belonging to private
parties. -. .,..
No clew, we believe, was obtained as to the
burglars or the stolen bonds, until some time
last Fall, although unremitting efforts were
made by the officers of the company in conjuDc-
tion with the detectives both in the East and
West.
The notorious Jim Brown, pretending to know
something of the affair.". was bailed out of the
Cleveland jail partially upon condition of lend
ing his services in the detection of the crimi-
nails, but we believe little came Of his agency in
the matter.
Sometime in Autumn last stranger offered
some 7-3O bonds for sale to banker named
Price, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His answers
being evasiye, Prices suspicious were some.
what aroused; nevertheless he purchased the
bonds amounting to several thousand dollars.
In short time after, the same gentleman pre-
sented some fve-twenty bonds to the same
bank. Price rather objected to taking them,
stating that he could not pay higher than lO2
per cent, although other banks in the city were
paying as high as 1O4 per cent. Price was in-
formed that he could have the bonds at the rate
suggested; he, accordingly, purchased them, but
his suspicious being still further excited by
this sale of the bonds at less than the market
price he consulted Beck, the chief Of police Of
the city of Milwaukee. Beck informed him
that he knew the gentleman from whom he
had obtained the bonds, well-that it was Sam
uel Felker. detective of Chicago, perfectly
honorable gentleman, in whom he could place
the utmost reliance.
These assurances of Beck quieted Prices ap-
prehensions for the time, but upon close exam
ination of several thousand dollars worth OF
bonds, subsequently purchased OF Felker, Price
discovered that the numbers had been changed.
He Immediately took them to chief of police
Beck and asked him if they were right. Beck
replied that they were not-that the numbers
had been changed. He was then informed that
they had been negotiated by Felker the man
whom he had recommended so highly. Beck
replied that if Felzer had negotiated them, he
believed he had come by them innocently, and
that as Felker was then in the city they would
find him; they accordingly did so. In the
meantime the real numbers of the bonds had
been found to correspond with the numbers OF
the stolen bonds of the ''Ohio Farmers Insur-
ance Company description of which was in
possession of other banks in the city. @
Felker claimed that the bonds came honestly
into his possession; but upon being requested
to redeem them objected to doing so, saying
that it would make him poor man. Beck in
terceded IN behalf of Felker Some $9, 600 Of
the bonds were finally, however, redeemed by
Felker, Price retaining possession of them.