The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-01-24
From Leland.
The Great Raid on a Gang of Thieves....seven
Soooped at One Haul.---Four Persons since Ar
rested, and Warrants Out for More.

From Worthwhile to Mendoza, in this coun
ty, we have been suffering terribly for thu
past eight months by gang of thlcving ope
rators, who have made sad havoc in the coun
try among the farmers and Others, and IN ou
villages by breaking into several stores ant
stealing their contents. So many and fire
uuent had these thefts become that it became
actually necessary for the people to have cx
ira policemen and watchers in every village
and township over the whole north end OF
La Sale and southeast of DE Kalb counties
All efforts to get any positive proof of the
persons committing these deprcdations, how
ever, seemed to have failed Ietpublic opin
ion suspiconed that the headquarters Of this
nest was somewhere in the town of Adams.
A few of the best men, property owners,
therefore concluded to "keep an eye OUT in
the region suspected, and await coming
events They had not long to wait. Their
attention was called to the fact of a dark Ian
tern in the possession of Adolph Wantz, a
Young man living with hi. two half brothers,
mother and several sisters, about three miles
southeast of Leland. Frequent thefts had
made the young thieves bold, and they at last
would unbosom their crimes to some friend
or two as IA secret.
Being in communication with our Sheriff,
Mr. Mcintyre, as to the best means of obtain
ing relief, it was at last concluded to let MIR.
Bates, man TO whom several exploits had
been told find out such proof as he could in
81 4.
that they were to make raid on one Andrew
Anderson wealthy Norwegian living near
by. The time finally agreed upon for the
raid was Saturday night last The facts were
telegraphed Office Forristal at Mendoza who
came to Leland IN the night, got eleven men,
bringing four others from Mendoza with him. |
The party started from Leland on foot and
arrived at the headquarters Of this den about
four o'clock \. NJ Sunday finding all still
and every one asleep. They surrounded the
house and some Of them went in, At first |
the inmates offered to resist, but soon saw the
utter uselessness Of doing so, and quietly
surrendered. The persons arrested were,
Constantine S. and Fernando Sprngstead,
AdOlphus Wantz and Mark Paris, together
with Mrs. Minnie Wantz and two of her
daughters, Adela and Matilda; leaving one
of the daughters with her bastard child and
three young girls at the house. Leaving a
guard at the house, the party proceeded back !
to Leland and deposited their precious treas
ures in the city Jail Search warrants were
issued at once to look for stolen property, and j
the result showed that the people did not /
misiudge when they believed these despera- 5
does guilty, for the officers brought home sew
eral blankets, saddles, whips, bags, buffalo
FoDcs, any amount of carpenter tools, fowls,
reYolyers, gloves clothing, and a large mum. t,
Der OF other things, as lawful booty. 7
Monday morning the parties were arrairn. :
cd on several counts" or warrants-for bur. #
gIary, larceny &c.-bcforc Esq George A.
1oung, who associated with him ESD. c. +.
Oakfield, at Leland. Constantine S. SPRING.
stead was examined, and the proof in his
.ase ", the same for his brother, half broth.
7 and Paris. During the day Alfred Paris
vas brought in as another dJendant. and also a
)sman Fosscen, farmer, and formerly of or
ottawa
The proof showed that 90 bushels of limo
by seed were stolen by the gang of one VIM
lark, together with ten bags and one robe
nd the timothy seed taken to Mendoza and
old. The parties can readily be identified in So.
ushels Of wheat at one time, and 40 bushels
I another, of Thomas Cullen; saddle of
'olon Hill; tools and fowls, &c, of King An
erson; bbls. timothy seed were taken, the {
,arrels turned upside down and the bottoms
covered with seed, to make them appear
Nh, sc, Large numbers Of articles were
Entitled by the owners
Over four hundred persons attended the
trial The prosecution aolie pressed on the S'
cases of the women and Alfred Paris The
three brothers and Mark Paris were held to
bail in + 600 each for their appearance be
tore the Circuit Court, and failing TO rive sic
bonds, were committed on Tuesday to the
county Jail. Fosscen got his case continued
until I o'clock p NJ Thursday, claiming he
can satisfactorily account for the property o
found IN his possession a
Wednesday Asa Cullen was arrested in OF.
tawa as one Of the party, and George ITUcll-
crt in Adams as another c
The intention is to place the matter at once
before the Grand Jury, with the hopes that
ample, prompt and decided action, coupled a
with justice, may be had at this term of
Court
J. lvor Montgomery, Of Leland, prosecuted /
for the people, and ]. w. Browne, of Earl,
for the defendants.
The history and crimes of this gang of
young thieves are alive with items of inter
est and repletc with incidents Of acute prac
tice rarely surpassed by older and more cx-
pericnced hands, and involves several per
sons in good standing in society.
Besides the matters set forth above. there