Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-03-20
TlLLER ARRESTED.
The Big Thief Found in Mil
Waukee in Store.
How he Came to be Dis
covered.
Particulars and Incidents of the
Affair.

Affair.
Prentice Tiller, who stole 800, 600
from the Pacific Express Co, in st.
Louis, on Washington's Birthday was
arrested in Milwaukee last Thursday.
The arrest was due to a discovery
made by Charles j. letter, head sales
man for Carpeles, Schram 81 Co, East
Water street trunk dealers. About 10
o'clock last Tuesday morning, man
entered Carpeles, Schram 81 Co.'S store
and asked Mr.. letter to show him a
strong sole-leather trunk, one with
the strongest lock possible. A trunk
was purchased for 1913 on which he
paid SO. The man told Mr. letter
that on the following day he would
leave with him a vallse to be packed
IN the trunk, which he wanted him to
ship by the American Express com
pany to G. Ii. Pachen, Detroit, and
to place on the shipping tag the words
will call, and also requested that
the trunk be marked j w. Pachen.
Cincinnati, Ohio. While Mr. letter
was making the sale, and receiving the
order as to the shipment, ETC., the
thought occurred to him number of
times, that there was something sus-
picious about his customer. About 4
o'clock ON Wednesday afternoon the
man reappeared at the store with
valise, asked that it be put in his
trunk, and said that he would return
at ten minutes before o'clock for the
key of his trunk Shortly afterward
the valise was taken to the packing
room on the second floor, when it was
noticed that it was very heavy. On
account of the suspicion which he had
entertained towards his customer, and
the great weight of the valise, Mr..
letter ordered VIM. Dooley, an en-
ploye, to get key and open the satch-
Ell. This he did in the presence of Mr..
letter, and the latter examined the
contents.
WHAT THE sATCHEL CONTAINED.
On top, beneath some dirty cloth
ing, two large packages were discover
ed, besides several envelopes and am
amount of iewelry. Mr. letter was
dumbfounded, land ordered Dooley to
call Mr. Carpeles When the latter
appeared on the second floor, he was
told by Mr. letter of his discovery,
when further investigation was
made. 1t was Immediately seen that
the envelopes bore the seal of the
Pacific Express company, and when
they were opened and found to CON
tain money, the thought occurred to
Mr.. Carpeles that he was handling
the money stolen from the Pacific FIX
press office at st Louis, an account of
which he had read in the newspapers
When the discovery was made that
the two large canvass packages were
filled with currency, it was decided to
notify the United States Express com
pany To Agent Parker, of the ex
press company, Mr. Carpeles made
known the discovery, and immediate
ly Mr.. Parker introduced man, with
whom he had been in consultation,
as w. 7. Hancock, a detective from
ST. Louis An agreement was made
that the three should go to the office
of Attorney l.. B. Schram, where a
consul tation was held, and there it
was decided that the three should go
to Carpeles' store, get the valise and
contents, and deposit them in a safety
vault; the Merchants Exchange
being selected the valise was taken
to the bank, and, without further in
vestigation of the contents, it was
placed in the vault, in the name of
Messrs. Carpeles, Parker and Han
cock, an understanding being entered
into with the bank officials that the
valise should be delivered to the
three, and only when they appeared
at the bank together. After the de-
post had been made the three gentle
men visited Chief WATSON, and disclos-
ed to him what they had discovered,
and requested that he have deteCtive
at the store at 5 80 o'clock, at which
time the man who had left the vallse
was to return for the key. Chief
Wason Immediately ordered two de-
tectives to the store to await the re-
turn of the man. The latter failed to
put in an appearance, however, and
at 6:15 o'clock the store was close
for the day. Early yesterday morn
ing detectives were on watches in the
vicinity of the store, and at 6:15
o'clock Mr. Carpeles opened the store,
IN Elk pbCtdLlDlI bIldl lht lIldu HIiBh Dt
in waiting to get the key as soon as
the store opened; but in this he was
disappointed.
THE ARREST.
However, shortly after 10 o'clock,
the man entered the store, and asked
Mr.. letter for his key. NJ. letter.
told him that he could have it in a
moment Mr.. Carpeles, who had
left the store, returned while Mr.
letter pretended to be searching for
the key. Noticing the man in the
store, he beckoned to detective Mat
thews, who a moment later entered
the store The detective, placing his
hand on the fellows shoulder, told
ha wanted him, at the same time slip
ping the handouts upon his wrists
The man was taken to the station by
the detective, Mr. Carpeles accom-
panying them. Several persons who
had seen the arrest followed, and
when the station was reached a crowd
had assem- bled.
For hours after the prisoner was