St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-07-25
FOUND OUT AT LAST.
Inspectors Howard and Doyle's Arrest
Probable Burglars.
E. A. ALDRICH IMPLICATED.
Over $1,000 Worth of Stolen Goods Re-
eovered---Some Sensational Devel- j,
opments Yet to Come.

For some months past there have been
numerous burglaries in Minneapolis,
and out in the surrounding towns, and
the police were at somewhat of loss to
locate the thieves. Big hauls have been
made at all the burglaries, and the Off
Gals have been getting reproach upon
reproach from every man whose house;
was robbed. But yesterday Inspectors
Howard and Doyle made a number of
arrests, which will undoubtedly put a.
stop to most of the might work. !"
When the residence of James W. Law
renee was robbed some time ago the,
police struck clue to the perpetrators,
and the two inspectors have been work
ing on it ever since. Yesterday morn
ing they arrested S. P. Davidson and
Frank Blake, proprietors of Davidson's
lodging house, on First street north;
Joseph Lewis, Ed Mcdonald and James
Burnham, the delivery man of +. w.
Aldrich, the well-knOwn auctiOneer, and
placed them in the First precinct sta
ton on the charge of being connected
with many of the rObberies which have
taken place in Minneapolis of late.
On the men was found large
amount of jewelry, some of which
has already been identified. One of the
men had watch in his pocket stolen
from the residence of Judge Searles, OF
st. Cloud, some time ago. After lock-
ing the men up the inspectors took the
patrol wagon and went to the residence
of Auctioneer AldrIch, at 80 Eleventh
street north. The only one at home
was young lady. The officers showed
a search warrant and went through the
house, finding some 5000 worth of
goods of all kinds. The goods found
comprised articles taken from j. w.
Lawrence's residence, from the home
of r. r. Rand, Fl. o. Peterson's store,
Bridges barber shop. Winecke IL
DOerr'S cigar store and Won de Weyer
& Sohma'S store. The auction store on
Third street was next visited and
wagon load of goods found. Every
thing was taken to the station, where it
to connect the men with nearly every
burglary of any size that has taken
place in this section for long time.
Some days ago Mr.. Aldrich went East
and then telegraphed his vito to follow
him. The inspectors are reticenU as re-
CARDS what connection he had with the
cases. When it is known that his de-
livery wagon was used by his hired man
in collecting the goods, and the goods
themselves were found in his house and
at his store, it looks bad for him. In
specuors Howard and Doyle state that
sensational developments will be made
as soon as matters can be arranged, and
that in all probabilities a number of
further arrests will follow. The cap
ture is considered the best that has ever
been made here.
Davidson. the leader of the gang,
whose operations have been cut short by
two of the best inspectors on the Mime
apOlis police force, came here from st.
Louis about year ago. Soon after
reaching here and seeing what a field
there was, he sent to st. Louis for
Frank Blake, another well-knOwn pro-
fessional. The two, it is claimed, then
began operations, and as blind bought
out the lodging house on First street
north, which has long been resort
for thieves, thugs and toughs OF
all kinds. David on went to, st.
Louis when the Democratic convention
was in session there, secured six we'll
known crackSmen, and. bringing them
to Minneapolis, organized his gang and
began work. The police knew the
gang were doing crooked wolk, but
could not get good case against the
members. Finally it was found that
Aldrich. the auctionees. whose place of
~
was receiving the stolen goods. His
store and his house and barn were
watched, and finally it was discovered
that Aldrich'S hired man, Burnham,
went after all the stolen goods with
horse and buggy belonging to his en-
pIOyer. 1t was also discovered that
when several thousand cigars were
stolen from Weineke q Doerrs place.
out on Nicollet, Aldrich himself went
with the wagon when the two loads of
cigars were carted away. All the stolen
goods were taken directly to Aldrich's
house or store, where they were packed
ond-hand goods When the inspect
ors searched Aldrich's house hun
dreds of dollars worth of all
kinds of goods were found slowed
away in the auctioneer's private apart
mentS. The inspectors claim that it
was Aldrich himself who planned many
of the robberies and declare that he
should get the heaviest sentence of any
of the gang. Mr.. Aldrich is a man well
known in Minneapolis, and was prOmi-
nent in Grand Army and Republican
circles. His friends find it hard TO be-
lieve that he is connected with this gang
and insist that he will return and prove
his innocence.
But lllc ScnSdtiOlldl features are not
ended here. 1t is stated on what ap-
pears to be good authority that Ger
tain police official, standing high in
rank, is also connected with the gang.
1t is alleged that for a long time past he
has known of what has been going on,
and has received many of the stolen
goods and that his silence was pur-
chased with money received from the
sale of some of the goods by Mr.. Aldrich
himself. The whole case promises to
be decidedly sensational in more ways
than one. and it is expected that several
more arrests will follow inside of few
days.