St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-11-15
Old Rogues and Young Grim
inals, But All Are Badly
Wanted.
The Gang Made a Desperate
Resistance Before Being
Captured.
Thousands Of Dollars Worth
Of Stolen Property Found
and in Sight.

Chicago, Nov. 14.-Nineteen men
were arrested tonight in Farmers
saloon, corner Clinton and Madison
streets. 1t is said they belong to an or
ganiZed gang of safe-blowerS and thieves
that has been successfully operating in
St. Louis and Chicago. Considerable
stolen property was recovered by the
police tonight.
For several months the police have
been given information of depredatiOns
committed in various parts of the city.
which included almost every form of
theft, from simple pocket picking to
hOuSebreaking and safe blowing. Dis
patches were also received from many
of the surrounding large cities of
similar occurrences and indications
pointed to the existence of an organized
band, with this city as headquarters.
Capt. Mahoney detailed Detectives
WelbaSkY and WeSSler to work on the
case. and tonight their efforts resulted
i'll the capture of the gang and the
securing of positive evidence of their
guilt
Desperate Old Cracksmen.
Capt Mahonev felt elated over the
- ~
tie to say concerning the arrests, mas
much as the case is not yet fully COIN
pleted. Two Of the men arrested are
wanted for breaking the st. Louis Jail.
and the others for larceny, burglary and
robbery. The burglaries with which the
men are connected aggregate thou
ands of dollars. The men themselves"
said the captain. 'are no ordinary
criminals, but desperate men, Old in the
nIn L..
done time, and the others are well
known to my men. They have operated
not only here. but in Peoria. st. Louis,
Cincinnati, Milwaukee and various
other places"
The raid tonight and the arrests
were the result of clever scheme on
the part of the police. Welhasky re-
ceived a letter from Minneapolis giving
information without which it would
have been almost impossible to pro-
coed. Welbasky and Wessler associ-
ated with them Officer p. Sulli-
van, the officer who gained admiS-
sion to the anarchists meetings in
Grief's hall. Sullivan was dressed in
the garb Of hOd carrier and mingled
with the men unsupported and entered
into all of their plans. At the OppOr-
tune moment he notified Capt. MahOny
and the arrests followed. The thieves
were taken by surprise but this did not
prevent them from making
4 Desperate Resistance.
All nineteen were not in the saloon.
The other six were in a house not far
distant, No. 90 West jackson street
The six in the house were found in a
corner room on the second floor. and
when the officers appeared two of them
jumped from the window to the ground.
where they were captured by officers
i'll waiting. A third, George Brown,
scrambled to the roof, and, revolver in
hand, for a time defied arrest. After
the wholesale capture the detectives
visited several rendezvous of the thieves
and recovered hundreds of dollars
worth of stolen property. consisting
principally of clothing and jewelry
The officers have information of where
$1,000 worth of other stolen property is
stored and will take possession of it to-
morrow. Still other places are to be
searched and more arrests Sre expected
to follow. Thomas Kelly and George
Brown are said to be the leaders
of the gang which, it is said
numbers fOrty-SeVen. The men
arrested tonight gave names as follows
Thomas Kelly, George Brown, Thomas
Fagin, William Hutchinson, Ed Davis,
George Davis, George Elliott, William
Fern. Charles Baxter. Thomas Burke,
Frank Harris. Jim Ryan, William
Ryan, Fred Mahofy, Thomas Nor
ton, Richard Jordan, Thomas Con.
Ion, William COnlett, Thomas Corrin,