The Newtown bee., 1891-06-05
NEWT0WN, CONN, BEE,
 FRIDAY, JuNR 5i 1891,
 CALCULATIONS. JANUARY l, 1889, ,..,..................... ..601 LAST WEEK, EK,........................ .2463.
Car Thieves Nabbed.

A couple of rather tough looking
 young fellows were arrested shortly be-
 fore noon, Friday, by Constable Franl
 B. Drew of Hawleyville and were found
 to have in their possession over $2OC
 worth of goods stolen from Housatonic
 and Shepaug cars sidetracked at flaw leyville station. The men, who gave their names as James Larken and Charles
 Williams, had been in and about the barn of William Baldwin and finally started
 off across the fields. MT Baldwin called the attention of Constable Drew to them and said that he believed they were rogues. Each had bag on his back and both seemed anxious to avoid observa- tion. Thinking that they might be the car thieves, Drew put chase, accompan- jed by Herbert $. Clark. The fugitives presently dropped their bags, but Larken was quickly captured by Drew. Will Hams disappeared, but Mrs Robinson saw him enter field of rye belonging to James Coles. Clark called his dog to rout him out. Williams, who had been lying flat on the ground, jumped up and surrendered. Both prisoners were taken to Hawleyvlle station, when search of their pockets revealed a pair of handsome gold bracelets, slightly worn and a couple of keys. The bags were found to con- tain silverware stolen from the car, and cigars, claret and malt liquor bottles were found near by. So overwhelming was the proof that they could not deny their guilt and virtually admitted the theft when arrested. The crime took place between and 1 a m Thursday and they remained within a few minutes walk of the station for nearly 36 hours. They say that they did not leave sooner be- cause they (especially Larken) were sick and could not walk Thirteen bottles of extract of malt and seven bottles of clar- ct wine were missing and the broken bot ties told the story of their sickness. In lieu of hand cuffs, Constable Drew fas- tened his men together with rope and, ac- companied by $. A. Blackman and II. $. Clark, brought them to Ncwtown Street, and taken before Justice CaVanaugh. As part of the plunder was in HOusatOnic cars and part in Shepaug cars, two com 'hO'' CTS with larceny in each case. As Will Hams claimed to be but 10, r. F. Heating was appointed guardian by the court Both men pleaded not guilty. Constable Drew, the only witness called for the State, gave practically the same testi- mony in each case. He is connected with the IIousatonc as railroad police and is .l,l. r,AI .Io,r HA, , 30, Thursday morning, he found that the seals of three cars had been broken, presumably with q crow bar and the cars entered. By comparing the bills of lad ing, he found that silver ware, tobacco, cigars, etc., had been stolen. He had seen Larkin running across the fields, Fri day morning, with stolen goods in bag on his back and stolen hat on his head. Larkn and Williams waived defense. Probable cause was found, they were bound over to the September term of the Superior court at Bridgeport and bonds fixed at 5000 each for stealing from IIousatonic cars and $100 each for stealing from Shepaug car, in default of which they were committedto Bridge port iail. Williams claims that he was led into bad company, but both look ac- customed to crime. The value of the goods they took was roughly estimated at over $500. The silver alou', mostly hollow ware, was en route from the Der by silver company to Marshall, Field & Co. and other Chicago firms and was sold at wholesale for $200. This, with the other articles and the bags in which the silver was put, were inventoried and i'm pounded by the court and will be held as evidence. The silver included a tilting ice pitcher of handsome design, jewel caskets, toilet articles, manicure set, etc., some of the articles being gold lined. Some idea of the deliberation with which the thieves did their work is given by the statement that the silver, which had been shipped in two boxes, was packed into one for ease in carrying, before they left the car.