The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1892-09-29
ORNERY OLMSTEAD.
A FORTUNE MADE BY STEALING.
I'd 0instssd. . Trusted Clerk sf Lstewieh
q woisie6sr Detebted In Crime.-bs
10 worth ESQ 900, Made IN .
Manner Not Accosuted for
Positively or Easily.
STORY OF HIS DOWNFALL.


Ed. Olmstead 10 thief and bsfoI
. this his guilt IL known all throug
this section Of country, where he
widely known, but the whole stor
concerning his peculiar opers
tons has "a yet not been made pub
. lie. Briefly stated the facts whicl
, were finally used In making publ
his life for some years past are abou
as follows:
About three months ago Olmstea'
returned from Germany where b,
had spent q year with his family
ostensioly on q visit TO his old HON,
In Vsrel-oh-the-Js ABIDE, Gutenberg
1t was his second trip back to the
old country In the period Of eleven
years he worried for Litowich a
Wolsieffer. Seven weeks ago he re.
entered the employ Of this firm, and
1t was since that time that he has
been seriously suspected OF stealing.
On the first Of this month Mr.. VOL
sieffer employed Under Sheriff ]. b.
Phillips to look up some stolen
goods. Among other measures TAX
en- was q search warrant with which
Olmstead's sleeping quarters were
looked into and in addition to the
missing goods, much more besides
WAS found that came from the same
store. The aggregate value OF the
goods found In the room was $265. 40.
Ii Is not known how long he has
been In accommodating these. but II
has been since he returned from
Germany. The goods consisted OF
suits Of clothing, dress goods Of high
value, gloves, jewelry, and other
article easily stored. These were
stored In boxes aud shipped away
and disposed OF in some manner not |
now known. Once, while he Was
in Germany q large case Of goods
arrived in Varel by rail addressed to
Ed. OImstead. Inadvertently the
box was given to one Olmstesd who
lives there, but Is not related TO the
only Olmstesd. The box was filed
with just such goods as this enter
prising firm has been missing for q
long time. The party at once re-
turned the property as 1t was not
his, and IL was turned over to Ed.
(snd 1t was probably not
his either.)
But at last the evidence was Sc
cured Of his guilt, and last Thursday
he was arrested. He weakened at
once and confessed to stealing much
more than was found In his posses
sion. He was taken before Justice
and bound over I'm the sum
Of $500, for preliminary examiua-
lion. Friday he made restitution to
the firm by giving them first mort
gage notes on real estate In his pos
session for the sum Of $500. After
his was done the charge WAS
changed by consent, and he pleaded
guilty OF petitlarcency, and was
fined 800 and costs amounting to
'22. On Saturday he left town and
mas not been heard OF since.
He never received more than $50
per month for his services, but the
he received In the way
IF pocketing change for goods sold
before and after regular business
hours cannot be learned. He WAS
shrewd In covering up
his tracks, and to all outward ap-
pearance served his employers faith
July as he could and much more
han was required or expected OF
him. His property here consists Of
two houses and number OF lots In
salins, End a farm purchased OF w.
R. Gels. How he ever secured these
% enshrouded In mystery for his pa
rents in Germany have nothing ex-
,ept what they work for with theii
hands. And the only person here
who should know anything Of his
or those of his family,
she never knew Of his wife having
an aunt from whom she could In
herit money.