The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-07-31
A BIG PENCE" UNEARTHED.
A Prominent Meconite In Bad Pre-
dicame nt

dicament.
Detective Basch returned yesterday from
Macon, where, he and Detective Siskron
unearthed one Of the biggest fences" in the
state, and brought before the bar Of justice
Lee Davis, a prominent coal and wood
dealer of that city, who heretofore has been
| looked upoq as above reproach. For twenty
years he has held the confidence and esteem
OF his fellow citizens, and his being shown
up at this late day in such a light has
CAUSED quite sensation in Macon.
The Macon Telegraph gives nearly COLI
umn account OF the affair, but 81 OpresSes
Davis name. For some time the officers OF
the Central and East Tennessee roads have
been aware that they were made the victims
OF systematic robbery at the hands OF some
party or parties, and that all their efforts
to catch the thief or thieves for time we're
unavailnR.
The matter was placed in the hands Of
Central Railroad Detectives Bssch and Sis
kron, who at once went diligently to work to
locate the guilty parties.
The principal articles missed by the road
we're what is technically known as "bTasses."
or the semi cylindrical fittings which are
placed over the journals to keep them from
wearing.
The East Tennessee road estimated fits
losses from the actual value OF the material
lost and the damage wrought TO the wheels
from running without sucl fittings at
$1,000. The vandalism has been carried to
such an extent with both the companies
that they dec are 1t impossible to make an
estimats of the loss and damage.
Forty of these brasses we 9
taken from train OF freight
cars side-tracked IN the yards IN one night.
The thieves. in order to getthe brasses from
the journals, were compelled to jack up the
entire car 80 ss to remove the pressure.
This plan OF stealing was repeatedly
executed, yet perhaps the greater part Of
the stolen goods ere taken from the scraps
or from the cars in which they were
shipped
During the early part of the week De-
tsctivA Siskron learned that three kerosene
barrels filed with some very heavy sub
stance had been shipped by Davis to Savau-
nah via the Central Having good reasons
to suspect that the barrels contained some
OF the missing brasses, he came TO Ssvau-
nah Wednesday, and, accompanied by De-
tective Basch, visited the wharf on which
the barrels had been placed and opened
the for examination.
They found ali the barrels filed with the
brass fittings of the East Tennessee aad the
Central roads. With about one-eiyhth of the
entire number broken and the balance per-
feotly sound.
For bettar Identification, however, the
Ioremen Of the car shops OF both the Central
and East Tennessee machine shoDs were
for, and they identified the
property at once
Armed with this evidence, the detectives
returned to Macon and swore out a search
warrant against Davis. Accompanied by
Lieutenant OF the Police Wood, City De-
tectives Patterson and Jenkins and Detect
i've Avant, representa- the East Tennessee,
they went to his place Of business aud insti-
tuted thorough search.
The search revealed few Of the missing
brasses some broken and others perfectly,
sound, about 800 worth OF copper wire,
such as is used for trolley wire on electric
roads, about 5, 900 pounds OF lead. presuma-
bly, melted from the brasses before ship
ment, several Gets Of harness and various
kinds Of costly brass fittings used on loco
motives. The stove used to melt the lead
out OF the brasses was also found.
Most of this property was identified as
belonging to other parties, aud was seized
by the officers.
Davis claimed that 1t was the slow ac-
of years which came about in
the natural course of his business.
-Four charges were preferred against him
by the various owners of the property, upon
one OF which he was given q commitment
trial before Justice Poe, the hearings in the
other cases being heard before Justice
Carlos. The bond fixed in all the cases az.
grsgated $3.50. which was promptly fur
nished, and the prisoner released.
The case has been set for final hearing
next Wednesday, when there will in ali
probability be some very interesting revela-
lions.
Detective Basch is thankful to the Macon
officers for the aid they rendered him. He
and Detective Siskron have been working
the case together for several weeks.