The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-02-26
AN EPIDEMIC OF THEFT.
ANOTHER GROCER'S EMPLoYB
CAUGHT ROBBING,

The Savannah Grocery Company the
Victim This Time-Johu Love, a Col
ored Driver, IN Jail Under a Charge
of Opening Packages While on Their
Way to the Depots for Shipment.
A Belief That Love Was Selling the
stolen Goods to Corner Grocers.
Discoveries Of misplaced confidence in
colored employees Of business houses are get
ting to be common with Detective Wether-
horn. Last week and the week before he
uncovered the stealings at Rosenheims and
Ehrlich's, and yesterday be surprised the
Savannah Grocery Company BY arresting
one of its trusted drivers, John Love, aud
proving to the house that the negro had'
been systematically Tobbing 1t for some
time
Love has been living with Della Chavis,
at jefferson and President streets, for seVs
eral months, and about week ago Detect
i've Wetherhorn was told that the driver
often stopped when passing the house, took
in small boxes Of different kinds. and, after
remaining a few minutes, during which
hammering could be heard would return
70 the truck with the boxes ami drive off to
his destination. The detectives quick per-
oeption told him that Loves scheme was to
pilfer boxes of goods bound out Of the city
and nail them up again.
DISCOVERING THE RoBBERIEs.
He called at the grocery company and
asked If complaints were often received OF
shortage in goods which Love carried to
the depots. He was told that complaints
,e 49, - l. id ina n az
was thing expected by wholesale houses
little was thought Of it. Detective Weth-
erhorn, however, determined 10 set a watch
on Love and find out the kind of boxes he
carried into his house. Yesterday morning
he received a report that the negro stopped
there and took in a caddy Of tobacco.
The detective decided that the time for
action bad arrived He waited near the
Savannah Grocery Company's stores until
Love returnedgwth his truck from trip to
the depot As he got of to hand in his re-
ceipts TO the shipping clerk the detective
stepped alongside and slipped a pair Of
handouts on the Negroes wrists. He as.
sumed great indignation, and demanded
the cause Of such summary proceedings,
but was hustled of to Justice Haughtln's
office without explanation. There he was
legcuffed 70 prevent escape.
BOOTY ND AT TIE HOUSE.
Detective Wetherhorn then sent for Mr..
Mendel, vice president Of the grocery COM
pany, and asked him to 60 to Loves house
for a search. They went to the place armed
with search warrant The Chavis woman
met them at the door, and, recognizing De-
teotive Wetherhorn. she blurted out: "You
needn't search my house. l have got none
of it here" She was pushed aside and in a
few minutes a basket OF plug tobacco, dozens
of different size bags Of smoking tobacco,
several gross Of matches and a large guam
tity of essences usually sold in country
stores were found.
The woman was placed under arrest and
was taken to Justice Naughtn's Office
Love was stubborn for long time. claim
ing that he did not steal the articles, but
that Ben Reed, porter. had given them to
him. Reed was sent for and soon proved
his innocence Love then confessed. His
scheme was t. open boxes destined for ship
ment out of the city, extract few articles
and nail them up again.
LOVE HIDING HIS PALS
He said he had been carrying on bis
stealings for some time, but refused to say
how he disposed of the stolen goods. He
was sent to Jail under a charge Of larceny
and the Chavis woman went along as an
accessory.
Detective Wethsrhorn thinks Loves case
is another one of stealing and selling to
corner grocerymen, and he is working on
this theory. He expects to get full con-
fession out of the negro in day or two
Love has been employed about a year and
a half by the Savannah Grocery Company
and wes looked upon as a safe, reliable man.
de is a negro with peculiar criminal
history, however, having been twice tried
FOR mis- life and acquitted. Six years ago a
colored woman with whom Love was living
mysteriously disappeared after a quarrel
with him. Two weeks after ward her body
was found in the river with evidence that
she had been choked and thrown overheard.
LOVES TRIAL FOR MURDER.
Circumstential evidence pointed TO Love
and he was arrested aad tried for murder
The evidence was not strong enough for
the jury and be went free.
Two years ago he was arrested on a
charge of criminal assault upon a little col-
ored girl, but like the case against him for
murder, the state was unable to bring
strong proof against him, and for a second
time he walked out of the court room after
having his life in jeopardy. This time,
however, evidence of Loves crime is not
lacking, and he has excellent chances for a
taste OF mine life.
WILL FROsRC UTE THE CASE.