Chariton courier. (Keytesville, Chariton County, Mo.) 1878-current, 1894-04-27
BURGLARS CAPTURED.
The Mem Who BurgIarized B. T. Fleetwood
Co.'S Store, at rIiplett, Arrested At
Kansas City.

Kansas City.
The men who broke into and
burglarized the general store of B.
F. Fleetwood & Co., at Triplett, on
Monday night OF last week have
been captured and are now making
their home at the county jail, awaiting
the action OF the grand jury. The
capture is due to the excellent de-
tective work Of the Kansas CITY
police. Immediately upon the dis.
.ne robbery had been
committed, Mr.. Fleetwood sent tele-
grams to all the principal cities and
towns around that the men would be
likely to head for, at the same time
stating that a reward OF $50 was
offered for the capture OF the parties.
Friday morning this action was
rewarded by the receipt of tele-
gram from Thomas II. Speers, chief
of police of Kansas City, stating
that certain members of the police
force had arrested Preston Wilhite,
James Morris and William Morris
and that they had in theirpossession
goods which corresponded to the
description given in the telegram
andwhicb in all probability belong
ed to Mr.. Fleetwood. Mr.. Fleetwood
and his son, A. c., took the first
train for Kansas City and succeeded
in identifying the goods as the stolen
property. Upon the Identification
of the goods, the men confessed the
crime.
The prisoners were brought to
Triplett last Saturday and taken
before Squire Shipp for a hearing.
Prosecuting Attorney Wallace was
present on behalf of the state. The
men entered a plea OF guilty and
were bound over to the grand jury
and their balls fixed at 81 900, each,
in default of which they were sent to
the county Jail, at Keytesville,
whittier they were escorted by Mar
shal Bradford and A. c. Fleetwood.
Messrs. Fleetwood & Co. succeeded
in recovering about S175 worth of
the stolen property, mostly clothing.
This is not quite half the
whole amount stolen, for it now
transpires, through the confessions
of the guilty men. that at least four
hundred dollars worth of goods were
taken.
1t was stated in these columns last
week that the general opinion was
that the robbery was committed by
by "home talent" and that this
opinion was justified by the fact
that the burglars seemed to know
exactly where everything of value
was. Of course this has been ex-
ploded by the capture of these
men, none of whom are residents OF
Triplett at present, but, after all, it
may be truthfully said that the rob-
berry was the result of"home talent"
For, according to the confessions OF
two OF the men. the "gang" was
and led by Preston White,
who, it will be remembered, is the
eldest son of A. W. Wilhite, who was
for number of years owner
OF the Valley Mills, at Triplett. At
that time Preston was making his
home with his father, and while he
has been TO q certain extent what
might be called a reckless boy during
the whole of his life. yet, at the
above mentioned time, he was q
hard-working boy. He moved in
the best society and was respected
by all. During his residence in Trip
lett, White was frequenter of the
store and became familiar with the
position OF the various articles in it.
de knew that no one slept In the
store and guarded it at night and
knew that it would be easily burg
larized, and falling in with the two
Norris boys, at Kansas City, he
planned the robbery. He confessed
that he came all the way from Kan
sas City to rob Fleetwood's store.
The men did not enter the store.
room by a skeleton key as was at
first supposed, but prised the shut
ters open at one OF the back windows
and then threw the braces down by
the means of a email pen-knife. |
Their way was then easy. Their
work was done about 1:30 O'Clock in
he mOrninp After lootinp the store