The herald., 1896-12-07
GANG OF THIEVES ARRESTED
Three Persons in Jail and Much Pro.
perty Recovered
At Least One Burglary Case Can Be
Proven-The Ringleader Exposed
Through His Mistress.

Another thief has come to grief through
Sears being behind the bars of the city
Jail with several charges of burglary to
answer, besides numerous other offenses
of a less serious character. In the prop
erty room of the detectives at the police
station is stored mass of stuff recov-
cred by the officers which has been
stolen by Sears, a youthful pal named
Pete Mcintyre, who is also safe in jail,
and possibly some by the woman her
self, who is the third party gathered
in. To Officer Talamantes belongs the
credit for the captures, and he it is
who worked the case from beginning to
end.
One day last week Talamantes was
approached by a Miss Pepers of GA East
Fourth street, who told him that of
late quantity of clean underwear had
been stolen from the yard of her resi-
dence, while hanging out to dry. From
some source she had learned that a
Spanish girl named Minnie Gotta, re-
siding in the Buena Vista house, on the
street of the same name, was in posses
sion of some of the stolen articles. On
this clew Talamantes went to work.
He hunted up the Gotta Woman's room
and secured an entrance While she was
away. In the room he found two trunks
full Of stolen goods, and number OF
fine dresses hanging on the walls. Sat
isfying himeslf that the stuff was stolen,
the officer Immediately looked up Min
ME and found her on Arcadia street.
She was arrested, the patrol wagon
called, and the girl and the trunks
carted off to the police station. This
was at o'clock Saturday night. At the
station she was closely questioned, ana
finally admitted that the stuff had been
given to her by her lover, Sears, who
had stolen it.
Placing the woman IN cell, Tala-
nantes and Detective Steele at once
went to a tent on Alameda street, back
of the electric power house, where Sears
has been living. He was not at home,
but about IL o'clock Showed up and was
quickly handcuffed. In the tent was
found an assortment of plunder that
opened the eyes of the officers. There
were two fine nickel mounted and ex-
pensive sets of double harness, nearly
new; two folding cots, trunk of mis-
cellaneous articles of ladies' undef\ear.
etc, seven milk cans, with the owners
names on them, Richardson, Pellissier,
ETC., a new clothes wringer and fine
accordion, lot of blankets, bedding,
fancy worked table covers, Iylows, bed
linen, and two gunny sacks full of clean
undergarments. evidently stolen from
the line while drying. There were also
pieces Of crazy work, a lot of neck ties,
canary bird and cage-in fact, a
mass of stuff that made a wagonload.
Young Mcintyre lives in a tent near
by to Sears, with his brother. The two
boys and Sears have been engaged of
late in distributing bills around the
city, and seem to have improved their
opportunities for theft to the utmost
The stepfather of the McIntyres is said
to be sick and dying in Pasadena, their
mother being in attendance upon him.
Only one of the boys, Pete, the elder,
was brought in, but the other will prob
ably follow. ALI day yesterday was
spent by the officers in looking for the
owners of the stolen property, with good
success.
One of the trunks, it has been found,
was stolen on the evening of November
18th, from the lower hall of the lodging
house at 63S South Olive street, run by
Mrs. Carey, and at the same time
gold watch which had belonged to her
deceased husband also disappeared. The
contents of the trunk are nearly all
there but the watch has not been found.
The manner of this theft makes the
offense a burglary, and on this charge
Sears will be prosecuted
Minnie Gotta will be held as witness
ably be no charge made against her.
AS much of the stolen stuff is still uni
Identified, anyone who has lost articles
such as are described can probably find
their property at the station.