The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-28
A SYSTEM OF LOoTING
THE THIEF AT A s. MERIDIAN ST.
WHOLESALE HOUSE CAUGHT.
Trap Set for Herbert kitrOw, Who
Was Chased Yesterday Morning by
Merchant Police and Firemen.

For several weeks Cooper & Hendricks,
wholesale boot and shoe dealers on South
Meridian street. have been aware that their
store was being systematically burglarized.
Herbert Kitrow was arrested yesterday
morning at o'clock. In his possession he
had two sacks containing twenty-eight
pairs of footwear. He is held for burglary.
When the loss was first noticed, Hen
bricks &c Cooper reported the facts to Sam
uel Hise, the Merchant policeman who pa
trolls the district in which the store is sit
uated. The officer was particularly vigilant,
but was unable to discover anything wrong
about the store, although he visited it at
frequent intervals for number of nights.
]. n. Clary, another officer, saw Kitrow in
an alley in the rear of the store late one
night last week. He questioned him close
~. Kitrow explained that he was jest
coming from saloon in the vicinity. He
said he lived in the Cleveland block and
was on his way home. Kitrow did not ap-
pear to be a suspicious character and Clary
ed yesterday Clary identified him as the
man he saw on that night.
From the fact that robbertes continued
even while the store was closely watched,
Merchant Patrolman Hise concluded that
the fellow operated in the early morning
hours, after the officer left his beat. From
that time on until the hour for opening
the store gave plenty of time for thief
who had access to the premises to carry
out his plans When he reached this con-
clusion, the officer decided to set a trap.
He arranged sticks in such a way that if
the store were entered they must be
knocked down by the robber. Saturday
morning and yesterday morning, instead of
going home after his nights work, HiSe
went to No. Is engine house nearby, and
changed his clothing, so that he would not
be recognized, after which he sat in chair
at the corner of the alley, where he could
command a view of the store. There is
offset there. About o'clock Hise saw
KitroW coming down the alley and sudden
ly disappear. Hurrying to the rear of the
store, he found his sticks knocked down
and knew that the man was inside. Fire
men telephoned to the police station for
help, meantime arming themselves with
clubs and stones and joining in the search
for the burglar. Kitrow, finding that he
was being watched, hurried to the top floor
of the building. Ascending through sky
light he crossed the roofs and came down
inside another store. Patrolmen Crabb and
Woodland soon arrived from the station
house and joined in the search. Eise was
and that he had not escaped through the
alley. 1t was suggested that he might
have coma over the roof, and the man was
followed 20 an open trap leading down into
a stationery store. The entire building was
searched. He was finally located under the
Meridian-street sidewalk in front of the
store where he had crept from the cellar.
Finding himself cornered, he surrendered.
The sacks of shoes were in his possession.
The police say that Kitrow has been In
trouble before.