The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1899-12-14
BURGLARS FOILED,
Officers Arrest Two Men Accused of
Breaking Into the Heating Sa-
loon on Main Street.
ONE Is AN OLD OFFENDER

4
Locked UP in the County Jail and the
officers Announce That There is no
Doubt of Their Gui1t-Hark1n Denies ANY
Connection With the Crime, But Both
Men Were Found at His Home.
Two men attempted to break into
the saloon of John E. Heating on
Main street shortly after l O'Clock this
morning and short time later Charles
Loescher, Jr., and John Harkin, two
we'll known young men of the city,
were placed under arrest and charged
with the crime. The arrest of the
men is the sensation of the day, as the
officers think that they will now be
able to find some evidence which will
assist them to locate the gang of bur
glars which have been working about
the city for the past few weeks.
The crime for which Harkin and
Loescher were arrested was committed
shortly after l O'Clock this morning.
Mr.. Heating and friend were sitting
in the rear of the saloon engaged in
conversation when one of the glass
doors at the rear of the saloon broke
with a crash. Suspecting that there
was some one attempting to gain an
entrance to the place the men ran to
the door in time to see two men run
out of the back part of the building
and into the alley. They at once de-
cided to give chase and one of the men
started to follow the fellows, while the
other went out the front way and gave
the alarm to the police.
An investigation about the place
| showed that one of the men had left
the hat and coat which he had been
wearing behind. The hat was at once
recognized as one which had been
worn by Loescher during the day. The
| officers followed the trail of the men
to the home of Fred Watt1es on Ex
change street, where they found re-
vo1ver which had evidently been on
! the person of the would be burglar. A
moment later some one was seen to en-
ter the home of John Harkin little
further down the street and officers
| Orth and Sullivan and nightwatchman
| Lane at once surrounded the house for
the purpose of making an investiga-
ton. A moment later they got into
the house and found Loescher and
Harkin. The former was badly out Of
breath and seemed to have been rum
ming. He was at once taken into GUS
tody and was locked up in jail. When
he was taken to the jail it was found
that one of his hands had been cut in
some manner and was bleeding badly.
The officers claim that this wound was
the result of the breaking of the door
in the rear of the saloon. Harkin was
arrested a moment later and was
placed in a cell away from Loescher
and the men were not allowed to COM
municate with each other
Loescher and Harkin were seen at
the Jail this morning and the former
refrained from making any statement
in regard to the case but remained in
confidential talk with the Chief of
Police for some time. Harkin on the
other hand spoke freely of the matter
He said the revolver which had been
found was his property. He stated that
he had loaned the weapon to Loescher
early in the evening but positively
denied that he knew anything of the
attempted burglary. He said in regard
to the man being found at his house
that he had been having a little lunch
with his wife before they went to bed
when he heard someone pounding on
the door. He opened the door and
Loescher rushed in very much out of
breath. He gave no account of him
self and in minute the officers came
and arrested him.
At the time of the arrest of Loescher
he was wearing a cap which the officers
say he took from the home of Fred
Watt1es when he left the revolver
Several attorneys have been retained
for the defense of the two men arrested
and the case promises to be an inter
esting one.
Chief of Police O Hare and the other
members of the force seem very much
e1ated over the arrest of Harlin and
and Loescher, as they seem to think
that the arrest will solve the mystery
which has surrounded the burg1aries
committed in the city during the past
month. Loescher is well known to the
police of the city. He has been con-
victed of crime several times and only
short time ago he was pordoned
from the reformatory at Pontiac, ILL.,,
where he had been sent for an in
definite sentence for robbing an old
man named Coon near the state line.
Since he has returned to Kenosha he
has been constantly under the survei1- |
ance Of the police and they think that
they have made a great catch. Both
Loescher and Harzin are well connect !
ed in the city and the families of the
men will have the sympathy of all.