Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-04-12
4 GANG OF THIEVES
Who Have Been Operating in Marion
and Taylor Counties
FOR THE PAST YEAR ROUNDED
UP BY B. & o. DETECTIVE JOHN
SHORTS AND CHIEF OF POLICE
MORGAN. OF FAIRMONT-TWO
OF THE GANG STILL AT LARGE.

For the past year gang OF thieves
have been operating very successfully
in Fairmont and surrounding country
for radius of about one hundred
miles, doing jobs east to Colfax, and
down the Monongah Valley as far as
Morgantown. Their principal oper-
ations have been done in Marion and
Taylor counties. They have been rob-
bling country stores, railroad cars and
depots, and one or two stores in the
larger towns.
One of their most important jobs
was the robbery of the jewelry store
of Clyde Holt, on Main street, in Fair
mont This occurred last winter. AT
the time Mr.. Holt offered reward Of
$50 for the arrest and conviction of the
parties, and copies were sent all over
the upper portion of the State.
In February the B. & o. depot at
Barricksville was broken into and rob-
bed, but the thieves covered up their
tracks so skillfully that, notwithstand-
ing the efforts of the company officials,
no clue to the guilty parties could be
found. In the meantime, number of
country stores in the vicinity were hit
for good sums by the robbers.
On Saturday, March 81, a number of cars
lying in the 3. & o. yards at Fairmont
were robbed of miscellaneous freight of
| 49,, III a;ol+ +01o
consisted of ladies' and gentlemen fur
nishings, confectionery, beer, etc. The B.
& o. company put Detective Shorts, sta
toned at this city, on the case. Mr.
Shorts reported Immediately, and, aided
very materially by Chief of Police Nor
gan, of Fairmont has caused the arrest
of three of the gang. and the remaining
two will soon be in custody.
Detective Shorts and Capt. Morgan got
a clew which terminated fast Saturday
in the arrest of one John Mcclure. When
arrested MCGUIRE had on a pair of shoes
stolen from the cars at Fairmont. He
was given a hearing on the same day be-
fore Justice of the Peace Fleming, of
Fairmont, and remanded to jail in de-
fault of 500 bond.
A description of a second guilty party
sent to Grafton resulted in the arrest and
detention Monday of John Goodson, a
man perhaps % or % years of age. Shorts
and Morgan went up to Grafton and re-
turned Monday noon with the prisoner.
Goodson confessed to the car robbery,
duplicating MCGUIRE. He also identified
MCGUIRE. Goodson also implicated in the
Fairmont robbery Martin Steward
who claims New York as his home Stew
ard is under arrest.
Goodson also confessed to the robbery
last, giving all details away how he and
the gang forced an entrance. He con-
fessed to the robbery of a store near
Reavesville and also to robbing Halt s
jewelry store, mentioned above, of gold
watches, other jewelry and money.
Two more men,
A WHITE MAN AND A NEGRO,
who are yet at large, are implicated by
Goodson's confession. They will be ar
rested within the next few days Mr.
Shorts also hopes to discover the hiding
places of the gang and recover the stolen
property.
These arrests break up a gang of thieves
that have been successfully operating In
that section of the State for over a year
and giving no end of trouble to the au-
thorities. Mr.. Shorts and Capt. Morgan
have received congratulation from all over
Marion and Taylor counties on their ex-
cellent work.