The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-05-24


Rob the COmmissnry StOrehouses,
and Discovered That Lieut.. Hum
phrey's House Had Already been
LOOted-Some of the Stolen Prop
erty Is Recovered.
What is believed to have been well laid
plans for the wholesale robbery of the
commissary store houses at Fort Smelling
was frustrated yesterday by the arrest
of three soldiers Richard McKenna Or
Mickenna, John Tyrell and A Hoover
members of Company A, Seventh United
States infantry. incidentally 1t was dis
covered that the home of Lieut. Humph-
rey, who departed with the Third infan-
try, had been robbed of nearly all the
furnishings and at least two of the pris-
oners are charged with committing this
robbery. Both ,McKenna. and Tyrell are
In the guard house at Fort Smelling
charged with theft They may be tried
by the military authorities or turned oyer
to the civil officers.
The plan to rob the store houses was
cleverly conceived and might have been
carried on indefinitely but for it's timely
carries large stock of buffalo over
coats, which at present bring a high
price, and it was these garments, 1t is
said, that 1t was purposedsto steal. The
coats are packed away in boxes that re-
main unopened until the coats are dis
tributed. Knowing that 1T is alleged that
McKenna and Tyrell conceived the idea
of Systematically emptying the boxes,
mailing them up again and disposing of
the coats. 1t Is claimed that the plan
had progressed to the point where a
false key to one store house had been Sc
cured and that several local civilians
were taken into the deal in order that
the buffalo coats might be easily dis
posed of.
Inc plot was communicated to Capt
Gerlach by Private Danielson, Of Com
pany A, whose term of enlistment ex-
pres today. Danielson informed Capt.
Geriach that Mickenna had explained the
plan to him and asked him, Danielson,
to go into the deal, explaining that when
he received his discharge Danielson could
go to Chicago and act as an agent in dis
posing of the furs. Danielson refused
to have anything to do with the proposed
robbery and communicated what he had
learned to Capt. Gerlach. During the
investigation that Capt. Gerlach at once
| story of the plot was discovered, he
| thought to warrant the arrest of Mic
kenna and Tyrell
When Capt Gerlach, with a sergeant,
visited McKenna's home, after learning.
that Lieut.. Humphreys house had been
robbed, McKenna denied having any of
the stolen property in his possession.
capt. Gerlach, however, searched the
place and found, he says, several rugs
bearing Lieut.. Humphreys name and a
trunk full of other alleged stolen prop
erty in the cellar. McKenna is big
s1X-footer, and not caring to take any
chances with him Capt Gerlach drew his
revolver and marched the soldier to the
guard house at the pistols point Among
the alleged stolen articles found at Nc
henna S home We're, several rugs, carpets,
an expensive clock and several dozens of
government knives and forks '
When Tyrell was arrested Police Ser
geant Frank Horn was called into the
case by Capt. Gerlach. He advised keep
ing the prisoners in solitary confinement
and within half an hour "TyrelI made a
confession. He is said to have admitted.
that he helped rob Lieut.. Humphreys
place and told where a valuable bicycle
had been pawned in Minneapolis He
said Private Hoover, of Company A. had
pawned- the wheel and on this informal
ton Hoover was also arrested 80 ~ Ss@-
l, DSAAICir the case up thus Sue
cessfutly, Capt. -Gerlach' notified the CITY
authorities of the suspicion that local
persons We're supposed to be implicated
the plot. Detective Campbell. visited
the fort and together with Sergeant Horn
interviewed the prisoners. McKenna re-
fused to talk beyond denying thee charge
against him.. but Tyrell made a clean
breast Of the affair. Detective Campbell
will take Hoover to MINNEAPOLIS TODAY in
an effort to try and recover Lieut..
Humphreys bicycle.
AS it is difficult to convene a military
trial court at the present time the pris-
oners may be turned over to the civil
authorities of Hennepin county
The sensational story published by an
evening paper yesterday to the effect that
an attempt was to have been made to
blow up the magazine at the fort was
nonsense, according to Capt. Gerlach.