Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1899-04-13
A GANG OF THIEVES
Who Have Been Operating in
Marion and Taylor
Counties

EOi the IASt lear hOUUueu uD uY bs ~
D. Detective John Shorts aud Chief
of Police Morgan, of Fairmont- Two
of the Gang Still ut Large-They are
Said to Have Been in Morgantown.
For the past year gang of thieves
have been operating very successfully
10 Fairmono aud surrounding country
for a radius II about one hundred
miles, doing jobs east to Colfax, and
down the Monungahela Valley as far
as Morgantown, says dispatch from
Fairmont. Their principal operations
have been done ia Marion and Taylor
counties They have been robhing
country stores, railroad ears aud de
pots, and one or Two stores In the
larger towns.
One of their most important jobs
was the robbery Of the iewelry store
of Clyde Holt, on Main street, in Fair
mont This occurred last winter
At the time Mr. Holt offered a reward
of $50 for the arrest and conviction
Of the parties, and copies were sent
all over the upper portion of the State.
Barracksville was broken into and rob
bed, but the thieves covered up their
tracks SO skillfully that, notwith-
standing the efforts of the company
officials, no clue to the guilty parties
could be found. In the meantime, q
number of country stores IN the viein-
ity were hit for good hands by the
robbers.
On Saturday, March 81, number
Of cars lying in the b. s. O. yards at
Fairmont were robbed of miscellane-
Gus freight Of considerable value.
The freight stolen consisted of ladies'
and gentlemen's furnishings, confec-
tions, beer, etc. The b. & @. company
put Detective Storts, stationed at
this city, on the case. Mr. Sterts re-
ported Immediately, and, aided very
materially by Chief of Police Morgan,
of Fairmont has caused the arrest Of
three Of the gang, and the remaining
two will soon be in custody.
Detective Storts and Capt. Morgan
got clue which terminated last Sat
urday in the arrest of one John Nc
CURE. When arrested Mcclure had
on a pair Of shoes stolen from the cars
at Fairmont. He was given a hear
ing on the same day before Justice of
the Peace Fleming, Of Fairmont, and
remanded to jail in default Of $500
bond.
A description of a second guilty
party sent TO Grafton resulted in the
arrest and detention Monday of John
Goodman, man perhaps % or %
years of age. Shorts and Morgan
went up to- Grafton and returned
Monday noon with the prisoner.
Goodman confessed to the car robbery,
duplicating Mcclure. He also iden-
titled Mcclure. Goodman also impli-
Gated in the Fairmont car robbery
Martin Stewart, who claims New
York as his home. Stewart is under
arrest.
Goodman also confessed TO the rob-
berry Of the Barracksville depot in
February last, giving all details away
how he and the gang forced an en-
trance. He confessed to the robbery
of store near Rivesville, and also
TO robbing Eolt's jewelry store, men
toned 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 Goodman's confession. They will
be arrested within the next few days.
Mr.. Short also hopes to discover the
hiding places of the gang and recover
the stolen property.
These arrests break up 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 authorities. Mr.. Short
and Capt. Morgan have received con-
CALCULATIONS from all over Marion and
Taylor counties on their excellent
work.