Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-03-17

Three different gangs have been op-
Grating very successfully during the
past two or three months in the yards
and shops of the B. & 0. railroad at
Fairmont and Grafton. In fact the
railroad authorities think that there
is an organized gang, with several
heads located at the larger towns,
which has been operating along the
eastern end of the Fourth division and
all the short line connections. There
has as yet been no evidence of the
gangs operating farther west than
Fairmont nor farther east than Graf
ton on the main line.
The operations of the gang have
consisted chiefly in stealing railroad
brass and iron and mutilating it so
that it cannot be identified. Most of
the thieving has been done in the
railroad shops and yards at Fairmont
and Grafton. The stuff stolen con-
sists of brass bearings, engine brasses
and all kinds of railroad iron. Most
of the stuff recovered was mutilated
but at Grafton a large amount of en-
CINE brasses was recovered boxed ready
for shipment just as they came from
the supply shops. The whole amount
will total about 10000 pounds.
Detective John Shorts, of this city,
head of the Baltimore and Ohio secret
service in West Virginia, worked up
the case unaided and certainly de-
serves a great deal of credit. The
amount of stolen metals recovered
will total UP into the hundreds of dol
lars, even valued as raw material.
The first arrest was made in Grafton
about two weeks ago, when Marcus
Unger, a junk dealer at that place,
was arrested on the charge Of harbor-
ing stolen goods. In his shop was
found about 900 pounds of engine
brasses, stolen from the B. & o. shops,
boxed up ready for shipment. The
brasses were not even mutilated, but
were just as they came from the
shops, bearing the company's stamp.
Unger was taken before Justice Daw-
son, of Grafton, and held in the sum
of $500 bond for his appearance be-
fore the next Taylor county grand
jury.
The next arrest was that of Alex.
Hill, a notorious character of Fair
mont. At his junk shop was found
about 1000 pounds of railroad iron of
all descriptions. This stuff was all
.mutilated. Before Justice Fleming, of
Fairmont, Hill was given hearing.
The case was continued from last
Thursday until Saturday. At the con-
clusion Hill was held for the Circuit
Court in the sum of $500. His wife
furnished security. Three other par
ties are implicated in this case and
warrants have been issued for their
arrest.
Last Tuesday morning Detective
Shorts captured wagon load of brass
bearings at the door of N. S. Gins
burg's junk shop in Fairmont. 1t
contained from 1000 to 1900 pounds
of brass, and had been carted overland
from Grafton. A Grafton liveryman
was hauling the stuff, but had nothing
to do with the stealing of it, and was
not arrested. Ginsburg was arrested
and held for a hearing before Justice
Dawson, of Grafton. At Grafton,
where the brass was stolen, a gang Of
four or five men did the work. Two
of them have already been arrested and
warrants have been issued for the 9TH
ers. The hearing will be before JUS
tice Dawson next Wednesday.
So far as is known the parties i'm
plicated have not been carrying on any
other robberies outside of stealing
railroad property.
Detective Shorts is to be congratu-
lated on this last excellent proof of
his capabilities, as the stoppage of
these robberies will prove saving of
hundreds of dollars to the company.