The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-18
In Order to Catch the Ieader They
Had TO Resort to Consider
able Strategy.
KNOWN AS THE HOYT GANG
THEY HAVE BEEN ROBBING MER-
CHANTS FOR A YEAR.
In the Detective "Sweat Box" One or
Two Made COnfessiOns-A
bad Crowd.

y few words of jest yesterday gave to
Detectives Colbert and Hauser a clew to
the smartest gang of boy burglars the In
dianapolis police force has had TO deal with
in years. Before nightfall the detectives
had jailed and heard confessions from the
notorious Hoyt gang of burglars that has
a rendezvous at West and Washington
streets, and has been using the storage
house of the Indianapolis Cold Storage
Company as a hiding place for its booty.
The prison slate shows the arrest of Harry
Wyatt, 1870 West New York street: Alonzo
HOyt, alias Roy McAIister. living at $50
Macauley street; Arthur Walker, of Illinois
and South streets; join Kinley, of go West
Pearl street; Frank Mayer, 100 East Nc
Carly street; Harry Gleason and James
Miller, who refused to give their addresses.
TIL boys range in age from sixteen to
twenty years and their work as successful
burglars gives them records that equal
the fastest professional. No less than a
score of stores are on their list and the
detectives believe that within twenty-four
hours they can connect them with many
more. Confessions from all are forthcom-
ing.
For the last seven months the police have
been baffied i'm their efforts to get clews
to burglars that have entered downtown
stores by cutting windows with diamond
cutters. Clew after clew has resulted
in naught. Detectives Colbert, Hauser,
Splan and Haley worked hard on the case
and finally the coils began TO tighten about
a gang of boys known as the Hoyt gang,
which has its rendezvous at West and
Washington streets.
INTERVIEW WITH WYATT.
Yesterday morning Detectives Colbert and
Hauser were working in the West End,
and while returning ran on 10 Harry
Wyatt. who was sitting on a wheel. Wyatt
did not see the detectives until they were
close upon him. He attempted to get away,
but Detective Colbert stopped him and said
pleasantly:
Hello, son! How are you?"
"Oh, good enough. 1 guess" Wyatt re-
piled.
The detectives knew that Wyatt was
connected with the Hoyt gang. and Detec-
tive Hauser strolled away to allow Colbert
to have a quiet talk with Wyatt. Hauser
also suspected that another of the gang
was i'm the neighborhOOd and he decided to
watch and wait.
A few minutes later Harry Gleason, an
other of the gang. walked out of a store,
looked cautiously around, but did not see
HauSer. Colbert's back was TO Gleason
and he did not recognize him. Gleason
Joined Colbert and Wyatt. When Gleason
discovered that Wyatt was talking to Col
bert he attempted to back away without
being noticed, but Hauser was behind him..
Then began the game of jolly that re-
suited in the arrests. HauSer and Colbert
talked on every subject except thievery.
They induced Wyatt and Gleason to go to
a neighbOring livery stable and the Jolly
ing was continued. Suddenly Colbert
sprung the recent burglaries on Wyatt and
Gleason and the pair started. They became
nervous and sullen. finally refusing to talk.
Il guess 1t is about time to make the
pinch, isn't it?' said Colbert to Hauser.
1T seems TO me- replied Hauser.
Then Wyatt and Gleason began a TRADE
of abuse and the detectives were roasted"
numerically by the young prisoners.
You jollied us. You played US strong, "
said Gleason, with contempt. You give
us the jolly and then pulled us into close
quarters. Well, do your do
WYATT CONFESSES.
They were quickly sent to the police sta
ton and the detectives followed them. ~
fire of questions resulted in Wyatt making
a confession, and the revelations astounded
the police. The detectives made their next
move the capture of Alonzo Hoyt, the
leader of the gang. He is known in the
criminal world as Roy McAllister. Hoyt
was to pass South and West streets at a
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waited. They hid behind a wagon. A
stranger passed just as the detectives saw
Hoyt approaching the corner on the oppo-
site side.
Come here, stranger said Hauser to
the passer-by. The stranger went to him
and the detective whispered to him to go
across the street and catch Hoyt. Throw
your arms around his waist and hang on
was Hauser's parting caution. Hoyt is
known as a sprinter, and the detectives
/ know that thew anI1l6 not Oof near him and
had to resort to strategy. The stranger
crossed the street and Hoyt passed. Col
bert and Hauser waited breathlessly. A
plunge toward Hoyt, and the stranger had
him. Hoyt struggled and cursed, but the
stranger hung on and the detectives quick
~ went to his relief. Hoyt was hurried
to the police station. HOyt was pumped
and he unearthed the other members of the
gang. Miller, Mayer and Kinley are police
characters. Miller recently served time for
stealing a bicycle. kinley is awaiting grand
jury action on a charge of highway rob-
berry. He was implicated in a "stick-up
job" as the detectives call highway rob
berry. a few nights ago. Mayer is wanted
for failure TO pay an old fine and was re-
Gently caught passing whisky through the
bars of the county Jail to Miller. Hoyts
record is a bad one. He was implicated
with the notorious "Hayback" Connor in
several highway robberies on the South
Side several months ago. Gleason was
recently released from the Criminal Court
under suspended sentence. His mothers
pleadings saved him from the workhouse.
THEIR FIRST ROBBERY.
In rounding up the robberies commit
ted by the Hoyt gang the detectives have
no little task. Their first Job" was the
burglary at Vonnegut's hardware store
seven months ago. They climbed a telephone
pole in the rear of the store and gained
entrance through a window on the third
floor. Revolvers and cutlery were taken
They have confessed to burglarizing the
stores of Daniel Mayer. corner East and
Washington streets; the Granger store,
on West Washington street; S. Binzer,
clothing and jewelry. 900 West Washing
ton street; the Kahn Tailoring Company,
corner Meridian and Washington streets,
a drug store at California and Washington
streets: a shoe store in the Reach block,
and the Original % hat store, on West
Washington street. The detectives will
look into the burglaries to-day and will
investigate several not reported TO the pO-
lice. but given in the confessions. Jewelry,
ject of their work.
While working on the case yesterday
afternoon Detectives Colbert and HauseI
learned that the gang had a large box OF
stolen goods i'm storage at the house of the
indianapolis Cold Storage Company OF
South Delaware street. Investigation dis
closed the clew 10 be a good one. A large
box containing clothing and Jewelry was
found in the cold storage rooms, and the
company's employees say the boys left il
there IS perishable goods.
Hoyt in telling his story said that ne
used a diamond glass cutter 10 gain en-
trance to the stores. He would cut the