The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-03-01
STOLE A GROCERY STORE
FRANK @. sCHULTZ BELIEVES IN Do
ING THINGS THOROUGHLY.
His Wife Thought He Was q Good Pro-
WIDER, but Her Awakening
Was q Bitter One.

When Patrolman Albert Smith arrested
Frank G. Schultz. a machinist employed at
the Atkins saw works. he was not aware
that he had caught clever shoplifter.
Schultz was arrested In the Courthouse
grocery, at Alabama and Washington
streets, while trying to purloin a package
of coffee. Later, when the police searched
Schultz's house, they found that Schultz
had stolen enough groceries to keep him
nearly year. He did not conf1ne his pecu-
lations entirely to groceries. but took hard
ware of all descriptions and dry goods.
How long Schultz has carried on his sys-
tematic stealing is not exactly known. but
it Is supposed to be over two years.
He was caught by one of the clerks in
the Courthouse grocery at o'clock last
night trying to steal a package of coffee.
after he had purchased some goods. The
clerk was ready to give Schultz his liberty
when Patrolman Smith walked into the
store. The clerk then told the policeman
what had taken place. Smith took Schultz
to the police station and charged him
with petit larceny. After his arrest
Schultz for a time maintained silence re-
garding his past affairs, and the police were
attempt at stealing. Captain Kruger about
that time went on night duty. and when
he saw Schulz he recognized him as a
shoplifter whom he had arrested several
years ago. Kruger at once dispatched sew
eral policemen to Schultz's house on Lord
street and had it searched.
FILLED A SPRING WAGON
When the police had finished their work
they had to call for light spring wagon
to carry away all the goods they recovered.
The list included many pounds of differ
ent brands of coffee, fifteen pounds of tea,
wrapped in packages, cereals of all brands,
gloves of many kinds and patterns, several
large cakes of beeswax, basketful of
bar soap, several pounds of mixed spices,
twenty cans of fish OF various kinds,
glasses of jelly and preserves, and a bas-
ket containing $50 files and several small
saws and plates of steel from which saws
are made.
After the plumber was taken to the police
station Schultz was taken from his cell and
confronted with Ii. He denied stealing any
of 1t until Kruger asked him what he
wanted with such large supply of gro
ceries. He told many conflicting stories
about the prices of the goods in the pres
ence of the police and the clerk from the
to further deny his guilt He then admitted
stealing all the groceries He said the $50
rat tall files in the basket were given
him by the firm he worked for, as they
While Schultz was in the office of the cap
tain telling of the goods he stole the police
also brought in his wife After her hus-
band had been locked up she was Ques-
toned about the goods and said she was
always under the impression that he had
purchased them.
HE WAS "A GOOD BUYER"
She said she thought he was good buyer
as he always came home with more gro
ceries than she had asked him to purchase.
One night when he returned home with two
dozen white canvas gloves, she asked him
what he intended to do with them. He re-
piled that he had bought them for 81 and
would use them in handling coal. She
explained then, she said, that for a man
who earned $1.35 a day the purchase was
ever her husband came home with extra
goods, such as the collection before her rep
resented, she always asked him about il,
and he would tell her that he had econ
omized more purchases to buy
something else. When she realized that
her husband was a self-confessed thief she
raved madly and declared that she would
have nothing further to do with him. She
was also held by the police.
Captain Kruger last night said that
Schultz was caught shoplifting few years
ago when he stole number of books from
the old Bowen-Merrill store. His habit at
that time was to walk into the store, and,
after looking over the great stacks of
books. walk calmly out with one of them.
He did this several occasions. Kruger
said, until he had a good-sized library at
his home. He was arrested for this Of
Tense and served a long sentence in the
workhouse. Schultz lives at sos Lord street.