The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-09-05
STOLEN WATCHES
 ARE RECOVERED
Lewis B. Fulker Arrested and
 Makes Confession
HORACE F. REEVES ROBBED
Largest Amount of Stolen Property Ever Recovered in One Day in Bir. mineham-Fulker Was Elm
 ploye-Engaged to Wed.

The largest amount of stolen property ever recovered by the Birmingham police force was secured yesterday morning by Detectives Bodeker and Hamilton. They recovered over $500 worth of watches which had been stolen from the jewelry store of Horace F Reeves in room of the office building on First avenue, be- tween Twentieth and Twenty-frst streets. Lewis B. Fulker, a wel-known young white man about 2i years old, who lives at 2212 Fourth avenue, was arrested on a charge of grand larceny, and he has ad- mtted his guilt He was an employe of the office and from time to time has stolen watches from the showcases and pawned them under assumed names in the various pawn shops of Birmingham After making a confession at the time or his arrest yesterday he was taken to the various places where he had left watches and they were recovered.
 Found 23 Watches.
 The two detectives have already recov- cred twenty-three watches, ranging in value from $10 each to $50 They have located other watches which will be re- covered within the next day or two.
 On last Friday night sixteen watches were taken from the showcases in the office, and it was supposed that burglars had entered there. The manager of the company was out of the city, but re- turned last Tuesday, and Wednesday morning he checked up his watches and found a number missing. The case was given to Detectives Bodeker and Hamil- ton Wednesday night, and they have worked it up in two days. They had ap- solutely no clew to commence work from.
 Clue Worked.
 An examination of the doors was made by the detectives and they discovered that they had been opened with the reg ular key and not forced. They then be- gan inquiring Into the life of the em- ployes of the office and .iose about the building. They discovered where two of the watches had been pawned and got description of the man who pawned them Yesterday morning, armed with this description, they went to Mr. Reeves office and there were able to see all the employees. They placed Fullker under arr rest, as he filled the description. He was taken to the office of Chief Wier and Detective Bodeker asked him what made him steal the watches and pawn them. The boy was dazed, and after a minute of silence he said:
 The Confession.
 q am guilty" Fulker then took the policemen to the various places and help ed them get the watches. He said that from time to time he had needed money and that he would get a watch out of the cases of one of the other men and pawn it. He admitted stealing sixteen watches last Friday morning before any of the other men got to work Previous to that he had taken a number of watches.
 Two of the timepieces were pawned un- der the name of Charles P. Vickers. and three others were recovered at Bessemer under another name. MT. Reeves does not sell watches in Birmingham, but has number of agents who sell to all the small cities in the state These men all travel out of Birmingham.
 Fulker Is well known in Birmingham. He came here sometime ago from Texas and has made large number of friends. It is said that he was engaged to be married to an estimable young lady.