Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1903-10-15
BURGLAR GANG
IS BROKEN Up
Great Nest of Cracksmen Are
Captured at Ames and
Nevada.
CITIZENS MAKE A BIG HAUL
Three Burglars Are Caught at
Ames and Two at Nevada at Three
in the Morning-Hid Their Booty
in Robbed Store.

Des Moines, Oct. IAN organized
gang of safe blowers and burglars.
who are supposed to have committed
robberies at Des Moines, Ames, New.
ada, Colo and Ontario all in the last
week, has been broken up by the ar
rest of five burglars Saturday. Two
professional burglars were caught in
the act and arrested at Nevada and
three at Ames at 3 o'clock Saturday
morning. At both places the burglars
were caught in the act. They were
surrounded by the citizens Of the
town armed with rifles, revolvers AMI
shotguns, who waited from two to
three hours for the men to come out
of the buildings into which they had
broken.
1t is supposed that the burglars are
those who cracked the Wheeler "
Wilson and Bell Implement company
safes in Des Moines.
After wait of from midnight to
3 o'clock IN the morning an armed
posse of officers and citizens who had
surrounded burglars IN the Racket
store at Nevada, arrested them at the
point of revolvers and shotguns.
In the Racket store with the grips
Of swag which the burglars had taken
was found over $50 worth of jewelrr
and cutlery identified by B. F. Shaw
as having been. taken from the general
store of Heffley & Shaw at Colo, which
was burglarized Friday night. Tn"
feature Of the capture is the fac:
that the burglars robbed the store
at Colo and then broke into the Ne
vada store to cache their swag. They
had actually hidden the booty taken
from the Colo store under the floors
of the Racket store in Nevada. Be
side the window into which they bad
forced their way was found two valises
full of jewelry, cutlery and other lner-
chandise which had been taken from
the Racket store.
At l o'clock Saturday morning
Night Watch o. |. Spencer Of Nevada,
noticed men lighting matches III the
Racket store. He Immediately called
out the responsible citizens of the
town including the sheriff and deputy
and surrounded the store. For two
hours the mob with loaded guns wait
ed for the burglars to come ont of
the building. Evidently they saw the
surrounding party for they refused to
emerge. Finally with con:mendaDle
bravery Sheriff George Boyd AMI Dep
uty Sheriff Boyd entered the building
and after a long chase around the
counters captured bo h burglars at The
points of their cC"Jlvcrs. The men
were taken out, giving their names as
Frank Howard and Dan Ward, and
placed in Jail. A search of the build
ing revealed watches. cha ms, charms,
knives, raZors and Other things hidden
in the store which could not be idcn-
titled by G.. o. NicholS, proprietor OF
the store. A message from Colo, re-
ceived a short time later announced
to the sheriff that the general store
of Hefiey & Shaw had been entered
and robbed. Mr.. Shaw was ordered
to come to Nevada and hero he iden-
tilted the goods as that which had been
taken from his store the night before.
The burglars were taken before
Judge Larson placed under $500 bonds
zach and bound over to the grand
jury. They admit being professionals
Howard is about 80, dark and hand
some and of heavy build. Ward is
35 slight of build, with a hideous
scar on his right cheek. The men
were arraigned on two counts. They
had obtained entrance to the store by
breaking a window on the north
side.
Two general stores at Ontario be-
tween Boone and Ames. were robbed
| Saturday night Of goods valued at
about 500. There is no clue to the
! robbers.