The Savannah morning news., 1904-01-05
Carried GOODSAWAY
SYSTEMATIC ROBBERY OF GRO
Gerry WAREHOUSE.
IN BROAD DAYLIGHT
NEGRO PLUNDERED THE DIXON
LUMBER COMPANY.

Hundreds of Dollars worth of Goods
Taken from Time to Time-In HIS
shirt sleeves and with Order Book
in Hand w. II. Boutwell,, Negro,
Attracted no Attention while
Loading Wagon with Plumber.
Had Worked for the COncern-De-
tectives Recovered Goods Valued
AT $500.
After systematically robbing the gro
Gerry warehouse of the Dixon Lumber
Company, in broad daylight, of hum
dreds of dollars worth of groceries, w.
H. Boutwell,, a negro at one time en-
ployed by the company, is prisoner
at the police station.
Groceries valued at about 5000 have
been recovered by Detectives Murphy
and Bostick and are held at police
headquarters as evidence. Five places
were visited where Boutwell, disposed
of the stolen property, and in one case
the proprietor of the store was arrest
ed by the plain clothes men on charge
of buying and receiving stolen goods.
Edgar Hicks, white, proprietor of
grocery on Olive and Farm streets, de-
MED to the officers that he had ever
purchased any goods from Boutwell,.
An empty sugar barrel bearing the
Dixon company's mark was found in
his place and the arrest followed,
Although the negro admitted selling
sugar and other stolen goods to Hicks,
the white man denied the charge. 1t
was for this reason that the arrest was
made, the proprietors of the four other
places visited frankly admitting that
they had made purchases from Both
we'll
Carried Plumber Away.
While Boutwell, claims to have had
accomplices. and to have really only
sold the plumber. the police say that
he worked alone, and that the negro's
boldness is what prevented his de-
lection sooner. His visits to the ware
house were made between and 3
o'clock in the afte rnoon, the dinner
hour.
In his shirt sleeves, and with an
order book in his hand, Boutwell,
loaded his wagon with groceries of
every kind without attracting the sus-
picion of those in the railroad yard.
Witnesses now recall aving seen him
the time believed he was employed by
the firm and was shipping goods. 1t
was the brazen manner in which Both
well worked that made him safe.
Just how much Boutwell, got away
with Detectives Murphy and Bostick.
who worked up the case, are unable
to say Mt this time, and the officers
of the company are not just yet able
TO make a statement of their losses.
Although only six stores iIo the city
I-f@
Boutwell, admits having sold TO others,
and the officers expect to recover
more of the plumber. No arrests will
be made for buying and receiving
stolen goods where those who made
the purchases come forward and tell
just what they received from Both
well.
Tracing stolen Goods.
1t came to the attention of Detec-
tive Murphy on Saturday night that
a negro had sold several unbroken
cases of goods to the proprietor of an
East Side store and that the man was
seen frequently in the yards of the
Atlantic Coast Line.
With Detective Bostick, Detective
Murphy began an investigation. believ-
ing that the railroad company's cars
were being robbed in the yards. The
groceries We're taken from the East
Side dealer and the marks of the
DIXON company were found.
The man stated that Boutwell, had
told him that he was in business and
that he was going to retire. So far
the detectives have been able to
ascertain Boutwell, told this story in
all of the places where he sold his
plumber.
Boutwell, was located Sunday and
made a prisoner. He stubbornIy pro-
tested his innocence and refused to
admit his guilt even after he had been
identified by several persons who had
seen him at different times loading
the wagon.
Only "A Partial Confession.
The two detectives spent all of yes
terday searching for places where
Boutwell, was apt to have disposed of
his plumber. and not before several
places had been located. and some of
the property had been recovered would
the ne~ro make even a partial con-
fession.
He gave a list of some of the plumber
that he stole from time to time. but
refused to say how he got into the
warehouse. The detectives, and Mr..
Dixon, are certain that Boutwell, had
key to the place, and that he Sc
cured it, while working for the firm.
Boutwell, was employed as a driver.
and was discharged last summer for
insolence. Since that time he has been
hanging around the warehouse on
Wheaton street.
There is scarcely anything in the
shape of groceries that was not taken
by the negro. The police have on
hand large supply of rice, sugar
flour, canned goods. tobacco, candy,
grist, soap, sardines, white meat, etc.
All of this property, valued by Mr..
Dixon at least 5000. Boutwell, ad-
mits having disposed of.
1t is doubtful if the prisoner will be
given preliminary examination this
morning, it being the purpose of the
detectives to recover more goods
Hicks furnished bail for his appearance
to answer the charge of buying and
receiving stolen goods