The daily sentinel., 1905-08-01
TWO OF THE
GANG ARRESTED

Two of the gang of pickpoc5ets
and short change men that operated
IN this city so extensively yesterday
were nabbed last night about .
O'Clock, just as they were passing
some spurious or "phoney" money,
as II is known in police circles.
The two men, whom it is believed
are the chief operators. attempted
to work the bartender at the Royal
ty. They came in and asked for
drinks, and sprung a $50 bin on him.
He replied. when he recognized that
! they were crooks. that the drinks
were on him. as he could not make
change, this being a subterfuge to
avoid giving them good for bad
money. under an uncertainty.
Sheriff Suuthers happened to be
along there, and the barkeeper began
telling him OF the men, when very
opportunely the men passed and
Sherin Struthers had a good look at
them.
They came on up Colorado avenue
and went into the restaurant being
conducted by Mrs. Swaney They
asked her to change n $50 bill. whicn
she did. One of the men stood out
side: but as the change was being
passed over for the twenty he went
in and looked over the shoulder of
his pal. At that time Sheriff Struth-
ers had them well spotted and when
they came out he nabbed them. plac-
ing them under arrest.
When Mr.. Struthers told Mrs
Swaney that undoubtedly she had
changed bad bill, she at once took
out her money and was surprised to
find that they had even taken with
them the $50 bill. Sheriff Struthers
on his way following them ran across
Deputy Knowles and the two men
were escorted toward the pail. En-
route to the jail the two men threw
away 81, which was picked up by
Officer Knowles, and it is believed
this is spurious money.
This morning the men gave their
names as Robert Phillips (although
the initials on the neckband of his
shirt are H. r. RI and Martin Wade.
Their tickets read from Kansas
City, and they exactly tally in looks
and description of the men whom the
Palisade people believe they were
robbed by, en- route to this city Mon
day morning.
The men are crooks, and the cap
ture by Sheriff Struthers was a splen-
did one, especially as they were
caught in the act of performing one
of their tricks for the easy capture
of money.
Many persons from Palisade who
were touched by these gentry have
been permitted to see them in the
jail, and they have at once recog-
nized them as men who were on the
train and who iostled them during
the time that the work was being
done.
A woman was with the party but
so far the sheriff's office has been
unable to locate her. The party had
trunks and valses and the checks
for this baggage was taken from them
this morning and the baggage taken
to the county jail.
At the jail the peace officers op-
ened the big hand grip and the
trunk and We're more than astound-
ed to find that the hand satchel con
tained what is known as pinch
game roulette wheel and the trunk
all the paraphernalia of first class
crooks outfit, including many packs
of cards. all marked, loaded dice
and false dice and many other things
which would convict the most inno-
cent man to have found in his pos
session.
The men look to be crooks, and
there should be wasted on them no
false sentiment. While they are
mild-appearing looking individuals
and one of them might readily pass
for a clergyman, if he so desired.
they have all the earmarks of first
class crooks, and ought to be con
victed on the evidence contained in
their trunk, If not from the fact that
they We're caught right in the act of
passing spurious money and short
changing a citizen of Grand June
ton.
The catch is a good one and re-
fleets much credit on the officers of
the city.
The trial will be held tomorrow
morning. and there ought not to be
any question of holding these men
and permitting them to serve out a
good long sentence in the peniten
tiary for their acts.