The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1906-08-23
Chief Of Police Captures the Last
Member Of the Trio Of Croa.
tians Wanted for Murder
FOLLOW SUSPECT TO RACINE
Man After Arrest Admits Being In
Saloon but Declared That Covicz
Was the Real Murderer of
the Man Ritonia

With the arrest late Friday after
noon Of Rade Lecmesica, a Croatian,
by Detective Hammes, Of Milwaukee,
and Chief of Police O'Hare. Of Keno
sha, who jumped from Kenosha and
Milwaukee interurban car to seize the
man where he was working as a
laborer on the street car tracks at Ra-
cine, the Milwaukee police believe
that they have rounded up the Croa-
tian trio, one of whom ended the life
of Leopold Ritonia in that city Sun
day night during fight at south
side saloon owned by the dead man.
In the arrest of the three men the
Milwaukee and Kenosha police have
added to their fame throughout the
country and another crime among
newly arrived immigrants fromtclimes
where human life is held lightly will
not go unpublished. When admissions
Of police officials in every part Of the
country are recalled that crimes
among Italians, Hungarians and
Greeks are as rule left unrequited,
the work Of the two detective forces
may be appreciated.
After aiding in the arrest Of Peter
.Covicz at Kenosha, the man who is
held as the person swtlossstruck the
fatal knife blow, Detective Hammes
remained here with Chief O'Hare ia
order to round ups the remaining
member of the trio, who, according to
testimony at the coroner's inquest,
caused the death of the victim. Fri
day Detective Hammes learned that
someone had called at the Kenosha
pcstoffice for mail for Rade Lecmesica.
With this ciew the Milwaukee de-
tective and Chief O'Hare started
their hunt for the man. Boarding a
trolley car going cnorth they reached
Racine. In the center of the city,
where the track runs along!the east
side of the courthouse square park,
the officials came across a gang Of
laborers working on the track. When
they saw laborer who answered the
description Of the man wanted they
jumped from the car and placed him
under arrest.
Last night Detective Hammes
reached Milwaukee with his man.
Lecmesica admitted that he was a
member of the much sought trio and
he was locked up to await his hearing
with the other two men, Peter Covicz
and John Drogojlovic. The newly
captured prisoner, while admitting
that he was one of the three men
under suspicion, insisted that Covicz
was the man who killed Ritonia. It
was learned that he had been working
in Racine for two days as a member
of a gang Of laborers employed by
the electric railway company. 1t was
Tuesday that Coyicz's companion in
the rooming house at 115aMain street
escaped the vigilance of the officials.
Today the prisoner will be further
questioned, and it is probable that by
Monday the three men will be taken
into District court forstheir prelimin-
airy hearing.
Lecmesica is said to be under &c
years of age. Hezspeaks Polish flu
entity.
Assistant Chief pof Police New.
house aided the othersoficers materi
ally in making the capture. It was
Newhouse who discovered that the
man had fed to Racine and he tele.
phoned the clew to the other officers
and they took the first train.