The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1906-10-26
Lake Shore Attempted Hold
up and Aetna Explosion
Inextricably Linked.
EXPECT CONFESSION
Sheriff Daugherty Separates the Two
Prisoners and Hopes to
Learn the Truth.

Every day brings the story of the
attempt to blackmail the Lake Shore
railroad by threats of blowing up the
limited, and the story of the Aetna
boarding house explosion closer to-
gether.
The two men who occupied the room
where the dangerous explosive was
hidden, and who were arrested yester-
day, have made damaging admissions
that may prove them to be leaders in
one of the most dangerous gangs OF
criminals that have ever operated in
this part of the country since the car
barn bandits were captured.
At Crown Point, where the men are
under arrest, Fred Gerstung, one OF
them, was put in the sweat-box for
several hours, but the examination was
not carried far enough to enable the in
.quisitors to determine definitely
whether or not Gerstung was connect
cd with the abortive attempt to black
mail the Lake Shore railroad
The men were forced to admit that
they stole the explosives found in theii
room. thai they stole it for illegitimats
purposes. and that one Of these pur-
poses was to sell it to afe-breakers
and most important of all. that there
was a gang in existence of which they
were members, organized. evidently fo1
the purpose Of carrying out some ne
sarious plans. the nature Of which
could not be determined at the time.
Packard shows Emotion.
Charles Packard, the most clever OF
the two men, has not been examined to
any great extent, and it is believed
that he will be the most difficult to
secure a confession FROM but when he
was told by Sheriff Dougherty that
Gerstung had told the whole story, i'm
plicating other members of the gang
Packard showed considerable emotion
and said that he did not see why any
one else need be brought into the mat
ter He even threatened that if Gers
tung did not keep his mouth shut that
he would get even with him.
The preliminary hearing was held
last night before Justice Nicholson
when the two men were bound over tC
the Circuit court under bonds of $4,000
for Gerstung and $4,000 for Packard
superintendent Clayton of the Aetna
Powder company was the prosecuting
witness.
When they were arraigned for tria
both of the men denied the theft o1
the explosives. and disclaimed any
knowledge of its presence in the board
ing house.
They were then taken in hand by
Sheriff Daugherty. who separated the
men and questioned each one separate
ly. Gerstung was the first one under
fire. and soon broke down, and con
fessed to stealing both the nitroglycer-
in and tta stick of dynamite which
We're found wrapped UP in a towel il
a bureau drawer in the room where the
explosion occurred.
Skillful Quv-tioning brought out the
story that leads the sheriff to believe
that both prisoners are members Of {
gang Of bold and daring criminals, who
have planned a long list OF daring
Lake Shore Limited was to be the be
ginning.
OIL stolen Two Weeks Ago.
According to Gerstung's story. tn,
oil" as nitroglycerln is called anon,
the powder mill employees, was takel
two weeks ago. when a pint whisk.
bottleful was taken from the mills an,
concealed in their room at the board
ing house.
The bottle filed with the deadly ex
pIosive was carried to Chicago a weel
ago last Sunday. where they eXpecte
to deliver it to experienced safe-blow
ers. whom they expected TO meet a
Rubins' saloon. at Clark and Madiso
streets They failed TO find their mer
however and returned to Aetna.
The dynamite cartridge was secure
last Friday and concealed in Gers
tung's room. According to Gerstung
statement Packard was the leade
and planned all Of the schemes TO stea
the nitroglycerin.
Gerstung stated that Packard ha
been in troble before. and threatene
to kill him once because he knew to
much about him. Packard showed
surprising knowledge Of the law, an
insisted on waving examination. II
skillfully parried all questions. but fin
ally admitted that he had put Gerstun
up TO deny all knowledge of the ex
plosive and how it was obtained.
Gerstung gave his age as 16 years
although he looks to be 20 or NOR,
Packard said that he was 19. Sheri
Daugherty has separated the prisoner
and hopes to secure the whole stor
from one or the other sooner or late
He is confident that the boys are
couple of desperate young rogue
whose capture has nipped in the bud
series Of daring crimes.