The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1907-09-05
Arrest of Foreigner Working as a
Sewer Digger, Nay Unearth
Gang Of Brass Thieves
FACTORIES REPORT LOSSES
Hundreds of Dollars Worth of Metals
and Other Material for Manu-
featuring Has Been Stolen
Within a Short Time

In the arrest of Steve Mtynarcyz,
sewer digger who was taken into
custody on Wednesday evening by
Chief of Police O'Hare, the officers
believe that they have put in an enter
ing wedge which will result in the
breaking up of a baud of thieves who
have been robbing the big manufac-
turing plants in Kenosha. Two other
men alleged to have been connected
with the man in custody are being
sought and it is expected that they
will .be arrested within short time
if they have not fed the city.
Months ago the police rounded up
gang of brass thieves and it was
thought that the conviction of the
members of this gang wopld result IN
the practice being stopped but recent
reports to the police indicate that al
most every one of the larger plants IN
the city are being hit hard by the
thievery of the employees. Mtynarcyz
was not employed by any of the COM
panies robbed but it is claimed by the
officers that he was handy accom-
plice for the robbers. 1t is alleged
that the men employed would
throw brass, leather, tools and other
valuables over the fences of the plants
and that they would be taken away
and secreted and sold by the man
under arrest. The man is a foreigner
and he refuses to make any statement.
He will have hearing this afternoon.
When his room at a Wisconsin
street boarding house was searched
the police found great lot of Junk.
There was lot of sheet and tube brass
alleged to have been stolen from the
Chicago Brass company, several sides
of leather taken from the N. K. AL
lens Sons company, a suit. case
filled with tools which are supposed
to have been secured from different
factories, grind stone with all neces-
sary appliances, a lot of clothing,
alleged to have been taken from The
Fair Store. and any amount of other
stuff.
In the past month the police have
had frequent complaints from the
factories on account of the 1osssof
materials and tools and it is thought
that the arrest of Mtvnarcyz will have
tendency to clean up these rob-
berries. Agents of the v+rious COM
panies were at the police Office this
morning making an effort to identify
the loot taken by the officers.
It seems that the work has been
largely done by foreigners and they
have found a ready market for their
stolen goods. On account of the high
price of brass it was an easy matter
| for them to get great haul without
the loss being noticed by the Company
and it is thought that hundreds of
dollars worth of the brass has been
sold. A tour of all the junk shops is
being made by the police in an effort
/ to End more of the stolen goods.
Kenosha seems to have been the
center for this sort of work for years
and it is claimed that the thieves have
disposed Of the brass copper and other
metals stolen from the factories by
shipping it both to Racine and Wau-
kegan. The metal stolen at these
points was shipped to Kenosna and
disposed of here.
The officials in the other cities will
be asked to cooperate with the local
officers in the effort that is being made
to put the gang out of business for all
time.