The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1907-06-25
Stolen Brass After Being
Sold is Shipped Out
Over the Road.
Floater Junk Dealer When
Arrested Says He Got
Goods from Many.
THIEVES GOT VERY LITTLE IN
SELLING THEIR LOOT, BUT
THE PROPERTY STOLEN AND
DAMAGED is WORTH NEARLY
$4,000 ON THE MARKET.

The frivolous minded might well
ask if the L and y. railroad can be
fined under the Hepburn law for re
ceiving a rebate in the way of freight
tolls on its own goods when it
doesn't know it. That is what has
been happening-brass stolen from
the L. and y road being shipped as
freight via the l.. and y. to Mobile
About 900 worth of fire apparatus
has been put out of commission by
the theft of nOZZleS and couplings, but
the loss value depends in part on
whether the unstolen, but damaged
hose is worth anything; and. if 20,
how much. some of the stolen prop
erty was recovered. and some is
known TO have been shipped TO Mo-
bile by A MalinO, a nonresident
floating junk dealer, whom the pO-
lice gathered in He was later re-
leased on bond He says that he
bought the goods from several per-
sons, white and cOlOred, and shipped
them to Mobile via the L. and y. road.
The Discovery.
When the weekly fire drill and in
spection of fire apparatus was under
taken Saturday afternoon on the eX-
Nashville Railroad, it was discovered
that twelve brass nOZzles and twelve
couplings had been stolen since the
fire drill the week previous. The
couplings were secured by cutting
them from the hose. and if new coup
lings cannot be placed Will result IN
loss of about 500 on each length of
hose. and S35 for each nozzle stolen,
making a total of nearly $4,000.
Sold For Old Junk.
The brass sold as old junk at the
rate of 10 cents a pound, and prob
ably netted the thieves less than $25.
A floating" junk dealer, who recent
ly came here and who is doing bust
ness at the corner Of Romano and
Baylen streets, has been arrested for
having stolen the property in his pos
session, five of the nozzles and a
number of the couplings having been
found in his place. He said when
arrested that he purchased others and
shipped them to Mobile with Il car
load of old iron
Getting the Goods.
The theft of the articles and de-
structiOn of the hose was reported
to the police Saturday night, and
! Chief Sanders went to work on the
theory that the thieves could best be
| located by first finding the articles,
| and tracking back.
Deputy Marshal Anderson yester-
day went to MalinO's place and there
/ found a number of the nOZZies and
| couplings, which the l.. and y. people
! identified. The proprietor was placed
under arrest. and the latter said that
/ he had purchased them from parties
whom he did not know He was re
! leased on bond to assist in the so9rch
| of the men. When told what had cen
stolen. Malino said that he had pur-
chased such articles and shipped them
| to Mobile via the l.. and y.
Systematic Robbery.
1t is pOSSihIe that the theft OF the
nOZzles and hose couplings may have
/ been systematic one, and some
stolen each night. The fire apparatus
( is inspected only once a week, when
the fire drills occur, so il is not
! known whether all were stolen in one
night or some each night. All Of the
| MOBILES of the equipment on the Com
mandancia street wharf were stolen,
| and many OF the couplings cut from
the ends of the hose. while the equip
ment for the elevator was likewise
stolen and damaged. The TarragOna
and MuscOgee wharves had not been
visited.
Equipment Supplied.
As soon as il was discovered that
the equipment was useless the l. &
! y. immediately proceeded to supply
both the Commandments wharf and
elevator with equipment secured from
other sources, and the property is
: E4-a