The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-11-16
InfantiIe Leah KIeschner" Arrested
in Gary==One of Gang of
Car Breakers.
A CHANGE REMARK PUTS THE POLICE WISE
Child Intercepted While Carrying Off Bag of Booty Per
sistently Refuses to "Peach' Finally
Drops Clue and Confesses.
tspeclaI to Lake County TImes.)

Gary, Nov. 16.-With a knowledge of
crime, way beyond her years. a little
s-year-oId girl has been found by the
police to be a member of a gang of
railroad thieves who have been robbing
cars in this town for the past month.
When confronted by the officers who
were attempting to question her as to
the identity Of the other members Of
the gang, she laughed at their efforts
to scare her or to force a confession
from her and it was only through the
hardest work that Chief Martin finally
got any information. and that only
through a careless word dropped by the
child.
The little girl is Helen Grodavich,
daughter of poor but respectable par
ents, and the curious part of the whole
thing is that she performed her part of
the criminal work without her parents
knowing the least thing about 1t all.
AS a result of the arrest of the tot.
the police have succeeded in getting in
formation as TO one OF the worst gang
OF crooks that ever made this section
of the state the scene of their opera
tions. One of the number, the man who
took charge Of the stolen property, was
arrested and a large part of the booty
OF one of the latest raids found
hidden in his shack. His name is Mike
F'il nnskl and from information re-
eeiBed by the police tie brother of the
man. Frank Filenski. who has been arr
rested frequently at other cities, is
the leader of the crowd, which is made
up OF South Chicago thugs.
Has Been Going ON for Months.
During the past few months the rail-
roads at Gary have been heavy losers
through the systematic robbery OF
freight cars and storage houses. Rail
road detectives have been at work with
the Gary police but they were CON
stantly outwitted by the gang. Chiet
Martin and Sergeant Klopf have beer
working on the case and have been
watching the railroad yards. Last night
their vigilance was rewarded.
Shortly after dark they saw little
girl walking along the railroad tracks
with large bag. and she seemed bare
~ able to carry the load which the
sack contained. They stopped the girl
and asked fler what she had in the bag
and where she was going. At first she
told them that she had been picking W
coal but as the sack did not seem t
have the appearance, they examined the
contents and found that instead of the
coal, it contained three hams and {
small quantity OF gloves and woolei
mittens. They took the child to til,
station where they questioned her. A
first she stated that she saw some mei
rob car and hide the booty in tn
slough and that after they had gon
she went to the coach and took SOM
OF the goods for herself. She coul,
not explain where the cache was. s.
the otncers tried the third degree Il
minor way on the little girl The.
tried to coax and wheedle her withou
avail. and then they tried to scare he
by threats. but she only laughed a
them.
Father Reports Child Missing.
AS the hour grew late and the littl
girl did not return home, the father
Jonn Grodavich, came to the station an
complained that his child was missing
lie was surprised when he found tha
she was detained at the station, an
stlil more so when bo discovered wha
she was being held for From a wor
cropped By the girl in the questioning
the police learned the name OF Mix
Filenski and they at once wenr to hi
shack by the Lake Shore trarlss an
arrested the man and searched tba nlac,
They found the booty all manns- =
provisions and merchandise bidaen 1
the place and the whole outft va
brought TO the station The Httta -
was then forced to tell what She kna,
OF the affair and from her story Il u-a
learned that She was employed IS III
band 20 go ahead and see ii the coas
was clear along the tracks While roa
robbed the cars She was also cmpiova
70 watch for interference in the wor
and was instructed TO give sigma
when danger threatened Her rev7r
was candy and little things which +,
members gave her
Frank Filkenski was the loade,
the gang and the roster was macs .
of South Chicago thugs and crooks rb
blunder was taken to Mike Ffll5ensl,f
shack where 1t was hidden untu sps
time as the members could carry II !
telescopes from the place to South ~.
cago where it was disposed Of lit
thought that thousands Of dollar
worth of goods have been stolen by m
gang in Gary. Mike Filkenski va
locked up charged with receiving stole
property, but the other members hay
escaped so far. The little girI was r.
turned to her parents who viii keep
close watch over her.