The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1907-10-10
Bold Robbers Make a Descent on
the Schmitz & Lauer Store
Early Thursday Evening
GET SUITS AND HATS GALORE
Robbery Is Discovered by Night Watch
rian Smith and the Only Clue is a
Hat Supposed to Have Belonged
to One of the Burglars

Daring burglars worked in Kenosha
at early candle lighting Thursday
night, when they entered the store OF
Schmitz & Lauer on Main street and
managed to get away with a large
amount of booty, the exact amount
being unknown to the proprietors of
the store and the police. The men
made their entrance to the store bv
forcing open the rear doors and then
breaking the glass in the window of
the door leading into the store proper.
The men must have worked quickly,
as the robbery was discovered just
before 8 O'Clock, and by that time
they had escaped with their booty and
had evidently covered their tracks, as
the police were unable to find any
trace of them during the night. The
only clue to the identity of the rob.
bers was badly worn black SLOUGH
hat which was left in the store and
which was given over to 1.-THE police
this morning to aid them in the work
of locating the men. It is supposed
that the job was committed by local
talent.
The store had been closed just after
6 O'Clock Thursday night and the
members of the firm and the employees
had gone to their homes on the north
side of the city. No light had been
left burning in the front part of the
building. The robbery was discov~
cred by William Smith, the night
watchman, just after 8o'clock. Smith
was making his regular rounds, when
he found the rear doors of the store
open. He investigated and found
that the storm door had been pried
open with crowbar, and after this
had been opened the thieves had
deftly cut away window in the main
door until they could unlock it and
gain an entrance to the store. Once
| in the store it seems that the men got
very busy, and Notwithstanding the
fact that hundreds of people must
have walked past the store while the
robbery was going on, the men seemed
| to have worked with little fear of de-
lection.
They took large number of suits,
overcoats and hats which were piled
high on the tables at the rear of the
store They tore down half of the
stock of hats in the store in order to
make careful selections of sizes and
styles. Then the men went to the
front of the store and found se1ec-
ton of neckties and even took a box
of linen collars from the shelves. In
order to get away with the clothing
they must have had some helpers on
the outside who carried the stuff away
and stored it in a pla &c for safe keep
ing.
The robbery was reported to the
police Just as soon as it was discovered
and the chief threw out drag net to
catch any suspects that might be
about the City but no arrests were
made.
At the store this morning it is stated
that the booty secured by the robbers
must have been considerable but the
exact amount can not be ascertained
until members Of the firm take an in
ventory of the sto@k.
The police started work on the case
in earnest and as they are convinced
that the burglary was the work of To-
cal talent who were we'll acquainted
with conditions in the store they be-
| lieve that they will be able to land the
men sooner or later.