The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-05-29
Man Who Robbed HagerstoWn
Station Said to Have a Rec
ord for Such BurgIaries of
Unusual Length.
WHEN CORNERED HE
CONFESSES TO ACT.
Believed Now by Railroad In
spector Butcher That the
Man Had an AccompIice in
HagerstoWn Job.

James Crawford, or r. A. Gaver as
he is known to the detective world
who was arrested at South Bend and
found with tickets stolen from the
Hagerstown railroad station in his pos
session is believed to be a man, who is
sought for similar offenses from Maine
to California. Owing to an offer of
reward Of 81 1000 for the apprehension
of the man, the police authorities at
South Bend refused to deliver him to
Capt. Trump Of the Richmond division
Pennsylvania police department. The
warrant prepared against Crawford in
this city is the first in the city and if
st is deemed advisable TO prosecute
on the HagerstoWn case first the man
will be brought here.
The offer of the reward is made by
the Railway Ticket Protective Bureau
of the Tribune Building, Chicago, Ill.
The offer is made for the apprehen-
sion, Identification and delivery Of r.
A. Gaver, as the man is known, to
the sheriff of Hardin County, kenton.
Ohio Gaver burglarized the railway
station at Dunkirk, Ohio, August IS,
1907. He is accused. also, of burglar
1zing the railway stations at Coving-
ton, Jeffersonvlle and Hagerstown,
Ind, Clinton, Mich. Lynchburg. Ohio,
Santa Monica, California and Auburn.
Maine. The warrant for Gaver is held
iby Frank Scott, the sheriff of Hardin
county, Ohio.
Working Tactics.
According to the identification
BLANK, a copy of which is held by the
local police, Crawford or Gaver, Oper-
Ates by lounging about stations and
cultivating the acquaintance of the
agent. BY night he gains entrance by
breaking a window and forces the
ticket case and steals the contents.
The tickets alone are not wanted as
many passengers who may become
purchasers will want checks for their
baggage so the baggage checks and
excess baggage slips are carried away
at the same time. The proceeds usual
ly are placed in travelling bag, The
stolen tickets very often are sold to
ticket brokers and in some instances
are used by the thief in person.
The apprehension of Crawford fol
lowed his anxiety to dispose of horse
and carriage to a South Bend livery
man. Crawford drove into the stable
and offered to sell the entire outfit
for $3.50. He seemed very desirous of
selling the outfit and when the livery
man demurred Crawford said he would
part with it for $50. The liveryman's
suspicious became aroused and final
lly he told Crawford he did not care to
make a purchase. Crawford appeared
angry and drove away in a hurry The
lliveryman notified a police officer of
the mans visit and his actions. The
'officer arrested Crawford In his car
Eriage was found the travelling bag
which contained a large number of tic
lkets from Hagerstown and several
from Dunkirk. There was also an of
lficial stamp of the Pennsylvania sys-
TEN, which 1t is believed Crawford
had secured in some of his raids BY
use of this stamp the tickets could be
made valid on any part of the Penn
sylvania system. The tickets are first
class.
Confesses ALL
After he had been arrested and iden-
rified by Inspector Butcher of the
Pennsylvania system as a man long
sought for, Crawford was forced into
a corner by close questioning and con-
ifessed to the robbery of the Hagers-
town station. He did not reveal any
of the details of the transaction. how
ever. The railroad inspector is of the
topinion that Crawford had an assist
'ant in his deal at Hagerstown and 9th
Ier arrests may follow.
Crawford has gone about the coun-
rry working his game from coast to
coast. Those with whom he became
acquainted at Hagerstown pronounce
him very afbtble and obnging. He
spent a large portion of his time about
the station and this is in accord with
the same tactics as were EMPLOYED
i elsewhere according 10 the ticket pro-
tective bureau. CrBvfor6 was in Ha-
gerstown the evening of the robbery
and could not be loce ted the day fol-
lowing.
Bailey Wants Man.
Supt. Bailey is hopeful that arrange
ments may be made whereby it will
not be necessary TO send him to Ohio
for trial. If the South Bend police de-
'partment can not obtain the reward
without delivering Crawford to the
sheriff Of Hardin county it is probable
they will insist on taking him into
that state. In such a case the custody
Of the man would be surrendered
voluntarily and it would be impossi-
Bile to secure his return to Indiana for
prosecution.