Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1908-06-25
A BOLD DAY
LIGHT ROBBERY
a.or was at Supper.-Cuiprits
Captured at Hawkins

Captured at Hawkins
There was considerable excitement
in the city after supper Monday even.
ing when the news was circulated
that the 500 depot had been robbed
while the operator was at supper.
The waiting rooms are generally
left unlocked and the glass of the
ticket window in the mems waiting
room had been smashed, the cash
drawers forced open and rified OF
contents, with the exception OF ST 40
in dimes. For their bold trick the
thieves had got away with $14 A
including "A bright new pennies,
which in their haste they must have
mistaken for gold pieces.
A heavy cane, which had been
broken in prying Off one of the cash
drawers, was left behind. Operator
Lila, who was on duty q n d
had g o G n permission to go
to his supper, was the first to dis
cover the crime. He left the depot
at 6 o'clock and returned about 6:45
He at once notified Chief of Police
McNally and Sheriff Reed, and with
Under-sheriff DOdsOn, they were on
the trail before the culprits' tracks
had got cold.
Two men had been seen "hiking"
east on the track about that time,
and the sheriff started out with q
posse on Il hand-car. At q crossing
about half way to Tony they found
fresh footprints of two men on the
wet ground, and saw where they
had sat down beside the road, pre-
sumably to count their gains. Sat
isfied that he was on the right track,
the sheriff ordered q return to this
city and took q livery team and
started for Tony, keeping watch for
tracks along the road. He was re-
warded by signs of the refugees at
intervals, showing that they had
travelled part Of the time along the
wagon road and again on the rail
road. In Tony, Glen Flora and Ing
ram in turn search was made, and
at nearly every place there happened
to be someone who had seen the
hunted men skirting the town, and
again their tracks would be found
beyond.
During the night it began to rain,
but the sheriff did not abandon the
chase. StatiOning men along the
line at different points where he
thought any attempt might be made
to board a passing freight, the sher-
iff went on to Hawkins, where at
a. m.. after trudging all night more
than twenty miles through the rain,
the two bad men walked right into
his arms. The limited was just pull
ing into Hawkins, where it stops on
flag, and they were intending to
board it.
They were returned to this city,
and, after being allowed time to
sleep, were arraigned before Justice
Reeves and plead not guilty. On ac-
count OF the absence from the cOun
ty of District Attorney Williams, the
hearing was continued until next
Tuesday at 10 q. m.
The contents of the cash drawer,
which had been checked up by Lester
COrbett, who is acting as agent in
The absence of =. IL. Nelson, CORES
ponds exactly with the amount the
men had with them when caught
nickels, dimes, quarters and halves
all except the pennies, which they
were evidently careful to get rid OF.
They might have made a much
larger haul had not Mr.. COrbett TAX
en- the precautiOn to take the bills
from the drawer when he left the
depot.
The pair are positively identified
by several parties who saw them
about the depot shortly after &, and
one of the men was seen carrying
the cane the day before. They gave
their names as Ed. Puerman and
William Francklin. One is perhaps
40 and the other considerable young
er, Both are strangers here.
The depot was robbed once before
in q similar manner several years
ago.