The Sauk Centre herald., 1908-12-10
BUILD NEXT YEAR STEALING GRAIN
Thieves Have Been Hard at Work
In Sauk Centre
DETECTIVE ON TRAIL
Special Agent of the Grain and Ware
house Commission Unearths
Some Irregularities

Charles Watson, special agent Of
the Minnesota State Grain and Ware
house Commission, visited Sauk Gem
tire this week and rounded up a gang
of men who for some time past have
been engaged in the occupation Of
stealing grain from cars on the rail-
road tracks and selling it,
Mr.. Watson came here as a result
Of letter received recently by the
commission calling attention to the
fact that some things here needed
investigation. He arrived on the
Winnipeg Flyer Tuesday evening and
took room at the Palmer House.
Wednesday morning he started on his
investigations and after four hours
of hard work had the conspiracy-for
conspiracy it was-sifted to the bot
tom.
Mr.. Watson ascertained that there
exists in Sank Centre a gang of men
who for months past have made it a
practice, not only to sweep out grain
cars-which is forbidden by law-but
who have gone even further and OPEN
ed cars and stolen quantities of it.
1t has occurred often that grain
cars that were loaded and securely
sealed have been found with the seals
broken. In some cases the persons
committing the depredations have bor-
ed augur holes in the cars and caught
the grain as it has run out.
Having stolen the grain the next
process is to sell it. This the gang
has succeeded in doing to some ex-
tent. Within a few days past two
Or three loads of flax were sold at
local elevators by this gang. The
elevator men became suspicious and
declined to buy any more grain COM
ing in under such auspices. One OF
the elevator men told the man who
delivered one load of flax not to come
again if he would keep out of trouble.
The elevator men say they will have
positively nothing to do with any
grain that comes in under suspicious
circumstances.
While making his Investigations
Wednesday morning Special Agent
Watson came across a man who was
down on his knees sitting some flax.
He is not a grain grower, but had ten
bushels of flax and some wheat. Mr.
Watson thus caught him red-handed
and the man was frightened. He
was given due warning.
Mr.. Watson ascertained who Is at
the head of the gang of thieves. He
is well known resident here. The
Herald is in possession of his name
as well as the names of others i'm
plicated but for obvious reasons does
not make them public. The ring
leader, it seems from what Mr.. Wat
son discovered, engineered the oper-
ations, looked after the selling and
divided the "swag'' with his confed-
crates. He admitted to Mr.. Watson
that he was guilty. Mr.. Watson de-
cided not to do anything, at present
at least, but warned this man and
others that if the stealing continued
he would prosecute the wrong doers.
Most of the stealing had been done
in the Nothern Pacific yards and along
its tracks from a point near the sta
ton to the crossing with the Great
Northern. The latter road has been
practically immune from these de-
predationc Mr.. Watson was in Sauk
Centre, Sept % last and at that time
posted placards which were headed:
Warning to Trespassers''. This
placard called attentin to the state
law making it unlawful for any per-
son to sweep empty grain cars, or
to carry grain from any of the rail-
road yards, or for other than en-
ployes to enter engines or freight
cars. At that time Mr.. Watson hand
ed one of the placards to the leader
of this gang Of grain thieves. Tho
breaking of the law is punishable BY
fine or imprisonment. y
Special Agent Watson was given
valuable aid in making his inyestiga-
tions here by Chief of Police Byron
w. Carr, who accompanied him on
] his rounds.