The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-05-21
TRIO STOLE AN AUTO
TAKE M. D. FANCHER'S CAR FROM
IN FRONT OF SAULPAUGH.
Machine Was Found Sunday Morning
on the Prairie North of the City;
Near All-Night Hunt in Which
Chief of Police Pond Participated,
But the Stolen Property Could Not
Be Located; the Reward.

From Mondays Daily.
NJ ID. Fancher's automobile was
stolen from in front of the Saulpaugh
Saturday night and recovered yester-
day morning on the prairie north of the
city 1t was a bold piece of work, and
will land the thief in the penitentiary
if he can be located. The new state
law is very strict about taking auto
mobiles without the owners permission,
and it is even made misdemeanor
to climb into another's machine or
horn without permission. The Man
kato Automobile club this morning an
nounced That it would pay a reward of
800 for information leading to the
arrest and conviction of the party who
took Mr.. Fanchers automobile. 1t is
hoped to make such an example in this
case that the offense will not be re-
peated in the future.
Car Was Gone.
Mr.. Fancher left MS car in front of
the Saulpaugh at lO:30 o'clock Sat
urday evening and went into the hotel,
and forty minutes later came out and
found his car gone. Failing to find
| it in the neighborhood, he went to
the police station and informed Chief
of Police Pond, and the two tracked
corner onto Main street and into the
| railway yards, where it must nave
nearly struck a platform. and up Pike
street to Jackson. The track could not
be followed on the pavement, but par
ties said, that they had seen the car
going up Jackson street with three
young men in it, and the car was
weaving from one side of the street to
| the other. The car was traced to
| Fourth, where it turned north, and as
there were other automobile tracks in
the mud it could be followed no
longer.
Hunt Kept Up Nearly All Night.
| The services of H. Fl. Cummns and
machine We're secured and also those
of A. w. Spehr and his machine, and
the four gentlemen kept up the hunt
| for the stolen car until after three
O'Clock, when it was given up for the
night, no further track of it having
been secured.
At eight o'clock yesterday morning
Mr.. Fancher hitched up his horse and
ing that the ear might have been left
in one of them, but saw nothing of it
and drove to the police station. While
there gentleman reported having seen
car standing off from the prairie
road to st. Peter With Chief Pond
and Mr.. Cummins Mr., Fancher went
there and found the stolen car half
way between Second street and Fourth
avenue. The chain was off, and the
car had evidently been abandoned for
this reason, the thief either being I'M
able to replace it or fearing to get
his hands greasy. Fortunately, no
damage had been done to the car, but
it had sustained few scratches. This
was better luck than Mr.. Fancher had
expected
Out on Joy Ride.
1t is thought that somebody familiar
with the handling of cars took the cal
for Joy ride with couple of friends
while under the influence of liquor
The car was run without lights when
seen on Jackson street. One of the
young men on the back seat wore a
light fedora hat.
The police have been searching for q
party who is suspected of having com
mitted the theft, and it is to be hoped
that he will be apprehended and prop
erly punished, for in addition to steal
ing the car he seems to have driver
it in a dangerous manner, without
lights, and weaving from one side OF
the street to the other driving reck
lessly and endangering the lives and
limbs of pedestrians.
Joy riding in the large cities has
been frequent, but the new law is eX
pected to put a stop to it.