The Washington herald., 1909-03-01


pOsite side of the cars. Noticing min
standing there, one Of the robbers reach
ed under the car and fred poin: blank,
the bullet entering Keller's leg.
Hairbreadth Escapes.
Not a night passes without A mix-up
between one or more specials and rob
bers, and many are the hairbrea 18th
escapes credited 10 the former where luck
broke in their favor. Nos; Of these en-
counters are never heard Of. for the sFe-
cial is too busy 10 recoun. ais exploits.
and. besides, as a RUE. they are Of the
kind he likes to forge, Occasionally,
however. there is sufficient variation 70
make an incident worth while
7 remember one case with which ]
was connected that had more than a
SmatteTing OF romance interviewer. said
q veteran railroad detective employed by
one OF the largest roads running into De-
troit. Some years ago We had a yard
master with a wife that was pretty as a
picture. and two fine boys. His wife rsed
frequently TO come down u his office,
and in this way CHANGED to meet the
chief clerk in the freight Office.
TO make long story short, the yard
master went 10 the bad, and finally lost
his position because OF drink. Then he
dropped out Of sight. Meanwhile. the
chief clerk and the yardmasteT's wife
had become fast friends. and he went
10 live with her in & ToOming-hOUse she
was running a couple Of blocks OF Wood
ward avenue, inside the mile circle
''One day I got tip that they had a
room fun OF stolen property I'D at the
house Taking one OF my assistants and
Detective Brooks went UP there. gained
admission, and demanded the return of
the goods. She was indignant, but finally
broke down. When il vas all over. we
had not less than 800 worth OF goods
that had been stolen from freight cars
by the chief clerk. he having furnished
the house complete, aside from chairs
and tables
-Among the things We recovered were
nineteen wOmen's tailored suits. tTO doz-
en pairs Of WOmens fine shoes. a dozen
long handled parasols. several dozen
pairs Of lace curtains. parlor lamps. cut
glass. and great number Of other arti-
cies-
Married After jail Term.
The clerk vas arrested, convicted. and
sent 10 the House OF Correction for two
and a half years. The day he went 10
prison the woman began working in a
laundry. The day he was released she
met him, they went TO living together
again and in q short time were married
He holds q responsible position in Detroit
now. and they are living happily to
gether
Romantic. eh2 But there's another side
70 IL The day We made the arrests the
mother Of the clerk came 10 the house
and asked 20 see the woman, who, she
declared. had ruined her boy. I pur-
s1laded her not 10 do so. telling her the
woman was il, and she went away, sob
bing Two months later she was dead OF
a broken heart"
Some Of these thieves are clever A
well known Detroiter visited Europe a
few years ago. and while IN Venice
bought considerable fine glassware, in
tending 10 present il 70 his daughter
when he reached home The crate ar
rived at New York in due time. and in
accordance with instructions was for
warded 10 Detroit under bond in a car
filed with other imports, each properly
sealed by the customs officials, and the
car bearing the government imprint
When the car was unsealed in Detroit
the crate in question was taken 10 the
appraisers Office opened IN the presence
Of the man who had made the purchase
and was found TO contain a single cham
payne glass
So cleverIy had the seal been broken
and replaced that the customs officers
were AT first unable 70 detect the Job
Finally Washington was notified. the
crate was traced from New York TO De-
troit and back again. and the announce
ment was made that the articles had
been stolen in New York and could not
be located Some months afterward they
were found scattered about the house
OF a DetrOiter, who was arrested and
convicted Of breaking and entering a car
and served time for the offense
The ways in which these fellows oper-
ate are devious. II used 10 be a common
practice FOR one or more Of a band to
board merchandise train in the Grand
Trunk yards. on the river front, and ride
Up Dequindre street At a point agreed
upon one Of the thieves would turn an
angle cock between the cars. thus set
ting the brakes on the entire train and
bringing il 70 q standstill. BY the tine
the freight crew had discovered the DIFF
hculty the band had broken into a car
and made or il the dark with their
plunder.
How Cars Are Robbed.
Another favorite plan was for one ot
a band 70 conceal himself in a car and
have confederate break the seal Just
before the train pulled out. At a given
point up Dequindre street-usuaIlv near
Jay-the man IN the car would open the
door. dump out the plumber. and make
q flying leap. II detected in the act. be-
fere the train could be stopped and the
crew get back 70 the spot the man and
his confederates had made a getaway
with the goods.
Danger from this quarter has been
largely reduced. however, by stationinR
men. armed with shotguns loaded with
fine shot, on top Of trains. with Instruc-
tons 70 fire upon any one caught rob
bing a car Not infrequentlv hand 70
hand encounters take place on top Of the
swaying cars as the train tears along
in the darkness, and L Is a case where.
as one special officer succinctiy put il.
the best fellow wears the coat"
OF all the pests, the coal thief Is in the
great majority. II IS impossible TO esti-
mate how much the railroads entering
Detroit lose in this manner each year.
HUN - y q 4Aoi a. certainty N In6 minds
OF these officers that hundreds Of families
never spend cent for fuel Stealing coal
from railroad is apparently not regarded
as a crime by those who DO Il, and fall
IRE 10 punish those detected In the act
leads railroad officials 10 the conclusion
that the courts often share the same
view
Up 70 the Polish settlement on the east
side there are hundreds Of men, women.
and children who make a regular business
OF raiding coal cars, carrying their plum
der away IN bags and carts, and occa-
sionaliy wagons II eornered. they fight.
and not infrequently display a willing
ness to take the life Of an officer nro-
vided they make their own escape.