The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-06-03
BATTLES BIC BOND
Young Mail Robbers Bail Is
Fixed at So, 900.
Unable to Furnish Security and
Goes Back to Jail.
WEB is TIGHTENING.
Evidence Found Which Is En-.
tirely Conclusive.
Boy Still Maintains Attitude OF
St0lid Indifference.

Otho Battles. the young mail rob-
Der. was arraigned before United
states Commissioner Frank Camp
bell this morning and a hearing was
called for the afternoon of Monday,
June IA. A bond of $4,000 was fixed
by the commissioner but was not
produced and the young man was
taken back to the city Jail. He didn't
seem bothered in the least by the
ceremonies and wore the same
grin which had made him well
known character on the streets of
Topeka. His mother is apparently
broken down over the arrest and the
collected evidence.
From the evidence gathered by
the postoffice inspectors last night
and today it looks as though there
has been regular gang of postoffice
thieves working in Topeka for the
last six months. This so called gang
IS being rounded up by the inspec-
tors and it is but question of time
until they will all land safely in the
federal penitentiary at Leavenworth
Ohio Battles, the young cripple
who was arrested Tuesday night for
opening registered package on a
mail wagon, can not escape. Not
only the key to the mail pouches has
been found upon him but in search
of the premises and clothes last
evening WAS IOunQ lndL ne nad IN
his possession IS bill which
answered exactly to the description
given by the postmaster of Brough-
ton, Kan, who sent to Postmaster
Rodgers yesterday a complete de-
scription of the money and money
orders wrapped in a registered pack
age sent to the Topeka office for de-
pository. 1t is thought by the gov
eminent inspectors that this fact
alone will send Battles to the
penitentiary.
Claud Stroud the young son-in-law
of Mrs. Battles and a brother-in-Iaw
of young Battles, who was arrested
Wednesday is getting into the plot
deeper. This morning Inspector Gro
gan found upon the young man key
crook keys. Two skeleton keys were
there that would unlock any COM
mon lock in the city of Topeka.
''These are never carried in the
pocket of an honest man." said Mr..
Grogan this morning. Then there
was fiat key used for unlocking
any of the regular fiat locks. This
| Is also very dangerous key to carry
and will convict man quicker than
worse Stroud carried on this key
ring two keys which fit the mail
wagons used by the postoffice
Stroud was never in the employ of
the postoffice and these keys are
l
asked what he was doing with such a
set of suspicious looking keys Stroud
dropped his head and said he had
| just been picking them up at odd
times.
The inspectors are of the opinion that
these odd times are the exact times
that have cost the government thou
sands of dollars. During the last
search of the Battles premises nothing
additional was found. Charred paper
A. -%1 ,ad 1,n ola &c
showed the outline of a regular regis
terry receipt card. However the detec-
tives have collected enough evidence to
convict young Battle. The object In
view at the present time is to clear up
the Rock Island mystery. That Bat
ties and his brother-in-law We're con-
nected with the Rock Island robbery is
strongly suspected. This loss alone
will amount to thousands of dollars.
Ever since the Rock Island affair the
robberies at the postoffice have been
regular.
It is impossible to obtain an inter
view of any kind with Battles or Doyle
Battles is at the city Jail and Doyle at
the county Jail. They are not allowed
| to talk to anyone except their attorneys
and the inspectors Captain J. r. Nc
Nary is the attorney for the defense
| The inspectors have attempted to
| Sweat the prisoners but nothing of
any consequence can be obtained from
of the inspectors did say a few words
| to the effect that Battles did not let
drop any crumbs of information. He
| is not hattered by the continuous at
tention and is as close as a clam.
| Some new information has been OBJ
| tanned as to the past career of young
| Doyle.
| Elmer Doyle is not a novice in the
art of trouble making. He belongs 20
| a number of the toughest gangs in
| Oakland and has been in scrapes of all
| kinds Chief Eaton of the police de-
partment said this afternoon that
| Doyle had been an annoyance to the
| police for some time. While Eaton
was in the juvenile court young Doyle
| was taken into custody for breaking
| into a house in Oakland. 1t was a sur
prise to all acquainted with Doyle that
| he was allowed on the postoffice mail
wagons after such a record. He is now
confined in the county Jail
M