The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1910-03-24
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Men Who Looted the Milwaukee
Freight Car in February Will
Answer In Circuit Court.
With the combined efforts of De-
tective Wernick, of the Milwaukee
system, Sheriff Plotner and Chief
Cunningham the men who looted the
freight car of the Milwaukee COM
pany on the night of Feb. SO have
all been captured and a goodly por-
lion of the merchandise taken has
Deen recovered. 1t was not such a
hopeless task as might have seemed
at first, and after they secured the
foundation on wnicn to work they
lave made diligent search for tie
men and the merchandise.
The chief offenders in the crowd
re George Harrison, Herbert Sweitz-
n, Frank kelsh and Jess Hendricks.
fne first two were captured at Sioux
Jity and Hendricks was located at
Iobridge a small town out west of
aberdeen on the Missouri river. Frod
Cushman, who was a chef in the M
Joy of the Murphy System at the
,-lwaukee lunch counter, was al tt
d at Omaha and kelsh was arrested
lerc. The other men have been en-
lloyd in the yards If the Milwaukee
company as switchmen.
In this capacity the men have had
! pretty good idea of what the freight
lars contained when they reached
Litchell and were bound for some
Joint beyond. On the night of Feb.
SO a freight car was broken into that
vas destined for Rapid City, end
which contained a large quantity of
slothing shipped by Hart Schaffner
/ Marx, of Chicago. The men lifted
about $500 worth of clothing in the
way of o%vercoats and suits. Having
possession of seals the car was again
sealed and it was not discovered that
here had been a robbery until the
irm in Rapid City received the goods
and then ascertained that the robbery
lad taken place.
A day or so after the robbery there
vas a tramp in town who had no Wis
ible means of support and in fact
made application for assistance. The
day after he was seen to have a suit
of clothes and which he later sold.
Chief Cunningham took the tramp
into his keeping and finally ascertain
ed to where he got the clothes. De-
tective Wernick came up and with
Sheriff Plotner to work on the case
Harrison was arrested charged with
the theft and after being held q few
days was given his liberty, for the
reason that there was nothing at the
time to hold him on but he was not
lost sight of.
Shorty afterward the men COM
menced to dispose of their plumber
and much Of it was sold at ridiculous
ly low prices. it being estimated that
Of all the stuff they sold they did not
realize to exceed $35.
The officers commenced to work
on their evidence with renewed vigo1
and the result has been that the entire
lot of men have been captured.
Detective Wernick and Sheri1l
Plotner have been travelling to diff
ferent points in the state, at Mo.
bridge, Madison, Marion, and at Sioux
City and have been able to locate the
goods which were planted. Some OF
The goods were found in this city.
Previous to this episode in the
lives of the %switchmen, it is stated
that they have been in the habit Of
breaking into freight cars and get.
ting a smaller amount of plumber
which could not be 80 easily traced
as in the case of the large quantity
of goods. 1t is stated that on the
night of the robbery the men went
into the Milwaukee freight house ant
helped themselves to a case of gin
IRON which they imbibed so literally
that they felt impelled to tackle a big
ger job than they ever done before
and made the haul from the car o:
clothing.
Harrison. sweitzer, Cushman ant
Hendricks have appeared before Jus
tice Markham at various times in thu
past ten days and waived examination
on the charge. In each instance tn,
court bound them over to the term o
circuit court in the sum of $500.
II 49, l.1..-LA Loeoro T,1%jo.