Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-08-17

HEADQUARTERS IN COUNCIL
sLuFFs AND OTHER CITIES
Property Stolen From Cars shipped 70
Other Points For Dispesai ~
Assnts-Mabray stssrsrs suspected
Of cempIieity-esvsrs, Arrests Made
and Confession Secured. II

Council Bluffs, Aug. 17.-what has
many aspects of an organized gang
Of railroad thieves with ramifcations
In perhaps dozen OF the leading cities
Of the middle west is being unearthed
by railroad detectives for roads enter
ing Council Bluffs. Already three men
who are suspected of connection with
the gang are under arrest, one Of them
being held by the local police.
The railroad detectives are said to
have secured confessions from at least
one member Of the gang, in which the
others are implicated, and the general
operations are revealed of an organ
ization that rivals In extent the rami-
fications Of the famous ,Mabray gang
Indeed, one of the three men now be-
ing held in connection with the affair
IL man who was at one time a
steerer and Jockey for the Mabray
gang. ~
Connected in Many Cities.
1t is declared by those who are in a
measure conversant with the plan Of
operations that the organization main
tanned connections In a large number Of
western cities, including Chicago. Min
neapolis, st. Paul, Des Moines. Omaha.
and probably Council Bluffs.
Property stolen at any one Of these
locations was promptly shipped to an
other city for disposition, ofttimes be-
ing shipped to the destination over
the very railroad from which it had
originally been stolen.
Some Of the connections In the Diff
ferent cities, it IL said, are we'll known
citizens Of considerable standing in
their own communities. These men of
course took no part in the actual THEW
cry, and their general good reputa-
lions was such as to Gisarm all sus-
picion when the effort was made to
dispose Of the stolen goods.
All recognized fences" for stolen
goods were eschewed in the handling Of
the different shipments Of stolen goods.
according to the story told.
9hipmsnts Burned, Insurance Claimed.
The particular offense which the rail-
road detectives were Investigating
when they unearthed the story of the
big organization Of thieves was q ship
ment Of practically worthless. second
hand buggies from Omaha TO Moose
Jaw. Canada. The scheme In that par
ticular instance IL said to have been
to burn the car containing the ship
inent IN roilke and then present q big
bill for damages to the railroad COM
pany.
The shipment went out over the
Great Western, and included box said
to contain harness. But, so 1t Is said.
the box was filled with gasolene in cans.
and It was the. plan that the man ac-
companying the car was to saturate
everything with gasolene and burn 1t.
tho IRE being supposed to take place
some forty miles out OF Omaha.
For some reason, however, the hre
was not started until the train had
nearly reached Carroll. Once there.
the blaze was extinguished, and the
condition Of the interior Of the car dis
covered. Some empty gasolene cans,
also, were discovered along the right
of-way, where they had been thrown.
Altho the car really contained Sec
ond-hand buggies Of hot great value 1t
was billed thru with q value Of $4,000,
according to statements by the detec-
tives for the Great Western, who in
vestigated the circumstances.
Astounding Facts Unearthsd.
It was the investigation into this at
fair which started the ball rolling. The
detectives themselves, familiar as they
were with the general thievery prac-
ticed against the railroads, were as
founded an fact sitter fact was un-
earthed, and the extent Of the organiz-
alton revealed.
Officers connected with other rail-
roads We're called In to help with the
investigation. Special agents were sent
to other cities, and three mon whose
names had been connected with the big
organization were arrested practically
simultaneously in three different cit
les.
So far the three mon. or two Of them
at least, have been held for investiga-
ton. with no formal charge preferred.
It seems likely, however. that in the
course of the next few days charges Of
conspiracy will be lodged against the
men and probably other arrests will
be made in other cities.