Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1912-11-21
POSTOFFICE ROBBERY
JOHN J.HOUT FORMERLY A
MAIL CARRIER OF OFFICE
MAKES HIS CONFESSION
Chief Of Police j. v. Martiu, of
Butler, Does Some Splendid
Detective Work And Gets
A Confession And The
Culprit And Money

When Chief of Police j. v. Martin
accepted that position in the town OF
Butler he found that there were many
complaints from stores for loss OF
merchandise and automobile supplies
and no one seemed to have any sus-
picion as to the guilty parties.
"Jack" as he is Familiarity known to
almost every man, woman and child in
this city, Immediately gave the matter
his undivided attention. At the end of
few weeks he had satisfied himself
that John j. Hout, one of the rural
mail carriers, was the guilty party.
He apprehended him and accused him
and told him to return large number
of tools to certain place on certain
evening. Hout was frightened and
while he denied his guilt at the time,
at the appointed time and place he was
there with the goods and Martin was
there with witnesses. These goods
were taken from the store belonging
to Nels j. Bjerke. Then the Barry
store had been robbed of some auto
mobile tires. Hout was accused of the
theft and although he denied the theft
he offered and did pay for the tires.
The Butler postoffice was robbed in
February, 1911, and the robbers had
never been detected. Martin conceived
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mixed up with so many cases of steal
ing would be very apt to know some
thing of the postoffice robbery and
started to work upon that theory. The
chief of police took Hout up into his
room and accused him point plank Of
the theft. The carrier at first denied
all knowledge of it but Jack insisted
that he was the man and that he
(Martin) was possessed of information
to prove it. Hout broke down and
agreed to return the money with
interest if given little time and that
he would pay it in installments. This
he did, turning over to Mr.. Martin
$501. 85-the package taken from the
postoffice contained $3.50 in currency.
The story as brought out in the
written confession secured by Mr..
Martin last Saturday was as follows:
He (Hout) was in the postoffice at the
time Roy Sherwood, formerly of Aber-
deem, brought a pouch containing
ordinary mail and this registered pack
age to the postoffice and turned it over
to Charles Potter, the postmaster.
Mr.. Potter turned the pouch upside
down on the sorting table, emptying it,
and then went about something else
for few moments, not seeing the
registered package. Mr.. Hout was
stamping mail at the time, saw the
package and quietly slipped it over
onto his desk. later taking it out with
him when he went on his route.
The mystery Of the missing money
caused considerable worry on the part
of the postmaster and the federal
authorities up until recently, as the
postmaster stated to the inspector that
he did not think Hout was in the post
office until after the package had dis
appeared. Suspicion rested slightly on
Mr.. Potter and Roy Sherwood.
Chief Martin was called before the
grand jury Of the United States court
at Aberdeen orr Friday and reported
his information to the postal author
tiles who Immediately took the matter
up with the grand jury and secured an
indictment. An officer was sent down
for Hout Saturday and he was taken
to Aberdeen Monday where he plead
guilty and was given a sentence of
three months in the Day county Jail
and fine of 800 and costs.
Mr.. Hout has been married since the
theft and has a young baby. His
attempt to make the matter right with
the authorities. and his promise to lead
straight life after this were taken
into consideration. and accounts Glenn
ency shown by the court.
That Chief Of Police Martin is
entitled to the credit Of bringing the
offender before the bar Of justice also
for the restitution Of the money Is
shown by the following letters:
Aberdeen, s. D.. Nov. l6, 1912.
Mr.. j. v. Martin:
Please pay over to Mr.. Vernon C.
Bate, postoffice inspector, four hum
dred and fifty dollars of the money ]
paid you by my order.
John j. Hout
Rural Carrier Butler, s. d.
Witness.--J. s. Shaffe,