The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-04-19
Herbert Eschenfeller Tells
Mayor Zimmerman Start
ling Story of His Own Dep
relations in Richmond.
WOMAN IMPLICATED;
ARREST IS ORDERED
Confessed Robber Declares
He Was Forced to Steal to
Get Money to Support
Others.


Stating that he stole to support a
woman, Herbert Eschenfeller, age %,
now at the county Jail for stealing
brass. last night in a second confess
sion directed to Mayor Zimmerman,
made q clean breast of a number of
robberies he has been implicated in,
AS North Twenty-frst street, as the
cause Of his downfall stated that four
or five other men and boys were impli-
Gated in the many robberies. His COM
plete confession is withheld as the
names of some of his alleged compan-
ions in crime are named therein, and
all of them have not been arrested
Mrs. Reba Bodkins was arrested this
morning at 1890 at her home and
arraigned on the charge of receiving
and concealing stolen property. She
plead not eS;lty and was in default of
$4,000 bond held for trial She will be
given q preliminary hearing Monday
morning and bound over to the Wayne
circuit court.
Eschenfeller in his confession to the
mayor, written last evening, said Mrs.
Bodkins had made him go but and
steal to buy food for herself, her small
daughter and himself, and to pay the
rent with.
In the Bodkins home, in search
yesterday were found three brooms, a
carpet sweeper, and pair Of knucks
which Eschenfeller had stolen on vari-
GUS occasions, according to his confess
sion
He will be arraigned, on the expira-
ton of his sentence in the county JAIL
on three charges, burglary, larceny
and hiding stolen goods. The stolen
roc,ls found at the Bodkins home was
fcurd where Eschenfeller told the Off
.ers ey would find it. 1t was hidden
n Z tito, ehind a partition in the
s'"iis TIE W ,Tnan disclaims all knoWl-
ff &C tie tolen articles.
7r.r EEL ! ,wekotte is being searched
T." " - rteriff, he being implicated
f. r~b5er.es. The police hope to
sse up "A number Of mysteries by
:ec1 rg more confessions from Esch-
fnsc -
A -i@s Of ear robberes on the
Penn ivan.a yards which had trou-
bled he railroad officials and detec-
tives or soE,a tine were traced to
fischer teller by railroad detectives
Trump and l. A. Burns. The AFFIDAVIT
chargin Mrs. Bodkins with receiving
and &C: cealing stolen property was
made OF and sworn to by l. A. Burns.
fischer teller wrote the confession
u ;~1~ ~ ;,;l - se
mother b 4 come to see him. The con-
fession C, vers eight closely written
pages. He asks for no consideration
nor clemeEcy, saying he thinks the
facts should be made known. Several
small boys under age are implicated
by the confession.
The following is list of the rob-
berries confessed to by Eschenfeller.
March 10, at the home Of A. c.
Scott; stole whip and some chickens.
He sold the loot. He was accompanied
by small boy whom the police are
looking for.
The same night he broke a lock on
pn corn crib and stole eight bush
els OF corn which he also sold. The
same boy accompanied him.
March he broke into freight car
In the Pennsylvania yards east Of the
city and stole sack Of flour which he
says Mrs. Bodkins used at the home
In cooking, knowing where the flour
had been secured.
March he broke into car on the
Pennsylvania yards and stole fifteen
one hundred pound pigs of lead. He
hid them under a platform nearby and
sold some of them to a junk dealer.
Some of the loot has been recovered.
The junk dealer will also be prosecut-
ed. as Eschenfeller says the junk deal.
er knew the stuff was stolen when he
bought it of Eschenfeller.
Stole Horse and Buggy.
March 9 he stole four bushels OF
corn from the Gaar and Shurley stock
yards, stealing also horse and rig be-
longing to the same firm. He used the
outfit to haul the corn to town, and af.
ter selling the corn, took the horse
and rig back,
March Is, he stole whip, Ratchet
pair of knucks and black jack from
a smoke house at the Scott farm. He
said he was lookingFfer chickens when
he stole this loot
The Scott farm is situated east OF
the city on the National road about
21s miles east of the city
.Eschenfeller's sentence is not up UNI
til the tenth of June, and at this time
he will be arraigned in circuit court
for his many crimes In the meantime
the police are rounding up the remain.
der of the gang
WOULD PURCHASE