Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1912-10-17
?. O. BURGLAR CAUGHT
Charles Eastman Arrested al Bay
city Saturday and Confessed.
STOLEN PROPERTY RECOVERED
Eastman Spent Afternoon Previous to Robbery
In Alma.

The poStolice at Riverdale was rob
bed last Thursday shortly after 500
p. NJ. and Saturday morning Charles
Eastman was locked up in the Bay City
bastle with the goods on his person.
That is the story Of a remarkable rob
berry and capture Of burglar who has
worked' for years in these parts with
great success and OF one who has served
time in many states
Last Thursday evening as John
Young Postmaster at Riverdale. re-
turned to his store, he discovered, that
some one had entered the store in his
absence at supper and after ransacking
the till had appropriated some $2s6 and
a check for $50 to his own good. Mr.
Young Immediately called Deputy Sher-
iff Arthur Murphy who hurried to the
scene. City Marshall Holman was also
called.
The burglar had made his entrance
to the building by cutting a screen from
a window and then using chse for a
jimmy forced the window up. Crawling
inside, it was but moments work to
rattle the till and escape by the way of
the back door. A chisel lay near the
scene and was later identified as one
belonging to a set of tools of the local
blacksmith shop. Farther investigation
pointed to local talent Of the immediate
vicinity OF Riverdale After following
the tracks of the supposed burglar for
some distance. the till belonging to the
postof1ice was found and the tracks
directed east down the Pere Marquette
Friday Deputy Murphy telephoned to
the authorities along the Pere Marquette
east and returned to Riverdale to work
on the case. Saturday/he received word
from Chief Of Police Murphy at Bay
City that man had been picked up
there drunk and after a short conversa-
tion Deputy Murphy was convinced that
they had his man so with John Young
took the morning train to Bay City
where Mr. Young identified a pocket
book that contained the stolen money
along with the. check Tor $50
At first Eastman denied all knowledge
of the crime but later confessed the
whole affair He said that he was not
in Riverdale over thirty minutes, that
it was not necessary for him to be there
longer as he had been informed of the
customs OF Mr. Young at supper time
He had spent the afternoon previous
to the burglary in Alma and had met
Deputy Murphy on the streets several
times After he had secured the money
he walked 10 ST. Louis where he took
the night train for Bay City and after
arriving in that town, celebrated his
good fortune III manner that brought
about his capture for he was picked up
IN the Bay City depot the next day in
a drunken condition. Eastman was at
the depot waiting to take train out Of
town when the Aolice patrol picked him
up
Eastman who is a man of middle age,
is Of Jewish decent. He confessed to
being an old hand at the game and hav-
ing served time before for similar of
lenses That he is acquainted with
Michigan prisons is evident from the
fact that after his confession he request
ed to be placed in some prison outside
of Michigan. He said that he had been
working in the vicinity of Bay City,
Saginaw and in nearby counties for a
number of years. He also intimated
his intention to try the business again
when released