The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1912-08-08
TEACHER A R0BBER
MUCH OF STOLEN PROPERTY "A
IDENTIFIED BY CHICAGO
SOCIETY FOLK.
KEPT THINGS HE LIKED,
Educated Thief Psychological Puzzls
to Doctor and Police-Lost
Large Sums SpecuIat-
ing.

Chicago, Illinois.-Jacob F. Guthrie
a graduate of Armour institute and a
former teacher in the Englewood high
school, was locked up as the perpe.
traitor of the most extraordinary
series of burglaries and forgeries ever
committed in Chicago.
Compared with Guthrie's exploits
the celebrated $4,000 sub-treasury
robbery almost pales into significance.
The plumber already recovered by the
police is estimated by them to be
worth about $350,000. When this
plumber was dug out ct nine big
trunks and spread out in the base
ment of Central station, i: made that
dingy apartment look like the interior
of Ali Baba's cave.
Besides this Guthrie sc: 81 800 in
a period of tw%enty-four days. 1t Is
known also that he has atocks and
bands worth about $4,000. He has,
in addition, admitted he speculated
extensively through the brokerage
firm of Babock, Rushton & Co., and
it is said he lost money in these opera.
tons.
A considerable amount of the plum
der was found in Guthrle's residence
on the South side, where he lived with
his mother, sister and brother.
According to a statement by him.
self after his arrest he had been spec.
ulating in the stock market and was
in need Of money, when the idea OF
burglary occurred to him. lie had
been a reader of Conan Doyle and
Poe, he said, and it occurred 80 him
that an educated man with ocolness
and skill had only to help himself
from the stores of valuables in the
houses of wealthy persons who were
away from the city. &
Guthrie is &c years old, six feet In
height and weighs 200 pounds. When
arrested he had more than $4,000 de-
posted to his credit in Chicago banks.
DR.. Leslie w. Schwab, who has been
physician for the Guthrie family for a
number of years, talked with the
prisoner for an hour and later con
ferred with Capt. Halpin of the de-
tective bureau.
DR.. Schwab said:
Guthrie is an educated fool in my
opinion. have known him since
childhood. He has always been a
bookworm. He read detective and
problem novels necessarily. The eff
feet of this has been to create a Pc
culiar mental conditions. He has all
the characteristics of a confirmed
kleptomaniac. | believe he has periods
when he is mentally irresponsible. 1t
is my intention to have an alienist
examine him in a few days"
Capt. Halpin said:
He was a regular society burglar.
He has confessed to entering a score
of wealthy persons houses. / have no
idea what percentage of the stole1
goods W. have recovered. q
II apparently kent all the things
he stole which appealed to his artistic
taste. But he must have disposed or
a large quantity of the plumber"
The prisoner slept soundly on a
wooden bench in his cell and was
awake early. He ate a hearty break.
fast and talked freely with visitors Of
his adventures. When informed OF
the task which confronted the police
in making an inventory of the stol-
en- articles he offered to assist them.
Thousands of dollars worth Of the
stolen articles were identified during
the day by their owners.