Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1913-06-21
Special Agent From Nashville
Took Position In a
Tree.
Z OR 8 MONTHS STEALING
Large Lot Of Merchandise
Found Stored in Negroes
Home.

Wiley Ellis. negro, was arrested
Thursday morning about 5 o'clock
by K. A. Gotto. of Nashville, and
placed in the lookup at police head
quartars, charged with breaking in
to freight car of the 7. c.. Rail-
road and breaking open box cor
tanning merchandise. Mr.. Gotto is
a special agent or detective, of the
railroad company and he said that
the arrest of Ellis is the solution of
many robberies that have been COM
mitted during the past seven or
eight months at Hopkinsville. Per-
sistent work on the part of the road
detectives was of no avail. Time
and time again the agent of the
company has sent into the main
office reports that a certain car had
been broken into and goods stolen
| When Mr.. Gotto was put to work
he came here and kept close watch
on everything. knowing that he
would have to proceed very cautious
| ly if he succeeded in trapping the
| thief or thieves. So Thursday night
| he went down to the I. c. track
some distance from the the station
and climbed tree. Along towards
| 5 o'clock q. m. he saw the negro
come slowly down the track. glanc-
ing suspiciously around in every d.
rection, finally passing between some
cars and disappearing from view.
Mr.. Gotto was certain that he had
at last found the man that had
been looked for so long, and from
his perch up in the tree watched for
the temperance of the negro. His
patience was soon rewarded. Ellis
appeared on the North side of the
car beyond the tank and, after
standing at the door for awhile and
glancing furtively about him, broke
the seal on the car door and crawed
in. After the negro got in the CIR
Mr.. Gotto hastily came down from
the tree and reached point where
ne could see what was going on in
J side the car. He says he saw Ellis
breaking open a box with Ratchet
when he changed his position to
within about fifteen feet of the car
door. Drawing his gun and cover
ing the surprised negro, he called to
him to come out Of the car.
The negro assumed a nonchalar t
air and coolly ask Mr.. Gotto why he
wanted him to come out. The de-
tective did not waste any time or
words with Ellis. but impressed up
on him the Importance of complying
with his order. The negro. realizing
that everything was up for him. got
to the ground and Mr.. Gotto took
him to police headquarters and lock-
ed him up.
Officers Mitchell and Lieut.. Hawk
kins, who knew where Ellis lived,
got in a buggy and, accompanied by
the detective, went to the Negroes
house and searched it for the stolen
goods. What they found was
plenty" and more. They loaded
the buggy with several suits of
clothes. odd pantaloons. four or five
pairs of shoes. hats, about a dozen
pairs Of ladies' hose, socks. dress
goods. three or four pounds Of chew
ing tobacco-ln fact almost every
thing that could be thought Of.
The car was loaded at Nashville
and billed through to Princeton.
The goods secured were not taken
from the car Thursday morning. but
Mr.. Gotto says they captured an ac-
emulation Of stuff that Ellis had
been appropriating at different
time during the past seven or eight
months from cars broken into Ia
HopkinsVille. Ellis will remain in
Jail to await the action by the Sep
TENDER grand jury.