Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-07-06
TRACED
WITH HOPE Of
CATCHING GANG
Cracksman Wounded at Kirkwood
Is Believed Master in Juvenile
School of Crime.

Hoping to run down one of the most
remarkable gangs of cracksmen that
ever operated in the South-as re-
markable an aggregation Of crlmi-
nails as Dickens created when he
wrote of Bill Fagin and his school of
crooks-inspectors from the Postoffice
Department have started to trace the
movements of Walter Turpin from
the time he was released from the
Federal Prison in February until he
was wounded in pistol battle with
citizens Of Kirkwood Friday night,
after blowing the safe in the village
postoffice.
H. N. Graham. the inspector who is
in charge Of the case, has developed
clews that strongly indicate the ex-
istence Of such a gang, and that II
consists of two men and three boys.
These clews indicate that Walter
Turpin and the other man ran a sort
of preparatory school of crime-that
they gained control and influence
over boys from ~ to 16 years OF age
and used them as lookouts and 70 get
into places where the presence of a
man would arouse suspicion.
In the theory the detectives have
evolved Turpin is likened to Fagin In
his apparently uncanny ability to
control boys and lead them into lives
of crime, despite their natural incli-
nations to be useful citizens.
Suspect Young Eberhart.
Actions of the police and of Graham
indicate that they have a well-ground =
ed suspicion that Tommy Eberhart
the 14-year- boy who has been
rooming with Turpin for three weeks,
is one of the boys over whom Turpin
has been trying to gain control. When
the boy was taken to detective head
quarters Saturday morning he was
qutzzed for more than four hours
Then Chief Lanford ordered him sent
to the juvenile detention home on
Central Avenue, and announced that
he will be held until the investiEa-
ton is completed. 1t is understood
that the boys detention came through
the request of Graham.
The theory Of the existence of the
gang is based on a curious chain of
circumstances. Some time between
the hours of o'clock and midnight,
before the blowing of the safe at
Kirkwood the pOstoffice and two
stores at Battle Hill were robbed.
These robberies are supposed TO have
been committed by two men and a
boy. A report has also come to the
Hfaa Int h.
were seen running from the village
shortly before the robberies were dis
covered.
The Other Robberiss.
Only a few stamps and some loose
change were stolen from the Battle
Hin postoffice, which is in a grocery
store operated by T. j. Daniels, and
from T. J. Keys grocery store box
of cigars and some Clipped beef were
taken. NJ. r. Bratton's refreshment
stand was entered and a few dollars
taken from the cash register.
The fact that a boy is supposed to
have had hand in the Battle Hill
burglaries and that two boys were
seen running from the Kirkwood post
office when the posse of citizens came
| upon Turpin at his work have con-
WINGED Graham and the local police
that Turpin and his gang committed
the Battle Hill burglaries and then
went to Kirkwood to blow the post
office safe. Graham is making a
thorough probe of the Battle Hill and
! the Kirkwood burglaries, and stated
Saturday that he will seek to fasten
the former crimes on Turpin and the
gang of which ne is said to be the
| leader
Graham also stated Saturday that
he has good reasons for believing
Turpin is connected with several post
office robberies that have been re-
ported to the Atlanta postal authori-
| ties in the past few weeks Some
of these are robberies of considera BILE
importance. From the safe of the
postoffice at Adairsville money and
stamps amounting to $4,000 were
taken while $500 was stolen from the
postoffice at Williamson, Ga And
though it was not given out official
~, 1t is strongly limited that suspi-
ous-looking men, always accompa-
MED by one or more boys. were seen
in the villages a few hours before
each of the robberies.
Insists He Was Alone.
The date for Turpin's preliminary
hearing has not been set, but il was
stated last night that he may be
brought to Atlanta and tried in the
Federal Court. The self confessed
'yeggman" still insists that he was
alone and that the Kirkwood job is
the first he has done since his release
from prison.
Turpin is tattooed, and there are
also little marks which detectives say
are made by hypodermic needle, in
diCating that the man is a drug fiend.