Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-08-17
MOLINER IS HELD
FOR MANY TREFTS
Herman Beatty Has Speed Ma
MIA and Steals Half Dozen
Automobiles.
IS BOUND FOR CALIFORNIA
En- Route to Golden West When Ar
rested at Council Bluffs-Will
Face Numerous Charges.

oDSebSeu Will iOA
over smooth roads with a powerful
motor purring beneath him, Herman
Beatty, an IS-year-old Moline boy, for
merly employed in the Silvis shops, is
In Jail at Council Bluffs, Iowa, because
he did not have the money TO crafty
his desires and resorted to theft.
His career as an automobile thief
was short, extending over only one
month, but ii was lively one. In that
short time he is known to have stolen
three automobiles and one motorcycle,
and is supposed to have taken a fourth
machine.
Beatty was first arrested in Moline
July 10, charged with stealing mo-
torcycle, but because the machine
was not damaged when found and re-
turned to it's owner, and on account
of the pleas of his family. the fine of
5000 and costs which was assessed up
on him was suspended by Magistrate
Frank Gustafson and he was placed
under parole to Police Sergeant Ben
De Jaeger. Every Saturday the boy
was to report TO the sergeant, and he
did so, but all of that time he was
violating his parole. At that time he
was employed in the shops at Silvis.
is Again Arrested.
On July 20 Beatty was again arrest
ed, this time for speeding, and he was
fined S12.05, which he paid. At the
time the police had no idea that the
car in which Beatty was riding was a
stolen machine. but later develop
ments proved that it was.
learned that the youth had gone to Pc
oria. While there he stole car be-
longing TO the sheriff of the county and
on August 1 he appeared before Ser
geant De Jaeger and made his parole
report. Not knowing that the youth
had stolen two cars already he was al
lowed to go free after making what |
appeared TO be satisfactory report. !
Steals Another Car.
On August young man employed |
in the Silvis shops happened TO be Wis |
iting in Peoria and while there met !
Beatty. He accepted an invitation to |
ride home with Beatty in a car, and |
ii was later discovered that this car |
had been stolen in Galesburg and was |
the youths fourth auto theft.
An August Beatty and Butler |
drove to where Carl Olmstead, another !
Silvis shop employee, roomed, and !
Beatty asked Olmstead il he could |
drive an automobile. The young man |
replied in the affirmative, and Beatty
requested him to drive the jackson |
car, the one stolen from the sheriff at !
Peoria, to Muscatine. He then took
his two friends TO the place where he
had concealed the cars and while Ohm
stead drove one, Beatty drove another.
Upon reaching Muscatine they left
the Jackson in a garage and went for
a visit with some of Beatty's relatives
nearby. Upon starting home one of
the machines broke down and it was
necessary to haul it back to Musca-
tine for repairs. They started out
again and had another mishap, being
forced to go back to their destination
again for fourther repairs. This time
they were out of money, however. and
so they came back on a Milwaukee,
train as far as Davenport, beating
their way.
Starts for California.
According to the story told by Ohm
stead and Butler, they lost all track
Of Beatty at that time and as near as
can De learned he went back to Mus
catine. secured one car and leaving
he other for security on his bill left .
presumably for California.
Upon reaching Council Bluffs, Beat
y was arrested on information for d.
"arded from Peoria, and he will be re- :
urned TO that city for trial. Police in
several cities are investigating the {
heory that the young Moliner has !
AIKEN part in several recent auto l
hefts and IT is probable that Beatty I
viii face numerous other charges af- :
er his trial at Peoria is completed.
Olmstead and Butler have both been }
rrested pending instructions from
'eoria, and will doubtless have IN
tand trial with Beatty and establish
heir innocence. II has not been an.
whether they will be arraign.