Arizona republican., 1914-03-15
MURPHY MAKES
 CLEVER CATCH
Local Detective Takes Five Hours to Solve Robbery That Mystified Glendale Authorities for Five Days

It took NJ. J. Murphy, chief of the Murphy Detective Agency of this city, just five hours to effect an arrest, locate plunder valued at upward of $215 and solve a mystery that had puzzled the authorities at Glendale for five days and promised to be un- explained for all time. In the city jail last night was Joseph Mickler, 15-year-old boy, confessed perpetrator of a job that would have done credit to a five-time older head, while at Glendale was a young woman rejoic- ing over the return of jewels she had never expected to see again.
 Some time ago Mrs. c. A. Preston of Boham, Texas, arrived at Glendale accompanied by her invalid father She placed her parent in a santa- rum about one mile out of Glendale and secured quarters for herself at the home of w. c. Welch in Glendale One of the members of the Welch family was the Mickler boy, who had been given into it's keeping by the Maricopa County Juvenile Court some months previously.
 As was her custom. Mrs Preston spent the greater part of Sunday with her father at the sanitarium. Incidentally the Welch family was absent from home several hours on Sunday, leaving only the Mickler boy at the house.
 On Monday morning Mrs. Preston in examining one of her trunks dis covered that it had been tampered with. None of the locks were broken, but there was evidence that it had been opened A jewel case in the trunk which had containd upward of $1, 600 worth of jeWelry and about $25 in gold coin. was seemingly intact. but when it was unlocked it was found that the money was gone and were also three rings. One of these rings was a solitaire diamond valued at $175. An opal and pearl ring, valued at S35, was gone, and a five pearl ring, valued at $50, was also missing.
 For five days the Glendale authori- ties endeavored to locate the missing gems. but without avail On Friday afternoon Detective Murphy went to Glendale. and although the scent was cold" soon had the Mickler boy under surveillance Hurriedlv sum morning an operator from the Phoenix office of his agency. Murphy soon had a net established from which nc one who might have knowledge of the affair could easily escape.
 Finally came the arrest. the con fession from the Mickler boy, the To- eating of the jewelry and the money and. last but not least, the unearth- ing of another theft that had not ] been reported, that of sum of money belonging to the Methodist | Church of Glendale, of which MT Welch is treasurer. The church funds had been left in the Welch home and the Mickler boy became possessed of it through the samC ! methods as those he employed in the Preston theft. that of securing tht ] keys.
 Although young in years. it is said 1 that the lad has a long record. Ht served 13 months in the Lancaster 1 (Ohio) refOrma tory for grand larceny
 Upon being released he ran away ant later joined Ringling's Circus. H.
 was caught in the act of committing theft at Maricopa and was brough | before the Maricopa County Juvenile | Court Instead of sending him to thu
 reform school the court paroled hin in the care of the Glendale family.