South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-03-30
META ROBBERY
SUSPECTS ASK AN
EARLY HEARING
Six Men Arrested on Charge of
Stealing Tons of Lead May
Face Grand Jury Result of
Charges.

Six men may be turned over TO the
grand jury. subject to Indictment on
charges OF grand larceny. as a result
Of the capture of the sextet. who it is
alleged stole nearly three tons of lead
from the South Bend Vacuum Ice Co.
Efforts are being made by attorneys
to secure preliminary hearings for the
men in city. court Monday when the
prisoners were brought in to face the
charges.
Jessie Ransberger, Ray COwell, VIII
liam Morton and Charles Lario were
charged with grand larceny and John
Dresher and oscar Goldberg were
charged with receiving stolen goods.
Whether they will be turned over to
the higher court jury for trial without
preliminary hearing will be decided
Thursday morning. when the case will
come up again in police court. Bonds
were fixed at $500 each, which Gold
berg and Dresher furnished.
According TO Chief of Detectives
John Kuespert. nearly three tons of
sheet lead and lead cable were stolen
from the ice company. The robbery
was perpetrated some time late Sat
urday night March q. Dario, Nor
ton, Ransberger and CoWell went to
the ice company plant late that night.
One Of the four entertained the night
other three busted themselves with
gathering up the lead and carting it
away, it is charged.
Hauied Lead i'm Wagon.
After obtaining about three tons of
the metal which is said to have been
hauled away in a wagon the men
stored part of it is CowelIs home and
part OF it at another place, the iden-
tity of which has not been revealed.
The remainder, said to be about
half ton. was taken the Sunday morn
ing following TO the junk shop of John
Dresher on y. limerick St, and sold.
Thursday night two OF the men.
Morton and Ransberger, made the
fatal error Of breaking into Dresher's
shop and stealing about 300 pounds of
the lead which had been sold to him
previously. Dresher Immediately no
titled the police which was the begin
ming Of the roundup of the gang. A
sample of the lead he had bought was
shown by Dresher. This was COM
pared with that missing at the ice
plant and a net was spread at once
over all the junk shops Of the city.
Detectives soon discovered that the
oUU pOulluS SlOltu 1lOlil ItAtSiltA AAcl0
been sold to oscar Goldberg. another
junk dealer. at COS w. Division st.
With descriptions given by Goldberg
and Dresher a clue to the robbers OF
the ice plant was obtained. The de-
tectiVeS next succeeded in locating the
man who hauled the lead from the ice
plant on the night of the robbery who
identified the men who employed him.
Chased to Michigan.
Thursday and Friday were spent in
locating the robbers and Saturday
morning Morton was taken. In the
afternoon Cowell and Rensberger fell
into the net Goldberg was taken Sat
urday night. In the meantime Lario
learned of the arrest of his three pals
and fled the city. His trail was picked
UP and early Sunday morning he was
arrested at Bertrand, Mich. He sur
rendered and was brought to the city
later.
The police have recovered about
1000 pounds of the lead in addition
to 35 pounds OF brass, also said TO
have been stolen from the ice COM
pany.
The quartet of alleged robbers are
said to be notorious for other similar
robberies perperated in the past.
Morton is said TO have been travelling
under an alias Whitley"
Chief Kuespert threw practically
the entire force on the case within the
past two days. Sergeant Zgodzinski
had charge of the squad consisting of
Detectives Cassidy. Lane. Diver. Cut
ting. Stickley and Officers Hilliard and
Lass.