The Detroit times., 1915-01-28
| SUSPECT ADMITS
THAT HE HELD UP
RESTAURANT
Merton Coleman Confesses After
Positive Identification by Vic
tim, J0A Case
COAL OFFICE ROBBERY
is ALSO CLEARED UP
Police Nab Three Bandits For
Job. Including Sixteen-Year-
Old Boy

merton Coleman. 28 years DID,, OF
No. 9S Pitcherst., who threw away
his revolver when arrested Tuesday
night BY Patrolman Shanahan, at
Erskine and John R--sts.. was posi-
lively identified Thursday morning by
Joseph Case, Of No. 73 Grand River
ave-. - the bandit who held up Case
IN the restaurant ut that address early
Sunday morning and stole $11 from
tho cash register. AFTER the identih-
cation was made, Coleman admitted
hs was the bandit, the police say.
He exonsrated Charles Terry, q
years old, who was arrested with him.
declaring that Terry had no part in
the restaurant holdup. Only one BAN
dit was seen by Case.
Coleman's confession. coming on
the heels Of roundup Of bandits who
figured In the robbery Of Albert Wash
burn. coal dealer at No. 178 Grand
MverAya. Tuesday afternoon, leads
the police 10 believe that they have
made good progress In cleaning up the
recent grist Of bold robberies. They
are satisfied that Coleman committed
other robberfes. but in many OF the
cases the victims were intoxicated
when they were robbed and identif-
cation under those circumstances was
dimcult proposition.
The Washburn robbery was cleared
up Wednesday night, when John L.
Smith, 23 years old, Of No. 36 Jones
st: Joseph Brown, alias Lewis Hauck.
%, Of the Franklin hotel, and Edward
White, only 16 years old. Of No. Isl
Lvernois-ave., confessed that they
had Ill participated In the holdup.
Witte. the youngest, handling the re-
volver. while Smith and Brown lin
,gered near, ready to batter anyone
who might attempt capture or ofer
resistance.
The arrests resulted when Smith
and Brown were seen near the coal
ONCE Wednesday, and Detectives FL
lenstein and Tremontie ran them
down. They gave the information that
resulted In the arrest Of young Witte.
The boy was captured as he was min
ffsterfng to Smiths t7-year-oid wife.
her home.
Mrs. Smith was found by the detec-
tives to be too iii TO eat the food that
had been purchased with some Of the
stolen money. She IL suffering from
OlpuluoIiB ana uAb Doou bonJ w lao
Herman Kiefer hospital
Police Surgeon Grifith Thomas viii
treat Smith. Brown and White with
antttoxin, as all have been exposed
to diphtheria- DR.. Thomas says there
IL little danger Of spread Of the dis.
ease.
Smith. who says that the robbery
was the frst crime he ever commit
ted. broke down and cried az he told
his story Thursday morning.
He said he was married only o
month ago. and that more than week
ago he was taken Ill with tonsilitis,
and forced to quit work for three
days. When he recovered. his job as
teamster for a grain concern was
gone. His wife, Lola, only IL years
old, former waitress In st. An
toine-st. restaurant. tried to find work
to supply food and coal for the house.
as the young couple were penniless.
but she was taken Ill just as her hus-
band was recovering. and they were
without food. coal or money. and
Smith says that he grew desperate.
"Young White suggested to me that
we could get some money by holding
up some one, and took the plunge
that I regret bitterly now,' said
Smith. "But was desperate. II
they will only give me q chance. I'll
find some honest work somewhere
and I'll never do q wrong thing
again"