Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-04-12
NINE MEMBERS or rAMA BAND
OF soxcAR THIEVES SEN.
TENcED IN FEDERAL COURT.
PENALTIES RANGE FROM
THREE MONTHS 70 TEN YEARS
Judge Reed Scores Prisoners and Tells
Them They Are Not Entitled to
Mercy - Several Residents Of Tama
Among Numbsr-Heads Of Families
Receive Shorter Terms.

prison sentences ranging from three
months to ten years upon nine MEM
bers of the Tama gang in United
States court Saturday, he sounded the
death knell Of one Of the best organ
lied and most destructive bands Of
i thieves with which the state Of Iowa
has ever had to contend. Thousands OF
! dollars worth Of merchandise have
been taken from box cars in interstate
| commerce by the gang in their two
years Of operation, some Of the loot
| finding its way into the homes Of Tama
citizens, portion going to the thieves
own use,, much of it being burned
| when the activities Of Marshal Healy
and Milwaukee railroad agents caused
the gang to burn their bridges. Their
final arraisnment before the judge Sat-
urday represented months of work on
! the part Of Healy and his deputies in
| securing evidence, obtaining confess
sions and repossessing much of the
stolen property. Perhaps $1,000 worth
Of whisky, silks, automobile tires, talk
ing machines. hats, clothing and the
like is now stored in the federal build
ing as an additional result Of this
wholesale roundup.
Gang Totally Wiped Out.
W. S. Davis, Alfred Davis, Tom Nor
gan, John Duffy. Robert Slower, George
Zeigler. Bert Armstrong, Jesse Stull
and Milton Armstrong were the men to
receive sentences, they representing
the gang in its entirety: Frank Ramas-
cotti, Italian fruit dealer Of Tama, and
the fence" for the thieves, having
committed suicide some time ago when
his bondsmen withdrew.
In passing sentence Judge Reed took
occasion to score the men as being less
entitled to mercy thap any other pris-
onrse that had ever appeared before
him. The confessions Of the informers
showed, he said, that the gang was
organized for the purpose of thieving,
and that in several instances the pris-
oners were men who had been arrested
before and who bore bad regulations in
the community in which they lived.
w. S. Davis, escaped with SEN
tence OF five years in the federal pris-
on and fine of $500, principally ow-
ing to the fact that he has wife and
three small children 1t was to Davis
home that the 100 suits of clothes
taken in one haul were taken for dis
tribution among the gang. and he also
acted as distributor for a quantity of
silk and whisky stolen by the gang.
Davis is something of a character and
Is known as Catfish Davis"
Alfred Davis, his brother, received
three years in federal prison and A
fine Of $780, Tom Morgan escaped
with sentence Of three years and a
fine of $500, owing to the fact that he
lost his right leg while attempting to
board moving train for the purpose
Of looting merchandise cars. "Goldie"
Duffy and Bob Slower. who were with
Morgan and were guilty to like ex-
tent, were sentenced each to eight
years imprisonment and fine of $500.
All three Of the latter are single men.
George Zeigler and Bert Armstrong
were each sentenced to six months in
Jail and to pay fine Of 800. These
two men are married and have chill
dren. Neither has been in trouble be-
fore and both made clean confessions
when arrested. Mrs. Zeigler and Mrs.
Armstrong and their children were
present and their sobs could be heard
thruout the building when sentence
was pronounced. Judge Reed first sem
fenced the men to one year but later
reduced 1t to six months.
Jesse Stull and Milton Armstrong
each received maximum sentences of
ten years in federal prison and fine
Of $500 each. Stull has served two
terms for selling liquor to Indians.
Milton Armstrong has served one
term for selling liquor to Indians,
served one term for burglary and has
been arrested times without number
for petty offenses.
A Thievins Machine.
The organization of the gang showed
skillful working out Of the details
of box car robbery. Each man occu-
pied his own aprticular position and
had his own individual work cut out
for him.
w. s. Davis was the ringleader and