The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1915-09-03
BURGLAR TRIES
TO ROB STEHR'S
STOREIN HAARIC
Thief Skaters Rear Door,
But Noise Brings Police
And He Flees.
CHIEF THINKS THIEF
is MAKING CAMPAIGN
Says Same Man Has Entered
Several Good Hope
Establishments.

An attempt to rob the c. W. Stehr
Mercantile Company at 613 Good Hope
street, made shortly before 9 o'clock
last night, was frustrated when an
alarm was sounded after a loud crash
of glass was heard in the rear of the
store building and the police surround
ed the building within few moments.
Chief of Police Hutson believes that
the work at the Stehr place was done
by professional" who is responsible
for about a half dozen store robberies
that have occurred in the Cape within
the last ten days.
He seems to operate alone and directs
his efforts at cash registers almost en-
tirely. In every instance where en-
trance to business houses has been eff
fected, it has been done in a forceful
way.
The police have been working in the
last few days trying to obtain evidence
against three men who are suspected
of being connected with the "iobs"
pulled off in various parts of the city.
Yesterday HutsOn was searching the
town for one of the men in question,
intending to place him under arrest
and hold him for investigation to en-
deavor to learn if Sweating" would
bring anything out.
The man could not be found, and the
Chief believes he may have been hid
ing till nightfall when he was prepar-
mig to pull the Job" at the Stehr
house.
Mr.. Groce, the brother of Patrol
man Groce of the Haarig beat, was sit
ting with his family at his home near
the rear of the Stehr store, when he
was aroused by crash of glass at the
rear door of the store.
He ran out Of the house and sped up
the alley toward the Miller & Kinder
Drug store on Good Hope street, where
in front he found Chief HutsOn and
Patrolman Groce.
He told them what had happened
and all three started back toward the
place in an endeavor to catch the rob-
ber at work Patrolman Groce covered
the front of the store and his brother
returned by way of the alley, while
Chief HutsOn took a short cut to the
rear door of the place through a va
cant lot on the north side of the build
ing.
As the three men closed in on the
store, they watched for signs of a
thief at work inside. Nothing happen
ed as they drew in upon the rear OF
the store and their investigation at the
rear door showed the glass window IN
the door had been shattered.
The men had used the handle and
dasher of an old-fashiOned churn in
smashing the glass window. The IN
strument was picked up near the door
way.
The blow had been struck through q
screen on the outside of the window
and the force of the blow threw glass
along the floor inside for a distance
of 20 feet.
Herman Brenneke, an employe al
the store was notified and he came tC
the store at once to let the police en-
ter and complete their investigation.
The inside of the store had not beer
touched and it is believed the robbel
left his "job" before going inside th'
store. when he became alarmed at TIT
noise of his own work.
Nothing in addition to the churl
handle and dasher was found lylni
about the place. Brenneke examined
the cash register inside the store AM
found it intact as well as everything
else inside the store.
Robbery cases that bear similar Tea
tures in the last few days were pulle
off at the Al Brinkopf Furniture store
where an attempt was made to set tn
place afire after the cash register ha
been opened with "jimmy" and NOR
than S22 taken; Miller's bar on lnde
pendence street was entered, haro
ware store on Broadway was robbed
and two or three other minor Jobs hav
been discovered.
In the Brinkopf case, window ha
been smashed and entrance effected