The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-04-23
Thieves Loot Doctors Rooms;
Get Away Goods
-rom thursdays Daily.

| Mankato. no doubt working west from
the large cities. Several medical Of
/, fees we're visited last night. entrance
being effected through the transoms,
I, At the Office OF DR.. v. I. Miller, who
' makes q speciality of eye, ear and nose
diseases, the thieves made quite q
haul. securing 100 grains of cocaine
from his cabinet. The Office OF DR.
c. III. Nerboyig was also visited. but
as the doctor uses no drugs In his
practice, the thief or thieves were
disappointed. and nothing was taken
1 When Miss Julia Ginger, the office
girl, arrived at DIR. Nerbovig's Office
this morning, she experienced some
difficulty In opening the door. and
when she succeeded in. doing so she
\ found that n chair had been pushed
against the door from the inside. Short
" afterward when visited by Free
Press reporter she commented on the
incident, and together they examined
| the transom and door, which gave un.
disputable proof of the entrance OF
some person.
Hall Was Dark.
| The hall being dark during the
night, the thief apparently climbed
upon the rail ut the top OF the stairs
from where II was easy TO gain an en-
trance through the transom. He then
ransacked the Office looking for drugs
or money, after which he pushed a
chair against the door, upon which
he climbed, grasping the top OF the
door and pulling himself through the
open transom. Scratches on the panel
and finger marks upon the woodwork
plainly showed the mode of departure
| Amound the corner I'm the same hall
bright light always burns through.
out the night before the doors of the
offices OF DR. A. +. Schmitt and Den.
list II. o. Eberhart, and for this rea-
son, no doubt. their offices were not
molested.
Opened Door With Difficulty.
Later In the morning. when visiting
the offices of Doctors c.. II. Curran. c,
, J. Holman, v. l.. Miller, A. A. Wohl'
/, rabe and Hllda Luck. the Free Press
!, reporter asked the Office girl II she
had noticed any difficulty I'm opening
! the door. Tho girl looked 'sprprised
and said: "Why, yes, I believe l did
think that chair was pushed
against Il from the inside" The re-
porter Immediately examined the
panel aud saw several fresh scratches
which could have been made by the
shoe of a person trying to climb from
a chair through the transom. DIR. MIL
Ter being I'm his office the reporter
walked in and asked II he knew that
his office was entered during the
I'll,
said, "why. no! Do you mean it?" and
on being told to examine his supply
of drugs he walked to his cabinet,
opened II, and exclaimed. We'll. they
got what they we're after here, all
right
Cocaine Was Gone.
A supply of about 100 grains of CO.
caine, which he had placed I'm the cab.
met the previous day was gone, and
no trace of Il could be discovered.
Other offices were visited by the re-
porter, but the thief had no doubt
made a good haul for one night, and
was resting on his laurels. Some of
the doctors keep their drugs locked
i'm their safes. SO II is almost impos-
sible for dope fields to get at them.
The manner of the thief's escape from
the suite of apartments In which DIR.
Miller has his office was amusing, ow.
ing to the fact that the door can al.
ways be opened from the inside, the
lock holding against entrance from the
outside only, therefore after once get.
ting inside all the thief would have
needed to do to make his getaway
would have been to open the door and
walk out. He evidently did not try
this, but placed a chair against the
door and went out through the tran
som, the same way he came In. IL
does not matter how we'll a door Is
locked, or barred. II there Is an open
transom above, II is an easy matter for
thief to gain an entrance. The re-
cent strict regulations against the sale
OF certain drugs, seems to be driving
those who have fallen into the habit
of using them into desperate ways OF
obtaining the stimulant which they
crave. Other cities are also reporting
vIsitations by dope flend thieves.
May Be Operating Fence.
The men who are working the med.
ical offices, and stealing the cocaine
supplies may be operating a depot
for the disposal OF the drugs thus Sc
cured, 10 people who cannot obtain
them In n legitimate way, and are
willing to pay almost any price to
those who will secure the drug for
them. .... 49,.
st. Paul, April 15.-Somewhere in
st. Paul a man Is wandering around
clothed only I'm bathrobe and pair
of slippers. Charles Hosfeld. dope
fiend. escaped from the basement OF
the city hospital at p. IN. yesterday
and had not been found at a late
hour last night.
He was arrested by Detective Carr
April and the following day was
placed I'm that part OF the hospital re-
served for drug fiends.
Downing the bath robe and slippers
he stealthily avoided his guards and
slipped out of the building. His alb
sence was noted O short time after
ward and the police were informed.
At the time of his arrest Hosfeld
had dairy in which he had entered
the names OF physicians at st. James,
bingham Lake and Mankato.
He gave his address as 451 st.
! Peter street. although his home Is
believed to be at one or the three
towns mentioned In his diary.
w, w. Davis, one of the elders of
the Mankato Presbyterian church, re-
turned last night from the annual