Arizona republican., 1916-03-29
Mesa News Notes
BOLD BAD BURGLARS
 BARELY BREAK EVEN
Four Mesa Stores Entered but Wise Merchants had Left Little Cash in
 Registers

It was burglars night in Mesa Monday night. Four business houses were entered and forth from each of them emerged one or more sorely disappointed thieves.
 The R. E. Steele Grocery, Gem City Market, o. K. Market and the C. F. Robertson dry goods store were all entered from the rear. The burglars seemed concerned only with the cash register for none of the proprietors could discover any appearance indi- eating that merchandise had been touched. At the Steele Grocery Co. 1 the back window had been pried up so that the thief could enter He or they were rewarded for their labors by an empty cash register as a prac- tice is made of removing all money from the register at closing time few pennies were left undisturbed. At the Gem City market two iron bars were pried off the rear window. the window was forced up and the burglars secured one dollars loot. The custom of the market is to leave that amount for change.
 1 A wire screen at the back of the o. K. market was cut and s1.50 ex- tracted from the register.
 | At the Roberson dry goods store | the miscreants were more fortunate | for besides the loss of two dollars, 1 Mir. ROberson is out $250 lodge dues left with him the evening before. 1 In the latter place a pair of sheep shears were found on shelf Marks on the various places entered indicate that this instrument was used in pry- ing up windows, cutting screens etc.
 A small footprint. size 3 1-2 gave 1 hint of boys job. but all other in- dications point to regular burglars who understood their work
 A few nights tgo the Sam Cohen
 pool hall was entered and cigar
 slot machine was taken. which con-
 tained several dollars in money. Shortly before that the J. D. Robert the rear and thirty dollars worth of
 opiates taken. It seems that there is
 need for an increased police force at
 night until the maraudcrs are caught
 or at least impressed with the fact
 that Mesa will not be healthy place for their operations.
 AFTERMATH OF THE LECTURE
 It is not often that lecturer stirs
 up so much enthusiasm as was
 aroused in matters of civic improve ;ment as appeared to be indicated by conversations on the streets yester- tday. Following his very strenuous day of three lectures, Thomas Brooks
 Fletcher invited as many as could
 crowd into car to accompany him to Phoenix after the night lecture and he would talk over Mesa problems ) with them. P F. Fuller furnished
 the car and acted as Conductor in chief of the trip. NJ. C. HoIladay and iJ. W. Lesueur formed the remainder
 of the party and at eleven o'clock
 they started. The gentlemen report that MT. Fletcher took them to the
 American kitchen for supper and un- til one thirty a. m. they discussed the things which should be done for the betterment of this section
 i, MT. Fletcher expressed himself as agreeably surprised at the indica- ltions on every side which showed
 that Mesa had not been asleep or
 the job. He spoke enthusiastically oi the coming of Nels Darling to this place this fall for a three day stay ,and three lectures on small town iproblems. These lectures have beer , made possible by the guarantee oi s150.0O to the Ridpath Lecture Blu
 reau by six enthusiastic citizens. viz; iC. A. Baldwin, w. C. Denson. Vim
 Beach, Fred Bracket and J. w. Le- Sueur.