Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-03-07
TRAP THIEVES
ENTERING HUB
Merchant and Officers on
Job When Culprits Get
Ready to Make Haul

GOODS WORTH $500
FOUND AT HOMES
Wealth of Clothing Taken
on Nightly Visits; Lads
Admit Their Guilt
A series Of thefts in : which hun.
dreds of dollars worth Of clothing
was stolen was interrupted and
two Of the culprits arrested about !
o'clock Sunday morning by Deputy
Sheriff Charles Doran, Merchants Po'
lice Charles Sauders and Omcer
Charles Kapp Of the local police force,
assisted by H. G. Anderson and Gus
Hallberg, a clerk in the Anderson
clothing store. The thefts have. GOV.
cred period of seven to eight weeks
and Anderson's Hub clothing store
was the victim Of the thieves. The
arrest followed the trapping at the
store Of q pair Of the robbers who are
believed to work in a band of at least
flve George Eaton and william
Blacksley are the lads taken by the
officers and they have been in the
county jail since their arrest. Both
were bound over to await the action
OF the grand jury under $500 bonds by
Police Judge Ramsell this morning
o$ot $e do NV fIo 1od n
oficers enabled Sauders and Kapp to
locate large quantity of the stolen
goods and these have been returned
to the store. There Is still number
Of articles missing that have not been
found but the loot unearthed will
reach value Of more than $500.
Theft Covers Long Period.
Mr.. Anderson said today that the
robberies have been carried on for a
period OF seven to eight weeks and all
efforts to catch the thieves until that
OF saturday night have been fruitless.
-Four visits have been made by the
robbers to the store and each trip
took place on Saturday night.
The methods employed by the lads,
according to Mr. Anderson, show sys.
tematic planning and execution wor-
thy Of finished crooks. Lookouts and
sentinels were employed and check
kept on the movements OF Mr.. Ander-
son and the employees Of the large
store, hence the difficulty in trapping
the thieves at work.
Kept Tab on Anderson.
One lookout was generally stationed
at the corner Of Market and Main
streets to give the signal when the
proprietor boarded the street car for
his home on Saturday nights after the
store closed. Others were stationed
in the vicinity Of the building where
they could signal the workers on the
inside II all was WE'LL The gang,
some Of whom had been employed in
the building when 1t was remodeled
several months ago and were familiar
with the cellar and the various doors,
etc., we're thoroughly acquainted with
the surroundings both as to the rear
of the store, the means Of entry and
the fact that the lights from the work.
shop Of the Lowenberg bakery played
on the back portion of the clothing
store and made entry risk save on
Saturday nights. The fact that the
bakers work every night but Saturday
gave the thieves chance to work at
their scheme of robbery with appar
ent ease on that night.
The cellar extends back farther
than the rear walls of the store, ow-
ing to heating plant having formerly
been located there. The roof of this
part Of the cellar has small scuttle
barely large enough for an average
person to crawl through and 1t Is by
way OF this scuttle that entry and ex-
it have been made.
Prepare for the Visitors.
Saturday night Mr.. Anderson was.
determined If possible to trap the
thieves because he had been foiled
on former attempts and he notified
Deputy Sheriff Doran to come to the
store about midnight. Earlier in the
night four Of the gang were seen at
the rear of the store about 10 o'clock
but they scampered away, apparently
by signal from lookout, shortly be-
fore Merchants Policeman Sauders
made the rounds in that vicinity
Mr.. Anderson then posted man in
the third floor Of the building where
he could command the rear Of the
store and when the lights were ex-
Mr.. Anderson started as
usual for the corner of Market and
Main streets, where he boarded car
but left it at the railroad crossing
and. walking around the block, came
back to the store. The lookout was
called in, Mr.. Doran arrived and the
three men took stations inside the
store to await developments.
1t was after midnight when the
deputy sheriff arrived and the trio
did not have to wait for a great
length Of time before they heard the
in the cellar. Unable to
move from their places until they
heard the robbers prying open the
door at the cellar stairway, they then
took new positions where they were
able to get the drop on the thieves.
lcontinued on page 81