New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1916-08-16
COPPER SNATCHERS
NOT APPREHENDED
MEN TAKEN INTO CUSTODY
CANNOT BE HELD BY LOCAL
AUTHORITIES
MOST OF STOLEN GOODS is
RECOVERED BUT rs IN BAD
CONDITION

~A~S
leave it lying around for there are strange
people in the world who have a fancy
for that sort of stuff, particularly if it
belongs to some one else, and more
particularly if they come across it in
considerable quantities and left where
there is no watchful eye upon it. Who
the parties are is unknown at this time
but it is the earnest hope of the local
police to locate these covetous persons
and give them a seasons rest in Sheriff
julius summer hotel. All this by way
of saying that copper thieves managed
to get away with nearly 500 pounds of
valuable copper wire belonging to the
electric light plant in this city last
Wednesday night and the thieves have
not yet been found. Most of the wire,
however, was recovered but the insula-
ton had been burned off and this de-
stroyed it's usefulness to the city plant
and the refuse was sold yesterday at
considerable loss. The wire and cable
varied in cost from IS cents to so cents
per pound when purchased.
When employees of the light station re-
ported the loss of the wire Thursday
morning, the police were called in. It
was found that the little cart used for
hauling supplies about the city by work.
men was also taken and since there had
been a heavy rain during the night it
was not difficult to trace the journey of
the cart and it's burden. The thieves
had taken the wire across the river into
the woods and there built fire to burn
the insulation off. Chief Herzog and
Policeman Girg were on the job of
sleuthing and Policeman Harmening and
Deputy Sheriff J ahnke were also called
to assist. The trail of the thieves led
back to the city and the cart was located
in the yard of house in the east end of
town but there was no sign of the wire
part of which was later found hidden
under the Northwestern cattle chute,
carefully covered with straw.
Two suspects were picked up because
they were lettering about the railroad
yards and were taken to the jail for
questioning. They gave their names
as Chas. Gill and Frank Kirkham and
denied all knowledge of the theft.
Nothing could be found against them
and they were allowed to go free and
| warned out of town. Shortly after
wards, Policeman Girg reported that the
two had been seen looking under the
chute and Chief Herzog again started
out after them. He found the pair near
the Aufderheide brick yards and brought
| them back to town and turned them over
to the sheriff's office once more.
| Later in the day another lot of the wire
was found hidden near the oil tanks,
making a recovery of nearly 400 pounds
and probably the difference between
that and the amount stolen was made
up by the insulation which was destroyed
Kirkham asked to be allowed to COM
municate with friends and he sent a
special delivery letter. Sunday Chief
Herzog received a message from R. H.
HouEhan, Secretary of the Chicago
Structural Iron Workers Union saying
that there was a job waiting for the man
and asking his release at once A letter
arrived later bringing transportation for
him to Chicago. Kirkham was released
Tuesday afternoon in time to get the
train for Chicago and Gill was held few
hours longer. The two men declared
that there were two other hobos with them
in the same box car they came in on and
that they were probably the ones who
got the wire but the police yesterday had
nothing to go on.