The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-12-12
Trio Captured in Pensacola
Eluded Successfully Po-
lice of Several Cities.
VOLUNTEER IN
MANY ADMISSIONS
"Had Eye on the Bank, !"
One Said. Before Leav-
ing for Other Places"

With an amazing frankness whtck
surprised old-time police officials
VIM. Kenny. one of three confessed
auto thieves. hold-up and strong-arrn
men, sat In the office of the police cap
tain yesterday and talked gi.bly Of
their past exploits, talking of his paae
criminal career with more freedo1
than he would discuss anything elsa
Later. Joined by Louis Smith and T.
H. Train. others OF the trio, he talked
while the others winched uneasily.
and, with the exception of Smith.
whose memory was poor at times, tho
others readily admitted that they had
taken part in at least three hold-ups
and robberies in as many states, and
then calmly expla.ned that they had
their eyes on the bank. and intended
to do something with it. had they not
been arrested. and then were going to
leave here" All these admissions
were made in the presence OF police of
ficials, Sheriff Van Pelt and Chief
Deputy Hartsfield, Police Commits
sioner Frank Sanders newspaper rep
resentattves and two detectives from
Mobile, who were anxious to take in
charge and return the trio to
IF we get them over there"
Detective Desmond, I'VE Wi
make an example OF them,
hold-ups over there for they hs
numerous. We have arrested
Gus characters, and have suc~~~fedH
convicting at least one. and
get this gang over there. {
will be little difficulty in pr
case. We leave with then
-
They left for Mobile last night jr
tody5 OF City Detectives Curtin a
Desmond.
occupied when arrested was estab-
lished yesterday when the local pos ce
department established communica-
ton with the police department OF At
lanta. The car was stolen from a
residence at 225 Peachtree street, and
one of the suspects stated that two
other cars We're standing nearby. "but6
both were disabled before they CO
be used. said Kenny, who exr
that Smith was an expert chaufl
and that he was able to put an auto
mobile out of commission without
much effort.
Asked by The Journal representative
why 1T was that they allowed them
selves to be so easily taken in by "a
single policeman IL they were so des-
perate as their stories made them ont
to be. Smith said: There have been
worse men than we are who have
been arrested. But If the officer
(pointing to Mr.. Harper) had got bad.
there would have been something do |
ing. for there We're two guns in the
car and they would have been used
He acted good all the way"
Train has another alas, but his true
name is Myer Berkendo, he said, and
1t was stated in his presence yester-
day that he is wanted for the forgery
of a check of S40o and he did not deny
the assertion.
Kenny was the most interesting
talker admitting everything and even
information of certain
exploits. While trying to escape from
the state of Georgia after the Atlanta
exploitations. he said, their car was
shot at several times down near Grif4 |
fin. Ga They did not want us for
the Atlanta business but the old officer
was looking for whislzey," he said.
In Jacksonville, among the money
taken from the whiddon Store was
SIG in pennies. II knew they wers
going to get US turned up at last A
copper is bad luck anyway you take
it, he said with a smile.
Talking Of the Mobile robbery, when
the Hudson Furniture House was en-
tered. he admitted that he and Train
went into the place while Smith, in
charge Of the automobile. stood close
by. the engine of the car running.
Then he volunteered the information
that they held up and stuck taxi i
drivers out on the hard road" taking
about twenty dollars from them.
Asked what they wanted in Pensa-
COLA one of them stated that they
wanted nothing, and were prepe ring to
leave We might have taken the
bank there" he indicated. pointing to
the Americans building. 1t fs not
believed that they would have at
tempted anything of the sort, how t
ever.
kilograms were received yesterday
from the chiefs OF polios a& Atlanta
and Mobile. asking for
the custody OF the men. Jacksonville
wanted finger prints and photographs
and Atlanta inquired specifically for
The automobile and watch which
hey were alleged to have stolen. Both
of the articles referred to in the Al
anita telegram were recovered from
them.
After getting all the confession. in