The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-07-07
CAUGHT
AT STAMFORD
CARRYING LOOT
Automobile Load of Stolen
Goods Betrayed Into Po-
lice Hands by Driver.

Surrounding an automobile with
drawn revolvers, the Stamford police
this morning, effected in a spectacular
manner the arrest of three armed
bridgeport men, alleged burglars, who
were earring in the machine the en-
tire stock of the tailor store of Frank
Mills, located at Park avenue and
State street.
During the night Mills store was
broken into, and all the finished Gus
made clothing together with the
cloth stock of. the establishment was
taken. The men are under arrest are
also charged with attempting to loot
Nunnold's tailor ship at 191 Fairfield
avenue They broke the glass tran
som but the falling pieces evidently
attracted the attention of passersby
and prevented their entering the
store.
/ Shortly before 8 o'clock this morn
ing Constable George Larson, of Fair
field, noticed. an automobile contain
ing four men stop at clump of
bushes opposite his house. Three men
got out while the driver Of the ma
chine held the wheel and began to
pile clothing to the auto.
The surprised constable saw tuxedo,
dress. business and English walking
suits being piled in the car. He took
the number of the machine and inn
mediately phoned police headquarters.
Lieut., John Barton, Detective Wash
burn and Driver Flanagan started in
pursuit of the car in the police patrol
and word was telephoned ahead to
Stamford to stop the machine.
Joseph Ritch, the driver of the ma
chine, who lives in Arctic street, as
he swung into city hall square, Stam-
ford passed a trolley car on the wrong
side-he asserts he did this for the
purpose of being arrested-and-a traf-
f1c police hailed him. A motorcycle
policeman then hove into view and
five or six policemen approached the
machine from an opposite direction
with drawn. guns.
All the occupants were nau1ed from
the machine and taken to the police
station where they were found by the
pursuing Bridgeport detectives.
When booked they gave the following
names and addresses: Harry Delac-
ca, "a, 121 Middle street; John Meek
er, 2S2 Fairfield avenue; Frank Sut-
ton, 321 Barnum avenue. Delacca is
known to the police and uses Hogan
as an alias.
Ritch told Lieut.. Barton who
brought the prisoners back to this city
that the three defendants came to his
home early this morning and told
him they wanted to hire his car to
go to New York. They drove to
Greenfield Hill where, he says, he was
ordered to stop and the clothing was
piled into the machine.
While enroute for New York, Ritch
says, he determined not. to be a part
'ner to the alleged thieves. When
Stamford was reached he states he
purposely passed the trolley on the
wrong side, knowing his car would
be stopped, the loot in the machine
discovered and the men arrested.
This is precisely what happened,
although motorcycle police would no
doubt have overhau1ed the men had
not the traffic officer ordered Ritch
to stop. The police believe the lat
ter is innocent of any wrong doing,
| and was in no way a willing partner
| to the robbery.
Delacca has been under arrest be-
fore here. on the charge of bur-
| glary.