Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-09-14
Joy RIDE IN GHENT CO.
MACHINE LEADS TO
CAPTURE
POLICE MAKE CATCH
CHIEF ZURICH RUNS DOWN
CtEWS AND OBTAINS CONFESS
SlONS RESULTING IN SMASH
ING UP GANG--FOUR HELD IN
JAIL.

An alleged prank" of boys in TAX.
ing Ghent auto Wednesday night
for 10y ride" to La Sale is directly
responsible for one of the biggest auto
thief catches made in La Sale coun.
ty and at the same time breaking up
were causing reign OF terror among
automobile owners who either lived
in or visited this community Chief
George Zurich was responsible for
tracing down the embryo bandits and
bringing them to Justice.
The arrests yesterday of Tom Arm
strong, aged II, and Lee Woodward,
the same age, resulted in the capture
later in the day of Joe Nevin. aged
l6, and George Freeman, aged H.
With the last catch every link in the
chain Is complete and the solution Of
six stolen car mysteries made
Admitting they were responsible for
the disappearance of ears belonging
to Lyle Green, Dayton farmer, Henry
Scholle. OF Ottawa, John Olson Of
Newark, and j. A. Andrews, Of Otta-
wa. all Of which were taken from the
loop during the past six weeks the
boys have placed themselves in an
undesirable predicament, with long
terms in the Pontiac reformatory star
ing them In the face
The car taken from the Client fac.
tory by Woodward and Armstrong is
directly responsible for Chief Eurich's
bagging the quartet Obtaining des-
criptions Of the youths in the ma
chine. which was seen in La Sale and
It's driver in the vicinity of the plant
the night II was taken. Chief Zurich
had no trouble in apprehending Arm
strong and Woodward. They were
put thru the usual quizzings after
their arrests and confessed to the
Ghent theft and then began to unbur.
den themselves of the other crimes
committed by them. Both confessed
that they had taken Lyle Green's
machine from in front Of the Geiger
bakery late in July and then taking
Mr.. Scholle's machine in company Of
Neyns. The Olson car, q Ford was
taken from La Sale street and then
abandoned by Freeman and Nevins
The J. A. Andrews car which dis
appeared on tho night of August 4th
and which was later found abandoned
near Hinsdale was borrowed by all
four of the youths. They were going
on a "joy ride" to Chicago and when
they arrived near IIinsdalo their en-
gine gave out and a rear tire was
punctured and they were compelled tc
abandon the auto, where it was fount
on Monday The Lyle Green car wat
deserted on the roadway between here
and Grand Ridge and was found tht
following morning in the ditch, bu
unharmed. It's supply Of gasoline hat
given out
Besides identifying somo of the cars
they stole the youths admitted havini
taken others but replacing them I'm
harmed. They believed they were re
sponsible in all for about eight auto
that either disappeared or had beer
used for short joy rides during tn
weeks they were on their thiever
rampage.
This morning young Armstrong an
Woodward were taken before Justic
George Kocning for preliminary hea,
ing Both signed waivers and wer
bound over to the October grand jur
under bonds of 81 900 each Th
Freeman and Nevin were up befor
the justice this afternoon and wer
bound over under like amounts Ft
lack of bondsmcn they were escorto
to the county Jail, where they wi
await disposition of their cases by I'll