Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1917-11-09


insisted onua complete detailed account of the
mans movements the day in question The
story glibly told and 1t was impossible to
confuse the witness. - Fef
Then came the stumble Among other incidents
the prisoner told of visiting a bootblack and ex-
planned that in addition to having his boots pol
iShed he had received a thorough DruShlng OH,
all because it was an exceedingly dusty day. The
records produced and these showed that one
of the heavy rains of the season ragged not only
the day of the crime, but on the days prior
and following. The witnesses were recalled and
they Also remembered that it dusty blowly
day. This so confused the prisoner he made sew
era other misstatements which in the end led TO
his conviction.
ranch hand accused of the wholesale theft Of
grain from the fields of California ranches de-
clared that he was not in California until after the
date of the alleged robbery. He then convicted
himself by describing a clump of gum trees in
of the fields. The prosecution was able to
show that these trees were cut down two weeks
before the robbery and that the accused could
not have described the trees except from personal
knowledge. His alibi upset, the unfortunate ranch
hand pleaded to turn states evidence and impli-
cate what he was pleased to term the ringleaders
of an extensive gang of grain thieves
Identify Coin by Perfume.
Several weeks ago dropped her purse,
containing large sum of money. A child of ten
der years picked up the valuable cOntainer and
started TO curry II Two men III an Oii us
tributing station the incident and managed to
get the purse from the child giving him a few
pennies. The men hid the money in an oil can,
first extracting a few bills for immediate use
The same day the of the money made
report to the police and also instituted personal
search. She inquired all along the street in
which the loss had occurred, eventually embracing
the very child that had found the money. The
little tot Immediately pointed out the two men
who had taken the purse and the woman made
a formal demand for the return of the money. The
men denied the theft and by their fierce denial
frightened the child.
Police officers were summoned, but by this time
the child was thoroughly demoralized and refused
to identify the men, declaring that he was not now
certain to whom he had delivered the purse. The
owner of the money, among other things. declared
the bills of currency could be identified If located
by their odor She explained that following her
securing the currency from bank she had pur-
chased bottle of perfume and that this bottle
had been accidentally opened in her purse ono the
bills saturated with the liquid. The police visited
the stores in the neighborhOOd and learned that
one of the suspected men had paid grocery bill
a few hours after the money was supposed to have
come into his possession. On examining the bills
that had been paid to the grocer they were found
to be strongly impregnated with perfume. Then
the officer searched the oil station, shifting into
every and box in the place. Within few
moments after the search instituted of
the officers found the bills secreted in a can of
cotton oil waste. the perfume being distinctly dis
cernabe In spite of the oil.
Minor Matters Trip Crooks.
Instances of a similar nature may be found In
the police court without number. chief was con-
victed recently charge of Larceny because, al |
though he had memorized the numbers the case |
and works of n watch and produced what purport- !
ed 10 be a bill of sale, still he did 1ct know that /
in the scroll work the back of tie case were |
the initials Of the owner.
Another criminal was justly convicted and later
made full confession after the police had dis
paired of fastening the crime ,tm. He was
accused of cutting open number of packages in
an express Office and extracting articles of value
repairing the damage 10 the package that there
could be no exposure for several days after the
theft. While the trial was in progress the prose-
cutting witness picked up pocket knife, the ac-
knowledged property of the accused, and on a
close examination found red coral bead In the
slot where the knife blade reposed when clasped
One of the beads had stuck TO the knife blade and
had thus been imbedded in the knife slot This
simple find resulted in the mans conviction and
The return of several thousand dollars of loot to
The express comuanv