The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1917-04-20
MACON GREEN VERY
PROMINENT NIL [tR
ON GRAND LARCENY
BIG SENSATION RESULTS IN
ARREST IN THE THIRD
DISTRICT.
Is An ALLEGED SHOpLIFTlR
Immense Amount OF Merchandise
Identified as That Of Anderson Bros.
& Foster And other Local Firms
Recovered by Sheriff.

Recovered by Sheriff.
One Of the biggest sensations in the
criminals annals Of Maury county was
pulled on Sunday night when Sheriff
]. Walter Griffin took into custody
Macon A. Green, prominent miller,
merchant and farmer of the Third
district, on charges Of larceny and
grand larceny, preferred by five OF the
largest firms of Columbia.
According to Sheriff Griffin, the de-
PENDANT Green made no denial OF the
charges, but confessed that he had
been shoplifting in Columbia for some
time and had thereby acquired a large
amount of cheap merchandise. The
sheriff recovered considerable guam
tity Of the booty in the shape OF
Edwin Clapp shoes, mems shirts
mems trousers and overalls and hard
ware and novelties, in fact, little
of everything. There were several
hundred dollars worth of goods recov-
cred and the sheriff stated that Mr..
Green admitted that he had sold over
5000 worth of the bargain shoes.
The shoplifting had evidently been
going on for some time The mer-
chants of the city have been missing
goods, but Mr.. Green was among those
whom no one would ever suspect. He
bore a splendid reputation for integ-
rity and honesty. He was active in
all good works. leader In the church
and Sunday school, a member of hne
family and every one believed very
prosperous and progressive citizen.
But reports that Green was selling
Clapp shoes at something like half of
the price at which they are legitimate
ly sold fixed suspicion upon him and
he has been watched and Swallowed
q when in Columbia by the lynxeyed
sheriff for some time. Green also
wore a pair of Clapp shoes. He had
not purchased pair. These and
other circumstances pointed to some
thing wrong and when the sheriff felt
that guilt could be established. Ander
son Bros. & Foster, who appear to
have been the largest sufferers, swore
out warrants charging grand larceny.
They also procured search warrants.
The sheriff had Green's store searched
and found large quantity of mer-
chandist belonging to Anderson Bros.
& Foster. There was no trouble to
identify it. The marks were plain.
Other goods were recognized and
then J. Rosenthal Company, Maury
Dry Goods Company, Frank Swansburg
and Harlan, Porter & Walker, swore
out warrants and another search was
made. Goods from all of these stores
were identified, including three fine
silk shirts that were taken from Ros-
enthal's on Saturday. All Of the booty
was brought to Columbia and landed
at the city hall by the sheriff. In the
lot were thirty pairs Of the fines,
make of shoes.
Mr.. Green was arrested and on the
Anderson Bros. & Foster case made
bond, but did not do so on the others
and was committed to Jail to await
his preliminary hearing before Judge
f. E. Erwin and Squire Alexander
this afternoon. That he will waive
examination, in view of his attitude,
is generally admitted.
Green has been for several years
engaged in the mill and mercantile |
business at Green's Mill on Ruther.
ford creek and was most highly re-
spected. He made one or two unsuc- !
cessful races for membership on the |
county board of education and was
maeh interested in public education.
He is said to give as his reasons for
his conduct that he got in hard luck"
needed lift and thought this the
easiest way to get even. That he
was a most successful litter is abun-
dainty proven by the immense quaint
ty of stuff that he took.