The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-07-19
STORY OF YOUTH
DEALS IN CRIME
sne
Unwound Tale Of Thieving,
Forgery and Chicanery
CAUGHT WITH GOODS
Edwin HuckenpoeIer Captured
Through Efforts of c. E.
MulIin, Amboy
From Tuesdays Daily.

From Tuesdays Daily.
Unfolding a tale that reads like q
dime novel, f1iieG with stores OF pet
ty thieving, forgery, stealing of auto
supplies and later of taking two Ford
automobiles within a weeks time
Edwin Huckenpoeler, sixteen year ole
boy from Arlington, Minnesota laid
bare the history Oh series OF crimes
in which he was implicated in an in
terview with the Free Press last
evening. Huckenpoeler was held or
suspicion at the station late yester-
day afternoon and after being sweat
ed by police officers confessed thai
the Ford car he drove to the city
was stolen and after some persuasion
revealed the history of the whole
chain of events by which he came
into possession of the machine.
The Youth Related His Story to The
Free Press.
In company with Gust Stranger Of
Henderson, Huckenpoehler drove into
Mankato yesterday shortly after noon
The two men had eaten dinner in st
Peter and arrived in Mankato about
1870 o'clock. The young man stated
that he picked Stranger up at Hen
derson and asked him to go on. {
fishing trip. The other agreed to dc
so and came on to Mankato in the
machine Police officers knew Stran-
ger and are satisfied that he hat
nothing to Go with the theft of the
car.
Had Several Drinks.
The men had several drinks in the
city and Huckenpoeler at once began
to talk of selling or trading off his
machine. At the corner of Fr0nt an6
Cherry street the men met Charles
e. Mullin, a farmer living near Am
boy. Last fall Mr.. Mullin hid Il Ford
Car stolen and was caused d great
deal of trouble before the thieves
were apprehended and the car return
ed, When Huckenpoeler asked him
if he was a Ford dealer or 4 pur-
chaser of such. machines Mullin rel
piled in the affirmative. - ~ 80
The young man offered his machine
for sale and then asked for a cit!
paper with the latest news. Mullins
suspicious were Immediately aroused
He asked HIckenpoeler to take him
for ride in the machine to see thai
it worked all right. He had the boy
drive slow so he might have an OPP
portunity to talk with him. In the
street Mullin noticed a board with
several nails in it and told Hucken-
poeler that he wanted to go bach
and get it. In this manner he had an
opportunity to take the steering
wheel of the machine. ~
Once in control of the car Mullir
drove to the Powell Auto company
Clarence Christensen, looked over the
car. Huckenpoeler appeared nervous
and excited as the men examined the
Ford. When a f1ashlight was thrown
on the engine number it proved tC
be effaced and Mullins suspicious
that the machine had been stoler
were confirmed.
Officer Edwards Called.
Traffic Officer William Edwards
was called in and took charge Of
Huckenpoeler and the machine. Al
the. police station the young man put
up bluff story, claiming he had
bought the car of man named Will
liam Brown at Waconia and paid $46s
for it. 1t was not until the license
department in ST. Paul and the Off
Gers at Waconia had been called thai
Huckenpoeler admitted the Jig wa'
up and he confessed to taking the
machine. He even went so far a!
to call for William Brown at Waconis
and paid for the message, although
the Brown call only served to furthel
incrimnate the youth. All the while
he was at the station Huckenpoelel
appeared nervous and high strung ant
it was not until he "fessed up tina
the nervous tension appeared to re.
lax, and he became cheerful ant
talked freely.
= tits all the fault of my cousin
Alfred Schauer," stated young Huck
enpoeler 81 have chummed with hin
since / was youngster and he put
me up to such schemes. My mothe
dieded when was about fifteen day
old and since that time / have gon
about as / pleased. / am only .sixteel
years of age and have gone t6schoo
or not just as I see fit. My fathe
travels for the International Harves
ter company and l seldom see him
Whatever / want get from m
guardian, DR.. M. E. Bushey of Arl
ington, who has charge of $11,00
that was left me from my mother
farm when she died."
Story of His upbringing.
The boy told brief story of hi
upbringing, saying he had lived wit
his grandparents and brother an
sister on a farm near Arlington an
had always associated with his cousi
Alfred Schauer who lived on an al
joining farm. Huckenpoeler says b
finished the eighth grade severe
years ago and since that time ha
not attended school He has worke
part of the time. Up until the Fourt
of July he was employed as a cal
penter by Fred Spouse, an Arlingto
contractor and had been workin
steadily.
and nagged at him repeatedly to g
in "cahoots" on stealing Ford ca
and making away with it. Hucken
spoeler says he refused repeatedly be
cause his brother and guardian ha
warned him to keep away frol
Schauen Finally he agreed to tn
plan on July 4, Together they drov
&c