The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1918-12-26
YOUTHS NABBED
FOR STEALING;
DIG FROM JAIL
John Eichner and Loaded Reyol-
yer Round Up Unpaying
Christmas Shoppers
STEAL GUNS AND SWEATERS
Break Jail and Walk Barefooted from
Prosser to Mabton-C Caught
at Granger

John Eichner and loaded revolver
We're the instrumentalities that ap
pretended two strange youths who
Saturday evening indulged in some
Christmas shopping that was not ac-
cording to specifications.
The two youths entered the Kenne-
] wick Hardware store about six o'clock
when the proprietor, C. F. Winken-
werder, was at dinner. Mr.. Eichner,
who was in charge, was busy with
customer at the rear of the store and
the youths helped themselves to
25 and 80 calibre Colts automatic
revolver and two boxes of 38 calibre
cartridges and walked out. Eichner's
son saw them walk out with the stolen
articles but at the time thought pos
sibly the boys had purchased them
early in the evening and had left them
in the store. Later he reported it to
his father who armed himself with a
revolver and went in search of the
shoplifters.
The young men were found in the
lobby of the Commercial Hotel just
as they were registering. When first
accused they endeavored to make their
getaway, but when Eichner drew his
revolver they decided to renal in the
hotel until Chief of Police Copeland
arrived on the scene. A search not
only recovered the guns and cartridges
but brought forth two $40 sweaters
and four So neckties which Geo. w.
Sherk later identified as having been
taken from his store.
The boys were taken before Justice
Staser where they plead guilty to a
charge of grand larceny and admitted
stealing the guns and the articles from
Sherk's store. They were placed under
$500 bonds and turned over to De-
putty Sheriff E. L. Baxter, who took
them to Prosser that night. The fol-
lowing night they broke Jail but were
caught again near Granger. As the
county Jail which has been in itiga--.
tion for some time, had just been NOV
ed to it's new location and was not
ready for occupancy the youths were
locked up in the Prosser city Jail. AS
a precautionary measure Deputy Sher-
iff Hansen took their shoes when he
locked them up but bare feet did not
prevent their walking out of the inse-
cure structure.
The boys, who gave their names as
A. A. and C. A. Walter, claimed they
were 16 and II years of age and were
brothers. Chief Copeland is of the
opinion that they are older but is OF
the opinion that they are both under
age. The are total strangers in this
community, having arrived here on No.
not more than two hours before they
entered the hardware store. They
seemed little uncertain as to where
their home is. One of them said they
lived in New York and the other was
equally sure that they were residents
of Wisconsin. Ostensibly they were
soliciting for magazine and secured
a few subscriptions during the short
time they were at liberty in the city.
The Prosser Independent Record
gives the following account of the jail
. 1l-<-ll
break from which it is evident that
the names which the boys gave the To-
cal authorities were aliases:
,@ Two men giving their names as
Martin Ketchum and Charles BlDps,
who were held at the city Jail on
charge cf stealing, dug their way ous
Sunday night and were captured near
Granger by Sheriff L. c. Rolph and
Deputy Carl Hansen, late Monday al
ternoon after an all-day chase.
The men were brought to Prosser
Saturday from Kennewick where they
wer caught stealing from a hardware
store. Fearing that they might at
tempt to break Jail their shoes and
coats were taken away from them.
But this did not seem to bother them
much as they dug out thru the JAN
floor and made their way to Mabton
in their stocking feets There they put