The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1918-02-27
Land Two Men on Charge Of Stealing
Goods From Box Cars; Recover
Load Of Feed
OPERATIONS DATE
BACK MANY MONTHS
Systematic LOOling Started Last August;
Wholesale Supplies Carried Away;
Work Of Operators Clever

After pursuing policy of watch
tul" waiting, the sheriff's force yes
terday captured two men, Lester AL
exander and Claude Stringer, on q
charge Of stealing articles from load
ed freight cars. An effort will b.
ne . connect the men Win a SO
f'c4 q Vi olesale he that have
occurred during the past several
months
The operations have been conduct
ed in unique way and all of the ar
ticles have been taken from cars
that have been loaded and billed out
to other towns from this place. 1t is
thought that there has been taken
from the cars in local yards at least
$1,000 worth of material
Railroad officials began missing ar.
ticles in large quantities last August
and since that time they have known
that some sort Of gang was operat.
ing in systematic manner in taking
goods from the cars but they were
unable to find anyone taking the
goUds Until yesterday. Last Satur-
day night one dozen window shades,
case of oatmeal and case of mus.
tard containing 12 quart cans, were
taken from car and still officials
wert rot able to catch the thieves.
Yesterday morning, however, Off
GERS were called early and told that
the thieves had visited the cars again
Monday night and had taken 10 sacks
of corn and about ton of hay. Be
cause the sand had blown and drift.
ed badly the day previous, the Off.
GERS were able to trail the wagons
from the car to house in this city
When they got to the home of Claude
strmgel they, found the corn on the
wagon and While they were there,
Alexander drove np with load Of
hay. The two mcL were immediate
ly arrested and lodged in the county
Jail
When they were arrested they said
that they had purchased the feed
stuff from certain other parties but
after they were cross examined one
OF them confessed that he had taken
the corn but said that he did not
take it from the cars.
Heretofore there has been a great
amount of food stuff stolen from the
cars and although officers have not
been able to locate all of the arti-
c,es they have found some that we're
stolen as far back as October.
The men had leased a farm, so
they claim, about two miles south of
Middleberg. and were moving to the
place to take. charge. They had al
ready moved three or four loads of
household goods and other articles
aud when this was learned the Off,
GERS went there yesterday evening
and found case of mustard which
they clam had been taken last Sat
\urday night and also a box of to-
Lacco which had been stolen from
the cars here last October. The
WOODS about the house were search
eL but no trace of anything else that
has been missing could be found, al
though officers believe that other
articles are in hiding.
Among the articles that have been
stclen from the cars here since last
October are % sacks of sugar. Is
cases of tomatoes, a large quantity
Of sailed and fresh meat, p sacks of
shorts and chops and about thirty
cases of canned goods.
Most of the articles that have been
stolen since the officials began miss.
ing stuff from the cars has been TAX
en- from the Frisco yards but some
has been taken from cars in the 9th,