The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1918-02-28
TRIED FOUR OTHER GARAGES
Chiefs Clever Detective Work Ends in
Confession of Harry Sieffert, Dave
Barchet and Merit Williams Tues
day Car Is Badly Damaged.

If the car hadn It have busted, ,
we would have been in Chicago by this
time. These were the words heard
Tuesday morning by Chief of Police
O Hare, who had concealed himself III
an empty cell in the city lookup, to
Investigate the robbery Of the Studio
baker car owned by Walter M. Burke,
from his private garage Monday night
The words were said by Harry Self
fert, aged sixteen, who along with two
other Chicago youths, Dave Barchet
and Merritt Williams, were picked up
on suspicion by Officer Amberlang,
carly Tuesday morning. The chance
remark led to a gruelling cross ques-
tioning Of the youths and late Tuesday
afternoon all three of them confessed
to Chief O'Hare their part in the
stealing Of the car and their entrance
into other garage in Kenosha on
Monday night.
Harry Sieffert, aged sixteen, who
gave his address as 80 Irving Park
Boulevard, Chicago, was The first Of the
three juvenile criminals to make a con
ttssJon Of their ope4aCloAs Id .osha
on Monday evening and after two
hours cf sweating" the other two
Dave Barchet, aged seventeen, 1859
Kildare avenue, Chicago, and Merritt
Williams, aged fourteen, 4343 North
Lowell ,.venue, Chicago-admitted their
completely in the robbery Following
~ Co. 49, of Cf
Police Hare found the Studebaker
car owned by Walter M. Burke in a
ditch at the side of the Sheridan Road
about six miles south of the city and
later in the evening it was towed into
Kenosha, The troubles of the boy
thieves began when they stripped the
gears ON the ear and burnt out the
connecting rods and transmission and
We're forced to abandon it. They
walked back to Kenosha where they
were arrested early Tuesday morning.
The confession showed that the
youths had come to Kenosha for the
express purpose of stealing one or
more automobiles and taking them back
to Chicago, where they thought they
could easily dispose of them. They had
hoped to be able to steal a car apiece
and admitted that they entered at
least four garages in Kenosha on Mon
day night. Two of the others was the
garage of Dr. G. H. Gephart of Park
avenue, and that of Calvin Stewart,
also Of Park avenue. At the latter
garage although they could not get the
car started, they found a hunting coat
which was recovered in the Stpde
baker car found on Sheridan Road.
Seffert in his confession said that
the car belonging to Walter Burke
was stolen about midnight Monday
and that they left Immediately for
Chicago, with himself at the wheel
When he had stripped the gears and
was unable to proceed farther they
walked back to Kenosha, intending to
return to Chicago later They all adj
mitted that they were we'll known to
the police authorities in Chicago and
intimated that this was only one Of
number of thefts in which they were
implicated Sieffert was held today at
the county Jail aud the other two at
the city lookup awaiting word from
their parents in Chicago who have
been notified Of their arrest. The
boys are expected to be given pre-
liminary hearing in the near future
and it is probable that they will plead
guilty to grand larceny charges.
Walter NJ. Burke stated today that
the theft and the joy ridep that FOL-
lowed it had damaged the Studebaker
car to the extent Of three hundred dol
lars, all Of which is fully covered by
insurance. A loose chain that was in
the car. was taken by passing tourist
and one robe was also missing.
The capture Of the boy thieves was
quite a roundup for the local police
and may prove valuable in clearing up
some robberies which are now being
investigated in other cities,