Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-04-15
DETECTIVES BELIEVE
THEY HAVE CLUE To
WAREHOUSE THEFT
Harry J. Thomas, Colored, Arrest
ed by Officers Lying in Ambush
IN the Building.
CHARGE AGAINST GROCER

Harry j. Thomas, colored. charged
with larceny, was arraigned in the City
Court today and in connection with the
same cast krzmer Gramles was arraigned
on n charge of receiving stolen goods.
The Negro, the detective bureau suspects,
can explain the carrying of OF large
quantities OF groceries from the Philips
thompson stOrehouSe, at tho toot OF
Fourth street. Several hundred dollars
worth of stuff has been taken and last
Friday the detective bureau was gwen
the particulars of the case and started
sitter the thief The place was broken
INTO on Wednesday and Thursday nights
and the detectives concealed themselves
IN the storehousc on Friday night, but no
one put III an appearance. On Saturday
night Detectives Riley and kempski
were in the building, when crash OF glass
was heard and III n short time Negro
put IN an appearance. The man was
watched by the detectives and he picked
up SIX twelve-pound bags OF flour and
carried them out of the warehouse. ii
was then the detectives started after the
man. Sc saw them coming and started
10 flca nut The detectives drew REVIEWERS
and frel and Thomas stopDed and
surrendered
Thomas. when arraigned III City Court,
was confronted by two charges OF larceny
and two Of breaking and entering. De
tective Riley testified to the capture as
outlined above Riley also told the court
that Thomas confessed to breaking INTO
the place and stealing the -four. Detective
kempski who was with Riley, Corobor-
rated the statements of his partner.
Granles was arraigncd on two charges.
one of assault and battery and one OF
receiving stolen goods The assault charge
was preferred by Detective Riley. who
testified that when the detectives went
To arrest him the man started to fight ana
: result he Riley sustained broken
finger After hearing Rileys testimony,
iramles asked 70 have both cases con
,inued until Wednesday. He was held
under 81 900 bail on the receiving stolen
goods charge and $500 on the assault
and battery charge.
When questioned by Detective Ser
geant Green, Thomas is said to have
admitted that he was the man who has
heen robbing the warehouse. He said
lie was employed by Philips-Thompson
20. about two years ago.
When Thomas was questioned by
Sergeant Green. he Is said To have con
fessed 70 having sold some Of the stolen
articles TO Cramlcs a grocer Al Eighth
and Locust streets. The detectives then
went TO the Gramles store to see him, but
The latter was in bed at the time. The
detectives ordered him to dress and
after waiting a reasonable time for him
10 appear they began an investigation,
which disclosed the fact that be had
made his escape by the rear OF the house.
The officers found him about two squares
from the store and when they approached
him he attacked them. Although there
were four detectives in the party. Granles
put I'D such q stiff fight that all four were
winded before they succeeded IN over
powering hum.
The FIVE men fought all over the street
and when the fight was over 1t was dis
covered that Detective Riley had one OF
lis fingers dislocated. Detective Ser
geant Green had his coat badly torn,
Detective Kempski had his finger cut,
vhile Sergeant King was scratched about
tie hands
The prisoner face was covered with
blood. which flowed from q wound in
his head His face was also cut In several
places, he receiving the cuts while the
detectives were trying 10 handcuff him.
lie had to be taken to the Homeopathic
Hospital for treatment.