Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1918-12-19
ARREST ALLEGED HIGHWAY
ROBBER At NEW WAR PLANT
California Loading Company
Charges Employees Have Been
Robbed and Assaulted
LODGED IN W0RKH0USE
William Gregory Accused of
Beating and Robbing Joseph
Koehme Near Plant

William Gregory. twenty eight
years old, who resides at the junction
on the Englishtown road, was arrest
ed this morning by Captain Ferd
David, chief of police of the Califor-
mia Loading Company plant at Run
and assault and battery. He is now
locked up in the county workhouse
at New Brunswick where he is being
held without bail to await the action
of the grand jury.
He IL accused of badly beating up
and robbing Joseph Koehme, an elm
ploye of the California company. of
q sum OF money.
During the past few months many
Of the employees of the California
Loading Company and other plants In
that vicinity have been held up on
the road that leads from South Am
boy to Old Bridge and have in many
cases been badly beaten and robbed
of money and jewelry.
AS result Robert l.. oliver. presi-
dent of the California Loading Com
pany. and Frederick c. schmitz. the
general manager, held q conference
done to put a stop to this. They call
ed Captain Ferd David, the chief OF
police of the plant, and asked his ad-
vice.
They told Captain David that he
must get the man or men who were
holding UP the employees and to spare
no expense in getting them as the
robberies must cease.
Captain David together with Lieu
tenant Hoffman decided that the best
thing to do would be to have some of
their men watch employees as they
were going to and from work and in
this way they would be able to get a
clue that would bring results.
Some OF the best detectives that
the company has were assigned to
the case and a few nights ago as
Koehme. who Is employed as a cabi-
net maker and who resides at 40z
on his way to the plant from New
York he stopped in a hotel on the
road to Morgan and bought some
drinks for q crowd in the place and
then left for work.
A detective who had been placed
in the hotel followed him and de-
clares that he saw Gregory hit him
over the head with a blackjack and
then rob him. Gregory went through
the man and got about $40 and man
aged to get away before the detective
could get him.
The detective found Koehme in a
bad way. He was unconscious and
was bleeding from cuts and suffering
from bruises. He was taken to the
company hospital where he was
treated but he remained unconscious
for several hours.
The detective managed to get a
good look at the highwayman before
he made his escape and he reported
the matter to Captain David but no
trace of Gregory could be found until
yesterday when Captain David
promptly arrested him and secured
a warrant for him later after which
he was locked up.
Captain David says that he has the
goods on Gregory. The captain is
certain that he is the head OF an or
ganized gang that has held up and
robbed many employees and others
passing over the roads in and near
South Amboy. Morgan and Old
Bridge.
A few nights ago a local taxi man
was held up by three robbers but
when they found he had nothing on
him they allowed him to go after tell
ing him they should give him a good
beating.
Numerous others have reported to
the local police that they have been
held up and robbed and in other
cases attempts made to rob them.