The Mankato free press., 1918-10-18
STORY OF CAR Theft
GIVEN BY THIS YOUTH
]. KROLOFF "COUGHED
UP" TO AN OFFICER
Drove Buick Machine Into kato;
Was Stolen From Sioux
City Last EyB

Archie j.. Kroloff, aged nineteen,
from Sioux City, was brought to the
police station for having but one
number on large Buick, seven pas
senger machine he was driving, and
after being held at the station for a
short time apparently became fright
ened and "coughed up" to the officers
that the caI was not his property.
Kroloff is a bright appearing young
fellow, short and dark and appears
to have spent much of his time out
of doors. He claims that he was work
ing for a construction gang in Sioux
City all summer.
According to the story which the
young man related to The Free Press,
he met two strangers in Sioux City
last evening who offered him $50 if
he would drive the big Buick to Min
neapolis at CEce. Kroloff said: "a
fellow was always ready to take a
chance" and he agreed to their prop
'osition. He claims that when he
reached Minneapolis he was to place
the car in any garage there and mail
the check for it back to one Joe
Boynton Of Sioux City. He said he
he did not know but thought this
was the name of one of the men that
hired him.
Drove All Night.
Kroloff, it appears drove the
machine up from Sioux City during
the night, arriving in Mankato this
morning where he put the car in
the Schwender garage. A complaint
was sent in to the police station from
the garage that the Buick had but
one number and Officer Charles Bell
responded to the call, placing the
young man under arrest at first the
boy put up bluff story, claiming
he had drove here from Worthington
and that one Saigon, a garage dealer
there would vouch for the one num-
ber on his machine.
Traffic Officer William Edwards
put in a call for the garage at Worth
ington but before there was any re-
sponse Kroloff called Edwards aside
and told him the game was up and
that he did not own the machine.
He was at once locked in the cell and
talked freely of the matter. He at
first asserted that he had no idea
the machine was stolen or who it
belonged. Laterts when cross
questioned by Officer Edwards he
stated he knew the machine was
stolen when he started out but did
not know who it belonged to.
Confessed to Another Stealing
Last April, Kroloff stated, he was
arrested in Nebraska for stealing a
car from a garage dealer by whom he
was employed. At this time he at
tempted to drive from Nebraska to
Sioux City with the car but was
caught. After being convicted and
held in the county Jail for sometime
he was paroled out for three years,
and is under parole at the present
time.
81 I have been mixed in anything
crooked, it will go hard with me.
am in bad mixup," the young man
stated. Asked why he took the car
when he thought it had been stolen
he said, 'a fellow is always ready to
take chance for the money" Kro-
loft claims he was to receive $50 for
driving the car to Minneapolis.
He said he was OF the opinion that
a taxi driver, Dodge, Boynton by name
was the owner of the Buick because
he had seen him driving it in Sioux
City. Boynton, Kgoloff averred had
a shady reputation with the police of
the city. The Buick when examined
was found to have a vehicle license
issued to taxi drivers, No. thirty-
nine for the year 1918. This would
indicate that it was used -as a taxi
at some time. Although the machine
came from Iowa 1t had Minnesota
license. number 45353 when held here.
kroloT asserts this number was on the
car when he started out with it.
At the time Kroloff was arrested
another man in the car with him
slipped away before he could be ap-
pretended. Kroloff asserted that the
fellow was stranger whom he
picked up last evening and brought
icn the trip, intending to take him
as far as Minneapolis. Police Of
ficers started search for this man
as soon as Kroloff told his story.
Searching For Partner.
Chief of Police Ed krio and Mr..
Schwender drove half way to st.
Peter in their search to locate Kro-
lofts partner. 1t had been reported
that man answering his description
was seen walking down the tracks
toward st. Peter. No trace of the
fellow was found, however. He is
described by Kroloff as rather tall
man with an army hat and wearing a
dark coat with an army shirt Police
officers believe he had something to
do with the stealing of the machine.
| Upon investigation, Chief Ario learn
| ed that the Buick car here had been
stolen last evening about nine o'clock
from man named Boynton in Sioux
/ City. Kroloff in his statement to
! The Free Press admitted he believed
the car belonged to Boynton but at
| that time stuck to the story that he
had been hired to drive it to this
/ city. Late this afternoon he still
hung to this story but had made sew
cral slips in relating his stories to
| the officers.
Chief Ario also called Window to
find out how Kroloff came into pos
session of the license number he had
on his car at the time he was ar
rested here. The number was 45353
and belonged to O. J. Finseth of Win
dom. Upon, calling there the chief
learned that the number tag had been
stolen from Finseth's, machine last
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