The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1919-04-17
THIEVES ARE
ACTIVE in COUNTY
Gang mt Washington I'm Operation Fer
Nearly a Year-Seyeral Cars
Recovered

Detectives arrived in Miller last
Thursday and stated they were in
vestigating the sale of several second
hand cars, which were said to be stolen
cars, brought to Washington by a
gang of automobile thieves, who were
working under the guise of horse
dealers.
Two Miller parties were. located
who were innocent purchasers OF stol-
en- cars according to the detectives.
The Huronite has the following to
say of the operation Of the gang:
James Nichols, town marshal of
Washington, is confined in the county
jail here on a charge of bribery and
conspiracy, and Sheriff Anderson and
Detectives James Cochin of Chicago
and Charles Pipkin and Ben Denner-
baum representing the American
Automobile Protective association, are
searching for a gang Of auto thieves
who have been operating in and near
washington for about a year. +. The
four alleged thieves, two men and two
women, who are said to be profession
al crooks made their escape after the
arrest of Nichols.
Most of the cars stolen are the pro-
perty of Omaha people, the officers say
TNrnptu nf fha n,nnhi,Ac haua hnan
recovered and many more are expect
ed to be located today. The gang
sold many of the machines to farmers
and garage men in and near Messing
ton.
the sheriff's office, detectives offered
Nichols $50 to reveal the hiding place
of the gang. He is said to have prom
ised to do his best to locate them.
Then, it is alleged, he went to the
home OF II. Clever, an employee in a
garage in washington, and told the
two women of the party, who were
there that the detectives were on their
trail. They offered him 500 to keep
it still, it is said, and they notified the
men of the party and all made their
escape but the policemen who was
relieved of his star and club and
brought to Huron. Nichols lis alleged
to have then returned to the officers
and said he couldn't locate the gang.
The gang has been working between
Huron and Pierre for the past year,
posing as horse buyers, which trade
they did carry on to some extent in
washington, sometimes trading cars
for the animals. TIE leader of the
gang, who is known as Graves, is an
! escaped convict from a prison at Bed.
ford, Iowa, it is said, where he was
sentenced to prison for a term of five
years.
The members of the gang, are also
said to have made a practice of trans,
porting liquor into the state and do,
ing a general bootlegging business.
The party stayed at the Dake no,
tel in Washington. They are said tt
have paid their bills regularly ant
always had plenty of money.
About ten o'clock T'uesda7 evening
it is said, Graves received a telephon,
call and soon afterwards appeared a
the hotel desk and paid h;s bill, say
ing he would go west OF the trail
that night. But instead of waitin;
for the train he went to tine garage
with the other four members of TIL
gang and they started out on tn
Black and Yellow trail south. Abou
ton the car became stuck i'm re mu'
and the band deserted it ami have no
been seer since. The car was foun,
by the officers Wednesday morning.
The leader of the gang is describ
ed as a a about 3S years of ag
and weighing about 200 pounds, II
is smooth shaver. The other MAJ
of the party weights about 100 or II
pounds and has a peculiar mouth
His hair is fiery red in color and h
is known generally as Red"
One of the women of the party /
said to be of medium build with blac
hair. She wears an expensive flu
coat. The other woman is describe
as being somewhat smaller than he
companion. Every member of tn
party is said to be exceptionally wei
dressed.