Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-04-08
JOLIET POLICE SIEZE
PAIR WHO WORKED
GAME IN OTTAWA
LONG TRAIL
ADMIT HAVING ROBBED MAILS AT
ST. JOE, MO-, KANSAS CITY, 10
LET, kANKAkEE, OTTAWA AND
CHICAGO HEIGHTS.

On tips furnished by Postmaster
James j. Dougherty and members Of
the Ottawa police department the Jo-
liet authorities this morning nabbed
as suspects man and woman who
halfway across the continent of
broken mail boxes and postal robber.
les. After their arrest. which came al
o'clock in Joliet, enough admissions
Were secured from tch couple to brand
tneln as felons who stand in a fair
way to get a lot OF punishment
Their trail left smashed mail boxes
in ottawa, joliet, Kankakee, st. Joe
and Kansas City, Mo. The arrest a.
Joliet followed second visit to that
city. the thieves having been there
Saturday night before coming to o.
tawa. A description obtained here
was sent to Joliet, and the police
there were on the lookout for the man
snd woman
They gave the names of Ieona Bur
nett, who says she is married, and
George Wilson. They both claim 10
reside in Kansas City having eloped
from that place week ago. Mrs.
Burkett readily confessed to the series
OF mail robberies but Wilson stoutly
maintained his innocence.
Through clews obtained by the local
IA fr ~ ba
o. & p, depot and from there to Jo-
liet All nearby cities were cautioned
to be on the lookout for the robbers,
but it was not until 2 O'Clock this
morning that any trace of them was
had. They were then standing on a
corner in the north end of Joliet read
ing letter A patrOman ran onto
them, and the man spoke to the Off
Ger and passed on down the street
The officer watched them and saw the
man throw something away, which he
took to be cigaret He walked on
down the street and saw that a mail
box had been robbed Returning to
the spot where he noticed the man
carelessy toss something away, he
found it to be a letter.
The central station was notified al
once and a network of cops was
thrown out over the city. At oclock
the couple were arrested in the eX
treme south section of Joliet, and
eight broken mail boxes were added
to the toll of seven which were brok en-
open Saturday night.
Wilson Refuses to Talk.
The couple were lodged in Jail and
given the third degree Wilson re
fused to talk, but Mrs. Burkett told
of the movements of the couple from
the time she deserted her home ir
Kansas City two weeks ago until the
time of their arrest. She admitted IC
the smashing of sixty-three mai
boxes, from which they extractes
checks amounting to many hundred
dollars, but had only received So ir
Il. She auiutteu aetuns more IN.
$500 in checks in Joliet alone, an(
40 getting two ah"cbs ON Tho hovas
in Ottawa, but claims that only one
cmeck OF $oJ was cashed uy them
This was Joliet check. She say;
the Ottawa checks were destroyed.
Admits Western Rcbberes.
The couple went from Kansas Ci.l
70 st. Joe. Mo. where they remained
for two days and broke open fourteel
mail boxes. From there they went Il
Chicago, where they registered at tn
Regis Hotel as Mr.. and Mrs, Wilson
After remaining in Chicago for
short time they went 20 kankakee
where they remained for one wee
while Mrs. Burkett visited her father
who is an inmate at the poor farm
Thursday night in kankakee the
smashed fourteen mail boves. The
went from Kankakee to Chicag
Heights, where Friday night the
broke into eight boxes.
saturday morning they arrived i
Joliet and registered at the Lincol
Hotel They slept all day, and Sa
urday evening went out and brok
into seven mail boxes. After remain
ing in Joliet until Sunday eyenini
they came to Ottawa, arriving her
about O'Clock. They broke into th