The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1920-11-17
ALLEGED GRAIN
THIEF CAPTURED
At ELKHART, IND.
GAVE OFFICERS AN EXCITING
CHASE IN EFFORT TO KEEP
AWAY FROM JUSTICE
(From Saturdays Ionia
Sentinel -Standard)


escaped from officers when they
went to arrest him at his home in
Orange. is in the Ionia Jail. He was
brought here at noon today by Mar
shall Alexander, who got Gibson at
Elkhart, Ind, after an exciting two
days chase which had all the excite
ment of "a regular movie thriller.
Gibson was brought home in irons
after having made another sensa-
tional attempt to escape at Elllhart.
Pursued through the house and
out the rear door, before two aston
ished old ladies with whom he was
boarding at Elkhart, hatless and
coatless, Gibson staged one of the
nerviest attempts to escape that
Elkhart has seen. The spectacular
end of the chase came when Alexan-
der and plain clothes man from
the Elkhart police force drove up to
the house on Morton avenue. Elkhart
just as Gibson was finishing dinner.
The officers saw him through the
window and the Elkhart officer
agreeing with Alexander that Glib
son would make break for liberty
the moment he saw the Ionia officer,
went to the door alone. Rapping, he
inquired of the lady who came to
the door whether "Mr. Ray" was
there. Ray was the name under
which Gibson was going at Elkhart.
The landlady replied that he was and
invited the officer in. At the same
time Gibson rose from the table in
the dining room and informed the
other lady that he was Ngoing 10
take a smoke and walked into the
kitchen. There he made a dash out
the back door with the plain clothes
man in pursuit and the two Lar
dies looking in open mouthed wonder
at the sudden departure of their
boarder and his visitor.
Gibson ran through an alley at the
rear of the next street and there
stopped a passing auto. To the
driver he said that friend had been
suddenly taken i'll few blocks away
and telephoned for him and to get
him there as quick as he could. The
auto driver turned and started at
rapid speed for the house of the
friend. The Elkhart officer stop
ped Ford that was also passing
jumped in and kept up the pursuit.
Gibson who saw that the Ford was
gaining, jumped from his car after
three blocks and started through an
alley. The pursuing officer left his
car, ran around the block and met
Gibson on the other side. Gibson
turned and retraced. his steps up the
alley, but was caught about half way
feiled by a blow and handcuffed. He
was then taken back to the ear where
Alexander was waiting, taken to po-
lice Headquarters and from there
brought here. .ss
In addition 40 the EXCITING. chase
at Eikhart, other special features Of
the up-to-date movie scenario were
introduced by the Ionia officer dur
ing his trip, Ray Gibson was located
through information secured by the
dressed to w. j. Allen, at South
der went to South Bend Thursday
noon. where he learned that there
was letter addressed to w. j. Allen
at the post office there and made ar
rangements with the clerk to give
him a sign when the letter was called
for. Then the Ionia officer settled
down for a wait at the post office.
After about two hours. blind which
was over the letter window was pull
ed down, according to prearranged
signal with the clerk, and Alexander
saw an elderly man whom he did not
know walk away. He followed hin.
from the post office and outside
stepped up to him and told him to
come TO police headquarters.
Are you an officer" the stranger
asked
What do you want" was the next
question and Alexander replied that
he knew what was wanted.
What has the boy been doing
now the man asked, according to
Alexander, who then asked the
stranger who he was.
"My name is Gibson" he replied.
"Then you are the father of the
man I'm looking for said Alexan-
der.
The officer then learned the ad-
dress of Gibson at Elkhart, took
the first car for that city, Ia miles
away and the details of capture
there have already been related.
A search by members of the South
Bend police of the oder Gibson's
home there where it was learned
that Gibson had spent Tuesday night
there, the finding of the Ford car
stolen from Glenn Palmer of this
city, and abandoned at the docks at
st. Joseph, were other features of
the officers jaunt. 1t is also believ-
ed that Gibson after he had driven
the Palmer car to the docks at st.
Joseph, to give the impression that
he had taken the boat for Chicago.
then stole a car belonging to the
chief of police at st. Joseph and re-
turned to South Bend where he had
gone directly from Ionia. returning
to st. Joseph later.
Marshal Alexander is naturally
much elated at his success in tracing
and landing, Gibson, whose getaway
Monday night when the officers met
him as he came home from Ionia to
the farm in Orange, appeared to be
complete success. The officers
work in locating Gibson and in trac-
ing him was highly commendable
and Gibson's two attempts at escape
mar him a resourceful fellow, with
plenty of nerve and ability.