The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1920-07-10
FOR A
MYSTERIOUS
SNEAK.THIEF
Prowler Terrorizes Residents
of South Eighth Street.
Apparently Has No Fear Of
Being Captured.
DRAGNET THROWN OUT

Who is the mysterious sneak thief
who has terrorized dwellers on South
Eighth street for the last two days,
and for whom the police threw out a
dragnet Saturday,
Whoever he is, he is bold to the
point Of insanity. He is short and
stocky, about Is or 20 years old, wears
a cap and blue suit. Among other
theories is that he is one of the Is
prisoners who escaped from the Mar
ion county Jail, last Monday.
The homes of Luther Feeger, 36
South Eighth street, and ]. Henry
Bode. 134 South Eighth street, are
among those which have been entered.
Made Second Visit
He made a second visit to the home
Of Feeger, early Saturday morning,
after having secured valuable jewelry
and other property, in a daylight raid
Friday
Early Saturday morning police
"dragnet" was placed about the city
This resulted in one suspect, answer
ing the description of the thief, being
taken into custody. The man said his
name was Ben Lehrer A letter found
on him gave his name as Ben Blair,
and navy tag included among his
possessions bore the name of L. P.
Real.
Round Up !. w. w.
The suspect is member of the l.
w. w, and his membership book gave
his name as Ben Blair. The book list
ed him as a machinist and showed
that his dues in the organization had
been paid to Sept
| He carried a pamphlet OF revolu-
tionary preachings. He has not ad-
mitted that he is responsible for the
South Eighth street robberies.
Mrs. Feeger awOke about daylight
Saturday morning to see a man climb
into the window. She screamed, and
the marauder vanished Subsequent
search showed no trace of him.
! Bode, when he heard the man NOV
ing around the house early Saturday.
after his visit to the Feeger home,
thought the thief was his son. Arthur.
II. returning home. Arthur carries a
morning newspaper.
! But Arthur returned home whistling
few minutes later. The thief left
the back way. Arthur saw him and
ran after him. The man stopped and
pointed gun at the lad
Finds It's Own Gun
| Arthur ran back into the house, to
find it was his own gun the thief had
He also found the dining room ran
sacked, and S12 and other property
| taken.
| "If I had known It was my gun
said Arthur later, I'D have gone after
him. because it was unloaded."
Search Saturday revealed that the
mysterious stranger had slept on the
back porch of the empty second-floor
| flat at So South Eighth street. He
stole some clothing from a neighbor
some time Friday, climbed to the
porch of the flat, and slept comfort
ably on his improvised bed above the
flat which he had robbed earlier In
the day and which he intended to
loot again the same night.
| Chooses JeweIry With Care
The robber was very choice in his
selection of jewelry at the Feegei-
home. He took a diamond ring, a
signet ring, and valuable stickpin,
valued at $500. but passed up other
| jewelry in the same case, valued at
about 5000.
Near a cloth, which the thief had
removed from a line In the premises
south of the robbed apartment and
dropped in the yard at SO South
| Eighth street, silver wrist watch,
with the monogram l. NJ. NJ. or NJ l.
| NJ, was found Saturday.
1t is assumed that the thief drop
ped the watch. part of loot obtained
| elsewhere. or that he was placing his
loot in a strip of cloth torn from the
piece found nearby.
Turns Out Arc Light
During the night he turned out the
light in the rear of the municipal light
plant office, finding a ladder on the
west side of the building and moving
1t to the pole and unscrewing the
light bulb until the light went out.
This light illuminat tes brightly the
rear Of the house which he entered
One suspect. Lehrer, was brought
to BODIES house by a policeman Satur-
day morning, but the boy cleared him.
The mysterious robber is connected
by some persons with numerous small
depredations from backyard and other
petty thefts which have been reported
to police for some time.