El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-03-13
F0II.MAN KILLS SELF
CLOTHING THEFT WHILE ON TRAIN

Within thirty minutes after two
thieves had entered the O'Neal cloth
ing store on Texas street, Friday
night. city detectives had arrested
Martin Rath and Marty Collins, two
young men, and recovered more than
$500 worth OF silk shirts and suit
cases valued at $500 There were
199 silk shirts, packed in five suit
cases, detectives say
The burglary was discovered when
detective Ed Smith saw two men
near the store. one carrying three
suitcases and the other two. As the
detective approached the men sepa-
rated, ono going down Mesa avenue
to san Antonio street and the other
continuing west on Texas street to
Oregon street Smith said the latter
was carrying three Of the suitcases
and the detective gave chase He
arrested the man and took him to
police headquarters, where us shirts
were found in the three suitcases.
Moved From Hotel.
From the first man arrested, de-
tectives say they learned that the
pair had been rooming at the ST. Clair
hotel on south FL Pas0 street They
went there and found that a man
answering the description Of the sec
ond man they were seeking, had LEFT
the place, after removing his name
from the register Detectives Smith
search OF various hotels and rooming
houses The goth place searched was
the Fisher hotel san Antonio and
FL PasO streets, and there the Of
ficers say they learned that Collins
was registered. having come into the
place a few minutes before. Wilson
and Smith say they went to the door
OF Collins room and knocked, but
could get now answer A ladder was
procured and looking through the
rransOm the officers saw Collins ly-
Ing on the bed Smith called 10 the
man, who appeared TO be asleep IN
able TO waken him, Wilson crawied
through the transom OF the room,
while Smith covered" the sleeping
man with his revolver to prevent an
through the transom- In this room,
the detectives say, they found two
more suitcases and 81 shirts Some
OF the shirts they cay bore the name
Of Ballard and Armstrong" a firm
which recently consolidated with
O'Nears.
Broke sIyyIIght IN Reef.
Following the arrest OF Rath and
Collins. who were booked on a charge
OF burglary, the detectives iuvesti-
gated the store burglary. They found
that entrance had been gained by
breaking in q sizylght fl the roof
Of the building. Apparently the
thieves had lowered Themselves into
the store by a rope Only the most
expensive silk shirts were taken. A
large number OF cheaper shirts were
strewn about In the aisles Of the
store Owing to the fact that the
floor had been recently oiled and that
the burglars walked about on these
shirts, IL is believed that the loss
from them viii run into a large
figure.
Saturday representative OF the
firm Identified the shirts as
their property and also the suitcases-
Detectives are inclined to believe
the 40 men arrested are connected
with an accomplice IN san Francisco,
through whom they expected 70 dis
pose OF the shirts they are alleged to
have stolen The men are said 20
be unusually well versed in SLANG
expressions Of the underworld Col
Inns when arrested asked. WHAT'S
the rap" He explained that he was
seeking TO ascertain TO the best OF
his ability the wording OF a charge
which probably would be placed
against one so rudely dragged from
his slumbers. He was told that a
charge Of burglary would be placed
against him.
what's the penalty IN this state
Tor that he asked
When tolc that il was from two to
i've years. he IS said to have re-
marked; oh, two years isn't bad"