The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1920-05-27
USE HAND CAR
TO CHASE THIEF
Undersheriff Ritter and
Deputy Otto Have Lots
Of Fun.
SHOTS STOPS FLIGHT
;.
of Fun.

William Johnson, aged seventeen
and said to live at Springfield, Ill, had
run for his money when he decided
to turn thief in Kenosha county on
Friday and he is now in the county
jail awaiting a hearing on charges of
stealing coat from caboose. on the
North Western tracks at Balm station.
The charges against Johnson are not
very serious ones, but his capture
brought one of the most determined
! chases ever made after a criminal in
Kenosha county. There was life in it
and featured in the chase were boom
| ing reyolvers and a hard working
hand car which broke speed limits
for the railway company.
It was just before noon on Friday
that the sheriff's Office was notified
that the caboose at the station had
been burglarized and the coat taken
and Undersherif Ritter and Deputy
Nick Otto went out to investigate.
Take Hand Car for Pursuit.
They motored out to Balm and when
they got there they found some ex-
cited railway men. The men declared
that Johnson, who was just a traveller
had entered the caboose and had man
aged to get away. The last seen of
him he was Looping off down the rail-
way tracks at rate which would put
to shame a derby winner. Johnson
was not in sight and Ritter promptly
decided that the only way to get after
him along the tracks was to take a
hand car. Ritter and Otto mounted
the hand car and started south. They
made the old car spin and they went
along for nearly two miles before they
got any trace of the fellow. When
| they were long distance away from
the station and their motor car they
saw man hiding along the track some
distance ahead of them. Evidently
the man was also looking for some
one to follow him and he promptly
deserted his hiding place and started
I to go across the fields.
Abandon Hand Car for Foot.
The officers were in considerable
of predicament. They had hand
car on the tracks with no place to put
| it and fleeing prisoner putting more
distance between himself and capture
all the time. Ritter was delegated to
drive the hand-car back to the station
while Otto, throwing off his coat,
started across the fields after John
son. Ritter hurried back to the sta
tion making the two miles by hand
| in something like two and a half
minutes. Then he got his automobile
and drove round by way of the Mil
waukee road hoping to head Johnson
off. Johnson had evidently had some
Experience in lodging deputies and he
got into an open pasture lot and was
making his getaway. He was a
sprinter and Otto saw pretty early in
| the chase that he was going to have
trouble catching him. About the time
Ritter came in sight over on the Mil
waukee road, Otto had decided that
possibly few bullets from his revol-
yer could travel faster than he was
going and he started firing. Ritter
got the order to fire from the first
shot and the two deputies began emp
tying their guns. 1t was admitted
| that they did not shoot to hit johnson,
but johnson didn't know this and he
scented danger. Otto had fred eight
shots before johnson dropped. He
was not hit but he was scared and the
officers found him hiding in some long
grass. johnson had his hands up when
the officers came and he made no OBJ
lection to walking over to the road and
taking the autol-obile to Kenosha.
Johnson was booked at the jail on a
larceny charge. He said that he was
Just walking down the railway tracks.
The coat was recovered by the officers
and has been returned to the railway
conductor.