Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-08-16
SECRET SERVICE AGENTS OF
RAILROADS GET BUSY AT
COUNCIL BLUFFS.
WHOLESALE THEFTS
DURING EIGHT MONTHS
Organized Gang Believed to Be OPP
Grating, With Some of Employees
Believed to Be Implicated-Great
Western Heaviest Loser Worst
City for Railroad Thefts.

Council Bluffs. Aug. 1s.-The secret
service departments Of practically
every railroad in the Council Bluffs
terminal are working with local
police in an attempt, begun two
| weeks ago. to run down the persons
responsible for the loss in box car
| thefts in Council Bluffs during the
| last eight months Of between 100000
and 100000 worth of goods.
During the past fortnight agents or
| the roads. have been in daily con-
| ference with local authorities. Among
the officials taking most active part
are Charles Rossman Of the Great
| Western. with headquarters In Fort
| Dodge: Z. p. Elliott Of the Mil
waukee. stationed in Chicago; L.
| Ward Of the Wabash, working out OF
st. Louis, and who was In the gov
eminent secret service for fifteen
years, and c. King, also of the Mil
waukee road. These men are on the
Job now, while other roads have been
| represented by agents who make
| trips here at intervals Of several
| days.
Officials Demanded Action.
The general attempt to run down
the guilty parties here was started
by the demand of officials Of the rail-
| roads that their agents do something
| to check the wholesale thefts. Figures
show that OF the nearly half million
| dollars Of losses sustained In the
Council Bluffs terminal less than $S,-
900 worth has been recovered and
this entirely thru local police.
1t is said that the railroad officials,
| alarmed by the reports from the
claims departments Of losses here,
demanded that the secret service de-
partments, do something to check the
thefts.
The only arrests made so far In
the attempt to round up the thieves
have been those of L. A. Bigley and
Charles Colbert. two weeks ago, and
OF James Moore, Walter Deeds and
John White. few days later.
The chiefs are working on the
theory that employees for the most
part are responsible for the losses,
rather than big gang. altho they do
believe that number of small gangs
are operating here. and possibly dis
posing of their goods in Omaha. They
do not believe that Bigley, Colbert
I, and the three boys belong to an as
ISOLATION which has stolen all the
goods.
Grea. Western Losses $3.50, 600.
The Great Western has suffered
| the greatest loss, It's thefts for the
eight months >totalling between $780,
600 and 100000. The greatest item In
this total was half carload Of silk.
| According to Charles Rossman. head
| of the secret service department. OF
the road. with headquarters in Fort
! Dodge, Council Bluffs is the worst
| place the road has for thefts. During
the time mentioned half million
dollars worth Of stuff has been stolen
from the Great Western in Council
Bluffs, Omaha and Fort Dodge, and
/ the most Of this loss was suffered in
this city. Mr.. Rossman has been on
| the job here practically all the time,
during the past few weeks.
The items included in the Great
| Westerns losses are bolt silk, tires.
alcohol, shoes, clothing and small
| merchandise.
The Northwestern railroad Is the
next heaviest sufferer, with total Of
$4,000. Included in its list Of shorts"
are wine, tires, shoes, silk goods and
small merchandise.
The Union Pacific with its heavy
fruit shipments is third on the list,
with $4,000 worth OF goods to its
| debit. In addition to the fruit this
road has lost In and around the trans
fer, coal, lumber, shoes and clothing.