The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-09-16
CAPTURES boy
WHO TOOK AUTO
Smith Hamill and Max Evans Chase
Sterling Hill a Block Through
Alley After He Abandons
Car.
TWO LADS ARE ARRESTED
w. c. Fletcher, Jr., Is Implicated by
Hill and in Turn Gives Chief
Hennemann Some Infor-
nation.

A sixty-five-mile joy ride in
Borrowed" automobile ended in a
chase up an alley and the capture OF
one of the two boys concerned, and
the arrest of the second one followed
this morning. Information said to
have been given the police by one
of the two boys arrested may lead to
the breaking up of the practice OF
borrowing" cars without tho own
er's consent, it was stated at the
police station this afternoon.
Sterling Hill, Al Morgan street,
and w c. Fletcher, Jr., LOS Bank,
both high school lads, and the latter
cashier at the Y. M. G. A., were
arraigned in the superior court this
morning on charge Of staking an
automobile without consent of the
owner, Smith Hamill. They were re-
leased on bonds of $500 when they
waived arraignment.
Hill and Fletcher, it is believed,
have done nothing more than posi-
bly, score or more of other boys
and men in Keokuk are doing, but
they were the unlucky ones and
were caught 1t is the first offense
of both of the boys, and their fami-
lies and friends are interceding for
them.
Took HamiII's Car.
The automobile, which was taken
last night, belonged to Smith Hamlll
and was taken from in front Of the
Elks club. When Mr.. Hami1 missed
his car. he started out Immediately
in search of it., suspecting JOY riders
of taking it. The police telephoned
to Carthage on bunch" that the
driver was headed in that direction.
An hour or more after he found
his car was gone, Mr.. Hamill and
Max Evans, who was with him,
picked up the trail of the borrowed
car. They followed it through a
devious pathway to the S. Hamill
Grocery company's warehouse, where
it was parked, and the driver jumped
out and started up the alley, with
Mr.. Hanill after him. After chase
of a block the driver was captured
and taken to the police station.
It was found that he was Sterling
Hill, and he admitted taking the car
and made a statement for the chief
He said they took the car, drove
through the alley between Blondeau
and Concert and down Seventh to
! the Des Monies river bridge and
| turned back because the roads were
muddy. They picked up a couple OF
girls, whose identity they are con-
cealing, and drove to Carthage and
back. On the return trip the girls
and Fletcher were let out of the car
at Second and Bank streets and Hill
drove it up to Hamill's, where he
abandoned it and was caught
Crawford Tells Chief
After getting Hills confession no
was confined in the juvenile Jail for
the night and Fletcher was sum-
moned this morning. He is said by
the police to have confessed the
same as Hill and to have added some
things. He drove this car part of
the way, and when faced by the
police with the information that he
was the one who had taken DR..
Courtright's car recently, admitted
that he was, and said Hill was with
him. 1t was his bicycle, which they
tried to put into the back seat OF
the auto, that scratched it, he said.
According to Chief Henneman,
Fletcher gave him the information
that if he would see the superintend
ent of a certain Sunday school he
could get the names Of several others
who he claimed were implicated in
recent car borrowings" The chief
said he intended to act on the infor-
nation given him The boy told him,
he said, that this man had only re
Gently had several of these alleged
offenders on the carpet and warned