East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1921-01-01
LARCENY AND FORGERY
ARE MOST PREVALENT
CAUSES FOR ARRESTS
Hardened Criminals Are Many
in Custody of Sheriff for
Year just Ending, Says Rec
ord Book of Prisoners.

Larceny and its twin brother, rob-
berry. was the most common crime for
which criminal arrests were made by
the sheriff's office of Umatilla county
during the year of 1920. Forty-one
arrests were made in which the prin-
oipals We're charged with one or the
other of these crimes. Forgery and its
allies. obtaining money by false pre-
lenses, short changing and worthless
checks, claimed ls..
There We're 1873 persons booked on
the blotter as arrests during the year,
a number smaller than for the year
1919, but representing, for the most
part, a large number of hardened cri-
minals who were eventually sentenc-
ed to prison or jails terms or fined.
The recapitulation or records for the
year is exclusive of prisoners kept in
the Jail while in transit in care of Of
ficers from other counties.
Several of the cases of larceny and
robbery also carried with them charg-
es Of other crimes. the records show.
Three of the five men in the Til Tay-
lor murder case were originally ar
dested for robbery. Neil Hart, alias
Emmett Bancroft, who hanged for
the shooting of the late sheriff, and
Jim Owens, alias Elvie Kerby under
sentence to hang for participation in
the crime. were partners in n daring
holdup and robbery of some Indian
homes near Cayuse during the Indian
Fourth of July observance. Jack
Rathie, alias John Laffebean. third
member of the jailbreakers sentenced
to hang, robbed local store in May.
Two Were Drug Prevcyors
Two men recently arrested for lar
ceny were also found to have been
engaged in the drug traffic and were
listed as larceny cases. Only one
case of illicit drugs possession was
booked as such by the county Jail.
Thirteen persons who were arrested
for bootlegging or operation of stills,
we're brought to the county Jail dur
ing the year. A large number of 9TH
ers were never booked as prisoners
they gave bond at once upon arrest or
had their trial on the day of the ar
rest and paid their fine.
Three forgers were among the six
who left the county Jail on July Is
in the Jail break and murder of the
sheriff. Irwin L. Stoop and Floyd
Henderson, now serving life terms,
were originally picked up for passing
worthless checks at Umatilla. AL
bin Lindgen is in prison for four years
for forgery.
Sixteen arrests were recorded here
of men wanted in other parts of the
state and nation for crimes. Includ-
ed in this list were cases of bigamy,
grand larceny, auto theft and white
slavery. About an equal number of
prisoners wanted here were arrested
elsewhere for local officials.
Auto theft during the past year ran
in punches, the nine arrests for this
crime taking place within a short per-
iod. Virtually eveA- car theft from
this section was checked up and sew
eral were held for other localities.
Many Cases Are Listed
The other classifications for which
arrests of persons were made by To-
cal officials included: assault and
battery, 1; alleged syndicalism, /:
miscellaneous. S. insane, Z; beat
ing board bills. 1: parole violaters.
4; white slavery. 3; short change, /;
nor-suport, 2; drunk, l.
During the past year there was one
st nreaz, that of July 25. in which |
Neil Hart shot and fatally wounded |
Sheriff Tilman d. Taylor, for IS years
sheriff of this county. Six men es-
capped at that time, only one. Albin
escaping trial on the charge !
Of murder. The other five, Hart, /
Owens. Ratfie, Stoop and Henderson.
were all convicted of first degree
Hart hanged on November |
). Owens and Rathie were to be
executed December 8, but sentence
vas stayed pending their appeal. The
other two are serving life terms.
Since July 26, W. r. "Jinks" Tay-
or, brother of the receased sheriff,
'as been in the office. and has made
a record for efficiency equaling II
many respects that of his late bro