The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1921-07-21


makeup harmonic with the rich up
holstering of a Packard motor car,
Harold Foster and George Bell, alleged
auto bandits from Chicago, came to
the end of perfect day, the morning
after, just before dawn Sunday. The
finale was swift enough to thrill the
most jaded loop-hound. 1t involved a
running gun battle with Kenosha Off
GERS, an early morning plunge in Pike
creek, a last stand in the bushes, sur
render, and then--one of life's little
contrasts-a quiet Sunday in Jail.
The background for this lively little
party was graveyard, St. Georges.
The chief partlc pants outside of the
bandits were Police Officers Pitsch
Britton, Greb, Bauschelt and O'Hare
The casus belli was the aforementioned
Packard motor car, 1921 model, hitting
on all twelve and bearing an Illinois
license tag.
Officer Pitsch Started Things.
The affair began when Patrolman
John Pitsch on beat 81 noticed a Pack
ard motor car coming toward him on
Milwaukee avenue at the rather un,
popular hour of 4:10 a. m. He noticed,
too, that the occupants of the car wore
soiled caps, cotton shirts and Impressed
trousers. This excited his suspicion;
so he ordered the car to stop and fired
two shots into the air when it didn't.
Subsequently he rang in at the station
and reported the incident.
Officer Kirsch at the desk sent Off
GERS Britton, Greb, Bauschelt and o.
Hare in pursuit via the patrol wagon,
They hurried out the Lake Shore road
and found the car in the ditch in front
of the St. George cemetery. It's .occu'
pants, evidently frightened by Patrol
man Pitsch's shots in the air, had
abandoned it and were moving on foot
across the sand dunes.
Policemen Open Fire.
The officers followed, tracking the
men across the beach. Almost to Pike
creek they overlook the fugitives. They
began to fire; mad the bandit, who la
ter was identified as Foster, plunged
into the creek. He came up sputter-
ing and ready to surrender His COM
panion took to the bushes but gave
up as soon as he found himself sur
rounded by the patrolmen. Both men
the one dripping and detected, the
other sullen and defant-were brought
back to Kenosha and thrown into jail
pending the action of federal officials
in Chicago now prosecuting cases of
interstate auto stealing.
Foster an Old Offender.
At police headquarters the wet pris-
oner at first gave his name as flames
Murphy" but later when Secretary
Meissner was taking his finger prints
and measurements and looking him
over suspiciously, Murphy" interrupt
ed just long enough to say:
"You needn't send those to Chi;
you'll find out sooner or later, so 1
might as we'll tell you now that I'm
Harold Foster and that I've served
year down there for burglary"
Communication with Chicago proved
what the man had said and brought
the added information that he was be-
lieved to have been wounded in the
jaw by policeman there who sur
prised him on his second "job" in the
house-breaking game. Further exam
ination revealed the scar of such
wound on the prisoners jaw and
wrung from him the admission that he
had made the second little venture in
crime reported by the Chicago officers.
The other man, Bell, is also thought
to be an old offender, for he was over
heard telling his pal that he hoped
"they wouldn't fnd out that he was
Kelly"
Nothing to Say.
Although about to be charged with
grand larceny and turned over to fed
eral officials, both Bell and Foster re-
fuse to deny or to affirm their guilt
They seem to be coolly waiting devel-
opments, as if they believed the evil
dence was not enough to convict them;