New Ulm review., 1921-06-08
THEFT SUSPECT
ENROUTE HERE
DEPUTY SHERIFF H. JAHNKE
is BRINGING EDWARD -
-. JOHNSON BACK.
INDICTED FOR STEALING sc
BUSHELS FLAX FROM
j. SCHNOBRICH.

Edward Johnson, a stranger, who
was indicted by the grand jury OF the
Brown county district court during
thelDecember, 1919, term on a charge
of having stolen 80 bushels of flax
from the Joseph Schnobrich farm in
Cottonwood township early in October
of that year, is on his way from Lin
coin, Nebr., to New Ulm in custody
of Deputy Sheriff Herman Jahnke,
who departed for the former city,
Saturday night. The officer and his
prisoner are expected here tonight.
In State Penitentiary.
y Last week the sheriff's office here
was notified that Johnson would be
released from the state penitentiary
at Lincoln, June Z, yesterday, after
having served little over year for
the theft of an automobile in that
city. Johnson was arrested there in
February, 1920, and in the following
month the local authorities received
official notice of his sentence to penal
servitude for that crime.
Bench Warrant Issued.
Following Johnson's Indictment by
the Brown county grand jury, the then
Judge Frank Clague issued bench
warrant for his arrest. The sheriff's
office Immediately entered upon still
hunt for the suspected grain thief,
which resulted in the notice from the
authorities at Lincoln, Nebr., to the
effect that Johnson had been sentenced
there for auto theft.
History of the Case.
The flax theft case created consider
able excitement at the time, due to a
number of unusual features connected
Herewith. Mr.. Schnobrich, upon
arising at o'clock of the morning of
October a, 919. which happened to be
Saturday, was surprised to see a
top buggy standing on the road near
his premises. Thinking that some
thing had happened to traveller dur
ing the preceding night, he walked out
to the road and near enough to the
buggy to recognize it as his own.
Although not being able to fathom the
mystery enshrouding the matter, Mr..
Schnobrich returned to the house and
ate his breakfast, Whereupon he went
about doing the chores.
Flax Was Missing.
When he got to the granary, Mr.
Schnobrich noticed that six sacks OF
fax, which had been threshed but a
week or two previously, were con-
spicuous by their absence. The sacks
containing this grain were brand new
and had their owners name upon them
1t had been planned to haul the f1a1
to market as soon as convenient.
Immediately upon noticing that thu
flax was missing, it dawned upon Mr.
Schnobrich that he had been victimizet
by clever thieves who visited hi
granary sometime during the preceding
night. Following buggy tracks lead
ing from the granary out to the road
he preceived the impressions Of auto
mobile tires made in the highway as
result of rain which had fallen shortl,
after o'clock the night before
Further investigation divulged that tn
thieves for there were at least two 9
them according to easily discernibl
footprints of the twoImen who ha
pulled the buggy from the granary t
the road) had evidently driven mort
toward New Ulm in the car afte
having secured the stolen grain.
Granary Not Locked.
The fact that the granary was nc
locked, made it easy for the thieve
to enter the structure and remove the
booty. A half sack of rye, which ha
been placed on one of the flax sack
was thrown to one side and left b.
hind by the culprits, who evidentl
thought the rye Of not sufficient valr
to bother with.
Members of the Schnobrich fami]
had heard the dog bark, but paid lit
attention to this warning, as they b
lieved that the son was returning hon
and that the dog was sounding
greeting of welcome to him. M
Schnobrich's daughter had just bee
married few days before the the
and the young people were bus
movinu to their new home in Lafayet
township. When they returned to Il
Schnobrich farm the previous night, tt
dog had made quite commotion,
nothing was thought of the anima
barking while the grain thieves we
at work.
johnson at Sleepy Eye. .
Mr.. Schnobrich Immediately mo-
fed the sherif's Office here and
search for the missing flax, as we'll