The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-04-04
P. T. Helm, Night r.. /. Baggage
Man, Is Missing.
Walter Curtis duplicates Him
in Jewelry Robbery.
MAN CONFESSES TO OFFICERS
Total Value of Jewels Esti-
mated at About $51 200.
Curtis Held in Jail In Default
of $4,000 Bond.

p T. Helm. for several years night
| baggage man at the Rock Island de-
| pot in Topeka. was missing today fol-
| lowing his implication by Walter Cur
! tbs, 404 Buchanan street. in the theft
| of two trunks full of sample jewelry
| belonging to the c. A. Kiger company.
Kansas City, from the depot the night
| of March Is.
| After his arrest, Curtis Saturday
night confessed that he had taken the
trunks and told officers that Helm had
/ had part in the theft.
Curtis Arrested Saturday.
! Curtis, a switchboard man for the
Southwestern Bell Telephone COM
pany, was arrested Saturday night by
Sheriff Robert Miller and Deputy Rob-
ert Pendleton. After several hours of
grilling by Tinkham Veale, county at
torney, two Pinkerton detectives and
Miller, he confessed that he had hauled
the two jewelry trunks in a rented
Ford car from the depot to a point
four miles southwest of town, where
he sorted out the most valuable jew
elry. The trunks and part of their
contents were recovered by officers
next morning. Curtis said he then
hired another car and took the jew
elry to Manhattan. where he checked
it back to Topeka, intending to leave
lit at the depot until the excitement
of the robbery had died down.
Helm is said to have feigned sleep
while Curtis took the jewelry trunks
from the baggage room about 10
o'clock at night. The stolen loot.
, ! checked from Manhattan, was found
in the Rock Island baggage room fol-
lowing Curtis's confession. Helm has
, disappeared. He lived at 303 Harrison
street. Curtis told officers that the
baggage man had gone to Mexico.
I'll Scratch on Ford Is Clue.
3 A scratch on the upholstering of
Ford car seat resulted in the uncover
: ing of the jewelry theft mystery
Sheriff Miller had been searching ever
5 since the robbery for set of tires
2 similar to those the imprints of which
5 were seen near where the jeweIry was
e found the morning of March 10. Co.
: ing into the Rent-A-Ford company
fshop in HIS search. Miller noticed the
I | scratch on the Aupholstering which
Il | looked as if trunk had repose in the
o seat. He found out who had rented
the Ford that day and the arrest of
! Curtis followed.
Curtis was a night switchboard man
for the Southwestern Bell Telephone
company. He told officers that the
e incentive for the robbery was the
problem of supporting an invalid faith
er, a dependent mother and a bride of
two months. On his salary of $95 a.
: month, he declared, it had been i'm
y possible for him to make both ends
o meet.
:; Located Trunks at Depot.
Curtis told officers he had been
lettering around the depot. saw the
! two jewelry trunks and recognized
% that they contained valuable merchan-
disc. He said he rented a Ford car.
/ drove to the depot about 10 O'Clock at
night and carried the two trunks from
c the baggage room while a baggage
. employe was asleep on a cot. He took
:. the trunks to a point about four miles
u southwest of town, where he sorted out
. the most valuable articles, he said. and
= placed them in a suit case, then re-
II turned the car. He said he then took
= the suit case to Manhattan, where he
. placed its contents in a trunk and
4, checked them back to Topeka over the
- Rock Island, where they were found
- Saturday night by the officers. Curtis
said he intended to leave the jewels at
1.-THE depot until the excitement of the
Irobbery had blown over.
Ten unmounted diamonds six belt
buckles and eighteen watch cases
D were still missing after the trunk Cur
tbs had checked from Manhattan was
- recovered at the Rock Island depot.
. according to Herbert II. Kiger, sec
. retary of the jewelry firm Curtis
= said he tossed the watch cases into
= the river when he discovered they
- contained no works. but denied any
= knowledge of the diamonds and belt
! buckles. Ihe goods Whlch were miss
!, ed after officers recovered the trunks
a shortly after the robbery, and which
- were recovered at the Rock Island
Saturday night, totaled about S51, 900
:, in value.
le May Be Sentenced Soon.
= Curtis waived his preliminssy hear
l. ing Saturday night and is being held
in the Shawnee county Jail in default
ID of $4,000 bond. 1t is probable that
ID he will be sentenced within a few
D days, officers intimated.
ID He had been in the employ of this
iy Bell company about two years Hi:
D. superiors never suspected anything
wrong and did not know of his com
plicity in the robbery until notified oi
his arrest. Curtis was married las
January but had not yet started VI
housekeeping, his wife remaining Ii
=. Manhattan
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