The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-09-14
ROUNDS UP GANG
Police Catch PickpOcket Ex-
perts Here for Fair.
Pay Back Money Stolen and
Then Leave Town.

linen Leave Town.
The police force, working with De-
tective Jack Glynn, of Leavenworth,
rounded up Tuesday afternoon and
evening what Glynn declared was the
biggest gang of notorious pickpocket
artists and "con" men he has seen to-
gether in one bunch during his twenty
years of experience in running down
crooks of that kind.
Nine men in all were arrested and
Glynn says that every one of them
was a professional and known from
coast to coast. Five of them were
discovered by the police in a room
in a local hotel Tuesday afternoon.
and the other four were picked UP
on the streets during the evening.
We're Escorted Out OF Town.
After being taken to police head
quarters the gang was given the
choice of putting up the amount OF
money obtained by pickpockets here
during the past two days or facing
charges. They decided it would be
cheaper to square the bill. amounting
to $3.50, after which they were es-
| corted to a train where they bid the
city goodbye.
The five arrested at the hotel were
Bob" Roberts, alias H Reale and
known in every big city of the country
1S the 6OElIld JOnn dawson, who
has two alias names, Edwards and
Chambers; John Ballard, alias Robert
Collins, of Chicago; ]. X Britt known
around Detroit and Ohio cities as
White Nelson; and Eddie Gilbert,
alias Tom Morris. "Pussyfoot" Faber,
Charles Hays, alias F. H. DAILY, were
picked up in the evening while ming
ling with a crowd that was boarding
the street cars at the fair grounds;
and George Wilson, known as the st
Paul Kid" and Frew Houston, of Salt
Lake, whose right name is said to be
Davis, were arrested later on Kansas
avenue between Seventh street and
Eighth avenue. Wilson and Davis
were first discovered standing in front
of the Harris-Goar store but upon
seeing Glynn and a patrolman coming
toward them, attempted to run up the
stairway to the Commercial hotel.
Planned to Operate Here.
The five men found at the hotel
frankly admitted that they had
planned to operate among the crowds
coming to the city today and Thurs
day to attend the fair, it is said, and
blamed the other four for starting to
work too soon and spelling their
plans They said the crowds Monday
and Tuesday were too small and said
the other four had no business to get
operations cause the police to get on
their trail before they had a chance
to clean up on the banner days at the
fair.
While there was no way of identify
ing them, the police believe that it
was members of the gang who picked
A L. Cook, an Ottawa contractor of
a pocketbook containing some checks,
one of them for $1,000. and two $50
bills, Monday forenoon. They also
blamed them for the loss of some
money from the pocket of J. K. Eshe,
S36 Poplar street, which occurred
near the Union Pacific depot Monday
afternoon; and held them to account
for other thefts which have taken
police placed the total amount at $3.50
which the gang had little difficulty in
putting up, as they were able to dis
play about $4,000 between them.
Have Fund of $4,000.
Detective Glynn, who was sum
moned here Tuesday morning, says the
gang is operating out of Kansas City.
where the members have fund of
$1,000 to be used in assisting any of
their number getting into trouble. He
says every man arrested in the gang
here has his mug in all of the larger
police. stations and detective agencies
of the country. and that fright now
they are making a round of the state
fairs. Glynn came here from the Iowa
state fair at Des Moines and will go
from here to the Hutchinson fair and
then to the Oklahoma fair at Okla
homa City.
Bob" Roberts, known as the
Gorilla" was the leader of the gang
that planned to operate at the fair
here, the police believe. He is 63
years old and is known the entire
country over as notorious crook, the
police say. While at the police station
here he told an audience of policemen
many stories of his experiences as a
ICON" man. Both he and Dawson,
who is 20 years old, admitted they
have been in the game for forty years.
They were well dressed and looked
the part of refined gentlemen. Roberts
told the police that his wife had been
trying to get him to quit the business,
and said he guessed it was about time.
as he had managed to lay away $780,
900 as the fruit of his lifetime opera
tions getting other peoples money.
The Gorilla" laughingly stated that
he has been I'm Topeka many times
during the past twenty years.