The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-01-24
TRUNK STEALING
DOWN TO SCIENCE
Made a Business of Di-
verting Baggage to
False Address
PLANS METHODICAL
Suspect Arrested at Bristow
Gives Explanation of
Modus Operandi

,ossisl 10 The World
REISTOW. Jan.Sc.--Fscing a
.1argo az grand larcenyl INVOLVING Tho
wholesale theft OF trunks in transit
and their valuable contents. two cX-
.,n,lcis. l. II. Clark and Curtis
smith. both of whom have. accord
.pg to confession served double
,srms in the state penitentlary at
South McAlester, and who were ar
Gated here by local officers Wednes-
Jay uight and turned over To special
ageus of the Frisco railroad and
wH taken to oklahoma City to face
mlth. according TO Justice OF the
Peace Herman. who was assisted in
line arrests by W. W. Freshour. chief
NJ police, and Constable Charles Pey-
ION confessed to the theft OF twelve
large trunks and contents. all of
which were routed out of Oklahoma
Dity. and which are now stored IN
the terminal baggage room sat Kan
az CITY. Mo. The defendant told the
officers that the most valuable of
ne trunks would probably be worth
81 300 The others range In value
rom $500 to $500.
speaking for both himself and his
pal clark. Smith gave the officers
d detailed account Of their opera
IONS. unique in tho criminal realm.
and also put the officers on the track
n a third accompllce whose arrest H.
expected as soon as the third party
an be located. This acComplice is
aid 60 IN a distant city at the pres-
mt time.
The arrest Of Clark and Smith was
% blece Of fortuitous good luck. JUS
n. nd an .Th ha .ffi-
o. 4s were walking on the main street
nere Wednesday night when they
detected two well dressed young men
offering IN front Of store. The &C
Ions ~ tho men were furtiyc, ana
he officers felt justified in ques-
oning them. The men failed to give
a. satisfactory account themselves
md were apparently under the in
,luenco Of dope. Both were well sup
Piled with money.
When the men were taken to the
police station and searched they
were found 10 be IN possession of
dope and a complete layout of special
rallruad ink and stencils such as are
used IN marking baggage for trans
pOrtation. Caught with this damning
evidence in their poss, ssion. the men
al once confessed and told "A story
q the wholesale theft of valuable
irunk baggage that caused tho off
era 30 open their eyes In wonder.
Smith admitted that he and his
companion under arrest and the
other now being sought had been
lrunk thieves for some time, and
hat tho proceeds had netted them
many thousand dollars. They held
The checks TO the twelve trunks now
stored In Kansas city, but whose
owners have not been Unidentified.
According to the confession the
alleged thieves made IL study of the
baggage markings used by tho rail-
roads and the stencil and marking
system employed. Then secured the
two special colors used in marking
baggage going east west, north and
south. Thus equipped, they would
usually station themselves at some
central point OF deportation, and
watch closely the incoming and out
soing baggage, Only the heaviest and
he most costly trunks were picked
out, and these were kept under OBJ
servatiOn until checked by the sta
ton attaches.
Watching their chances and read
lng the checks, the thieves would
men write or stamp duplicates OF the
official checks on the baggage and
N'"hu lIdlHltI ul llt tags 20 ANY
point where they wished the trunks
10 go. They took the very safe
chance that the trainmen would
never notice the fraudulent transfer
OF the cheks, A soon az "A trunk
would reach its false destination. one
~ the alleged thieves would put In an
appearance, present duplicate
sneck In the regular way and claim
he property.
Smith told Justice Herman OF q
recent example of the theft OF a val
liable commercial trunk in Oklahoma
nty He had registered at the Lee
Hucklns hotel and spotted" com
mercial traveller opening large
runk In the sample room. lie, noted
.nat the trunk contained rich coats
and fur goods. and marked II as his
GOT e kept trace of the trunk until
y was taken to the stntion and
.hecked, and then made the trans
ler OF the fraudulent markers. He
routed the trunk To Kansas City
-, nome Grown Flowers-Tulsa
Flower Ehnn q xIn.t 1sl,ITI cd.