South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-04-14
ELKHART OFFICERS
SURROUND HOUSE
AND NAB QUINTET
Men, Taken by Surprise,
Heavily Armed - Recover
$4,000 Worth of Goods.

/ at 10 o'clock yesterday morning
! after Deputy Sheriff Tom Long and
/ FIVE police officers Of Elthart had
! surrounded the farm house OF Otis
] X. Compton. two miles northeast
/ OF that city. The men taken are be-
/ ieved 20 have been implicated in
the robbery OF the r. r Hamlin and
! Co. general store a. Etra Green on
Monday night
The men arrested are: Georgs
Mccormack and William Schulz.
claiming South BenG as their home.
Otis X Compton. Elkhart; James
Ellison. St. Joserh. Mo. and Charles
Gage. Ligonier Ind
The farm house had been under
surveillance of the Elkhart authori-
ties for several days and upon or
| ders from Chief Nort<rop. whose
suspicious were first aroused By the
presence Of the men. a raid was
planned for yesterday morning.
The men We're found sleeping
with guns az their sides but tho
quick action Of the officers prevent
ed the men from using them The
five men were taken unawares and
were simultaneously covered, thus
/
A quantity OF nitro-glyceriue. aoety-
lene torches and tanks and several
rounds OF ammunition were also
found in the house.
Men Not Known Here.
The South Bend police could Of
fer no information concerning the
two men giving this city as their
( residence and II is their opinion
that the names are fictitious II they
are residents OF this city John
Kuesport of this city. captain OF
New York Central r. r police, took
the fingerrunts OF the five men bat
could not place Mccormack or
Schulz.
Each man was photographed.
copy Of wE;ch together with finger
print data. complied by Kuespert.
viii be sent 10 the criminal bureaus
of other cities I'm an effort TO estab-
lish the true identity OF the men.
i IS Kuesperts belief that the men
are all professional criminals. prob
ably with long records. Finger
, prints and pictures were also sent 20
! the Fort LeavenwOrth kans panl-
, Tertiary for identification
ct IS a good thing VIC found tha
men asleep" the chief said "foF
II they hadn't been 7 believe We
! would have had q real gun frht
! Four Of the men had revolvors &c
I their sides and another was armies
with a ,sawed-of shotgun They
were taken by surprise and none
would say a word except Ellison.
who casually remarked that If we
. had suspicion that Won John Laws
were coming we would have been
shooting yet"
The police recovered about So 900
worth OF goods I'm the house. part of
which was identified later as loot
stolen last Tuesday night from the
I. J. Hamlin g. Co. general store az
/ Etna Green. Ind Chief OF Police
! NorthrOp Of EIkbart suspects that
the quintet are the same men who
robbed a postofficce and general
| store at BrImdeId, Mich on the
night Of April when about $50 IN
/ stamps and postoffice supplies and
$50 worth OF merchandise was
taken
Turned Over to Warsaw Officers
Chief Northrop turned the Eve
men over 20 Sheriff Moon OF Warsaw
last night in view OF the large
amount OF merchandise identified as
that taken from the Etna Green
store. Mr.. Hamlin and his aszo-
ciates were notified that the house
was 20 be raided and he was re-
+. quested 90 be present in case any
merchandise was located He later
stated that the loot found in the
Compton raid represented only about
I a third OF the merchandise taken
( from his store. r. ie known that a
large load had zen taken from the
place Wednesday night bur an at
tempt 20 locate their selling fence
was unsuccessful
The search Of the Compton farm
required more than two house dur
ing which the men were closely
watched By officers with drawn guns.
I Every precaUtion was taken 20 pre-
vent Intervention from c0ufederatea
. who were expected 90 visit tho house
I preparatory 10 hauling away an
other load Of MERCHANDISE Almost
every one OF the 10 or more rooms
IN the Compton home contained
booty while dress clothes and other
merchandi se were stacked i- barn
in the rear Everythinc from sate-
~ razor blades 20 leather gloves ELK
ties jewelry. auto tires and hosiery
were found on the prem .se=
An automobile found q the Comp
ton barn and believed bv trs police
20 have been stolen. was utilized %
bring the booty and two of the uris-
oners 20 EIkharr. The other three
men. all handcufed were brought
20 the city ln the police touring car.
The automo5le which carried tns
/ police 70 the Compton horne was
going at top speed until within "A
/ few feet OF the front yard when i-
was brought 20 a quick stop and the
4 officers ran the remaining distance
OF 20 feet 10 the house A plain
f clothesman was the first 90 open The
/ door and ne was quickly followed by
/ the other officers. While one of rhe
/ policemen read the warrant the
/ others hurriedly searched the rooms.
! Three Of the men were found dressing
\ In one OF the rooms and az almost
( the same time tae other two nen.
I still in bed with regolvers az their
sides. were cover "a. The osHcers
spied the weapons and had them
safely IN their possession before
command 20 get up ond dress was
given The men seemed bcwilderCS
at the sudden appearance OF tire
I police and meekly oheyed orders 10
dress. while the officers wakched
< them with revolvers