The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-08-28
Two Young Men Confess to
Hold-Up of Contractor.
Pay Roll of $4,000 Returned to
Ritchie & Ramsey.
HAYNES AND WEBB ARE IN JAIL
Webb Returned After Robbery
to Draw His Salary.
Crime Carries Pen Sentence of
From 10 to 21 Years.

Harold Haynes, 22, of sos The
Drive, and Gerald R. Webb, FL, OF
s14 The Drive. were in the county
| Jail today awaiting the issuance of
| warrants charging them with first de-
gree robbery in connection with the
hold-up Saturday afternoon OF Clar-
| ence Richie and the theft OF the
Ritchie & Ramsey pay roll amounting
| to approximately $4,000.
| Following their arrest by the police
Saturday night both young men con-
| fessed to Chief Morris Leonard and
Capt. Jesse Hill and later signed writ
| ten confessions in the presence OF
| County Attorney Veale. Webb, who
was employed by the contracting
firm, boldly returned after the rob-
berry had been committed and drew his
weeks salary as usual, amounting to
$25.
Haynes Told of Robbery.
! Working on the theory that the
I Dodge car used in the robbery was a
1 rented one. the police found that
! Haynes had rented one answering its
/ description. They went to his house,
found the car and placed the youth un-
! Ger arrest. Haynes came clean" and
told the whole story. In the mean
i time Mrs. Haynes had told w. s. Han
cock, street commissioner. that 1t was
| his grandson. Webb, who had accom-
panied her husband in the hold-up.
Hancock induced Webb to produce the
/
ence Richie to return it. At the re-
| Quest of Chief Leonard, Hancock then
/ brought the young man to police
| Headquarters and turned him over to
/ the officers.
Webb at first denied any connection
with the robbery. He declared he had
gone out Sixth avenue in the car with
Haynes, then left him. He said he
met him later. quite by accident. near
| the state hospital; that Haynes told
him he had pulled the job" and asked
1 him to keep the money for him. When
| confronted by Haynes written confes-
| sion, however. Webb admitted that ii
/ was all true. he said he hat remained
| in the car because he knew Ritchie
would recogniz him if he entered the
office.
In order to evade suspicion Haynes
who had rented the car about $3.50
1 o'clock Satur lay morning and taken
4 his wife and baby for ride, returned
Immediately after the robbery and
I again took them out in the car, while
Webb calmly went back to the office
/ and drew his pay for the week Webb
i after confessing his pc in the crime
declared he had done it "alI for
Haynes, who had a wife and baby
was out of d job and needed the
! money" The officers, after extended
! inYestiga ton, howeVe expr ssed con-
viction that Webb was the brains oI
the deal The young men stated that
the hold-up had been plann-- a week
/ before and 1T ,nty intende to stage
| it that morning. but were prevented
because there were so many persons
present.
Was Bold Robbery.
The robbery was one of the boldest
ever perpetrated in Topeka and prob
: ably there was never. one handled by
! the police department in more mas
! terry way. The rapidity with which
! the officers worked resulted in
! Haynes being in Jail three hours afteI
! the incident occurred. and Webb was
in custody only a short time later
! Two other men picked up on suspi-
4 cion were released. County Attorney
/ Veale paid Chief Leonard and Cap
| tain Hill a high tribute for the way
! il which they handled the case.
! While it is a fact we were on the
| job" Chief Leonard said. every mar
i who worked on the case deserves
credit for doing his level best. The
boys all worked hard. They showed
a fine spirit of cooperation. such as il
takes to make an efficient depart
ment"
! First degree robbery under the
! Kansas statutes carries with It a pen
+ atty of from ten to twenty-one years in
/ the penitentiary. 1t was the consen-
| sus OF opinion among the officers thai
! Haynes and Webb will waive tria
and plead guilty