The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1922-02-28
WATCHMEN
ARE FOUND
HANDCUFFED
One Suspect Is Captured With
Opium Concealed in His
Clothing

Because one rum bandit was rum
my, he gummed things up for his COM
panions frustrated an attempt last
night to loot the valuable store ~
whislzies at the Hammond Dfstilling
Co, and today is held at Hammond
central police station. where federal
men and police hope 10 wiring from
MIN a confession that will incriminats
one of the boldest bands Of liquor
thieves and drug peddlers that ever
operated i'll the midwest.
AUTHORITIES SMELL MOUSE
Federal prohibition general agent.
Gus Simons. and police, under Chiel
bunde and Captain Austgen early last
evening swooped down on the distillery
after their suspicious had been arous-
ed through failure of the night desk
sergeant at the police station to arouse
the night watchman at the liquor
warehouse
FIND wATcHMAN EAEDCUFFED
Entering the plant from front and
rear they found their quarry had fled.
But they did find two night watchmen
nandcuffed together as tightly as
siamese twins. and third guard ~
ing limp and bleeding in. office on
the first floor. This man, Walter Mead
told police he'd been struck over the
mead after he tried to answer a phone
call The bandits probably frightened
at the phone call and suspecting cor
rectly that it was the Hammond police
department calling, tarried no longer.
DISAGREE AS TO NUMBER
Witnesses disagree as TO the number
Of robbers in the band. Police say
there were three cars They say SIX
men participated IN the attempted bur
glary These came in a Cadillac and
Paige. The third man, held at the
station. was driving Packard. Otn-
ers say at least Is men were in the
gang. The night watchmen swear
there were a dozen.
CHICAGO MAN HELD
irving p. Kirch is the man held. lie
gave his address as .2pg East s5sFd ST.
fnicago. Police found morphine and
opium concealed in his clothing, In
the cun of his trousers they found
addresses and phone numbers. They
summoned Detective Sergeants Callahan
and Crookes, OF the Narcotic Squad.
Chicago police department. Together
with Chief Gus Simons. they grilied
kirch for hours this afternoon. They
quiz of Kirch. but startling develop
nents are due in twenty -four hours
they said.
THREE ON GUARD
The distiIlery contains now 900 bar
rels of whiskey. Each barrel contains
As gallons. 1t is guarded by three
watchmen. These are: T. ]. Casey.
l.. c Bludso and Mead. The former
two were the men found handcuffed.
CARRIED ARTILLERY
The raid on the distillery occurred
at p. m Casey and Bludso. making
their rounds were caught in different
parts of the building. The bandits.
unmasked, carried sawed-off shotguns
and revolvers. They covered the two
night watchmen. When the hour came
TO ring in at Hammond police station at
$3.50 the men were ordered to the phone.
They made their calls with the Bandits
revolvers pressed against their necks.
Kirch circltnS about the building in
his Packard is believed to have been
implicated with the gang. Pedestrians
and motorists along Calumet avenue
and l52st street called police and said
they had been stopped by man in n
packard. After searching the motor
lists and pedestrians for weapons they
were released and told 70 get away
from the distillery.
LIQUOR WAS SERVED
Captain Austgen Sergeant Kunz and
MotorcycIeman Teboda made a hurried
trip to the vicinity of the reported hold
ups They found lIlrch, brought him
10 the station ana held him on open
charge. A few minutes later. suspect
ing that something was wrong at the
distillery in spite OF that fact that the
night watchman had reported but
short time previous. Desk Sergeant
frost phoned the warehouse. This was
when Mead got his. lie attempted TO
answer that call. was sapped. and the
gang fed.
Sergeant frost Immediately sum
raoned Captain Austgen and Agent
Gus Simous The trio supplemented by
chief Bunde and a squad of patrolmen
rushed to the distillery. But the gang