The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-02-09
Thieves Seeking Rich Loot
in Hosiery and Leath-
er Routed.
RECOVER BIG LOOT
BOlG Attempt Made Just Before
Midnight at Point Just This
Side of Illinois State Line.

Plans for one of the biggest rob-
berries in years of the freight trains
of the Northwestern railway were in
terrupted just before midnight last
night when Detective Powers of the
Northwestern detective forces opened
fire on band of thieves who had plan
ned to rob merchandise car from Ke-
worth of stockings and underwear from
| the plant of the Allen A company and
large shipment of finished leather
from the N. R. Aliens Sons tannery.
The robbers escaped under fire but
all of the loot which they had planned
to carry away was recovered and in
addition to this the officials secured
a big truck bearing an Illinois license
which was to have been used by the
robbers to carry away their loot. The
robbery was evidently carefully plan
ned and it was prevented only by the
fact that Detective Powers was riding
the train" and discovered the men in
the act of throwing the cases of val
liable merchandise from the car.
Loot Returned to Kenosha.
Undersheriff Joseph Knipfer, Police
L
ficers Schneeberger, H. Rock, Pitsch
and Clifford, formed possee which
went down from Kenosha to the state
line and brought the captured truck
and the recovered cases of hosiery and
leather back to Kenosha and it is now
stored away in the garage of the sher-
if.
The visit of the robbers had not been
tipped off to the detective but for some
time all valuable shipments of mer-
merchandise have been sent out under
the guard of detectives The freight
train came into Kenosha just after 9
O'clock last night and the car loaded
with hosiery, underwear and leather
was picked up here. When the train
pulled out there was no trace of any
one aboard it with the exception of the
regular train crew.
Powers Sees Men at Work.
The robbery had been carefully plan
ned and the big truck was standing
along the track awaitin to take the loot
from the car. Powers was busy and
as he made his rounds Of the train
Just before the state line was reached
saw the Gods bein thrown from the
car. There was a man aboard the
truck and it is believed that two men
were in the car. Detective Powers
promptly opened fire and the men fled.
In the darkness of midniht the detec-
tives could not get good view OF the
men and it is not thought that any Of
them were injured b. the fusilade of
shots fired. They abandoned the truck
and when the trainmen reached it they
found that number of cases of hos
ierv and some leather had been thrown
from the car. A part Of it was al
ready loaded on the truck.
A hurried call was sent to Kenosha
and the officers from here went down
to the state line and aided the detec-
tives.
Make Search in Vain.
The local officers searched IN vain
in the territory about the scene of
the robbery but found no trace Of the
men who had broken open the car. This
morning efforts are being made to To-
cate the owner of the truck. 1t bears
an Illinois license and it is thought
possible that some arrests will be made
before the day is over.
The thieves handled the freight
roughly and the cases were broken and
hosiery and underwear scattered about
the tracks for some distance. An en-
CINE and car were sent out from Wau-
kegan to pick up the broken cases of
underwear and hosiery which were
strewn about the ground and they were
taken to Waukegan.
1t is believed that a tip had been
sent to the thieves that the merchan-
disc was being shipped out Of Kenosha
and they knew just where to look for
1T last NIGHT.