Douglas daily dispatch., 1927-02-08

manv of the robberies were committed, |
is still working on the many angles of
the case. He told the Dispatch on
Monday that he full yexpected to re-
cover twice as much loot as has so
far been unearthed
The thrills of the hunt for caches of
stolen property are being related by
the tired deputies as they come in from
combing the country about Kelton
Buford Slower, the constable of the dis |
trict, was lowered on lariat into two
different wells in one of which a large
amount of stolen goods was discovered. |
1t was necessary to rig a tripod over
these wells after they had been looked
into by the use of mirrors. Both were
dry. One was sixty feet deep and the
other was more than 100 feet deepE
h and the constable states that he fulIyl
expected to be grey headed when he
got out.
One interesting feature of the quest
for the stolen goods,A officers state,
is that in every instance where things
were found there were found by the
side of the building or cache the tracks
of an automobile. In each instance |
the tracks were of the same car and
the officers say that that car is the |
McGinnis car. They finally got to
watching for these tracks as sure
indication of the hiding places.
Goods were found in the main store
building and the postoffice which is
part of the main store, in warehouse
adjoining this building, in /
q small tin building like a garage
situated beside the right of way of the
railroad and some 800 yards from the
! McGinnis store. A very large cache
! in which were found several hundred
pairs of shoe1 an% ten cases of Safe
I, ford Creamery butter, said to have been
j skdlenS from the Stafford Creamery
/. was found in the basement under the
!; railroad scales. These scales, officers
Estate, were under the direct super
/ vision of McGinnis and were kept lock-
ed by him so that mo other person
could have access tg the basement
4 room in which the loot was found.
i lThe girl Dolores aided the officers
] iii scouting trace of these different
1 caches The officers told Dispatch rep
i resentatives that the girls meeting
! with McGinnis, which by prearrange-
rnent took place in his own store, was
i dramatic. They state that she faced
i him. told him that she and her two
Il
4 that it was up to him to tell his story.
i The officers say that McGinnes at
Z tempted to appear surprised but that
the girl in her cool, unruffled man,
| ner, led the postmaster and the Off
! GERS to on cache after another and
4 accused McGinnis, saying, you know
! all about this, I was with you when
i this stuff was put here"
1,ie oxyI
/ afternoon by Dispatch representatives.
1 under the eyes of five deputy sheriffs, /
1 as he arranged his papers preparatory
8 to going to the county seat with the
Il officers, McGinnis remarked that 'this /
certainly has put Kelton on the map"
( Asked if he were under arrest he told
1 the reporters mo- Upon being told
of this reply, Sheriff Henshaw smiled
and said, well, tina tsss all right for him
to say"
n County Attorney James T. Gentry |
who has worked side by side with the !
b sheriff since the magnitude of the case
/ became apparent on Friday and who
Il charges against McGinnis on Monday
went with the girl Dolores on Sunday
to a number of caches, formally filed
charging him with receiving stolen
II property. A number of counts are in |
Il cluded in this complaint and officers
II pointed out that the charges may be
II changed or added to at any time as
4 developments arise in the continued in
vestigation.. There is, charge of deal
ing in stolen automobiles, that involves
federal investigation, the officers state,
and the fact that large amount of
the loot was found in United States
mail sacks involves another federalt
charge which is a very serious one
the officers state.
McGinnis has been a resident of
xelton for several years past He
was for some years the station agent
There for the railroad and about four
!, years ago took over the general
store and was appointed postmaster.
He is a man apparently of about
middle age of slight physique and
! of a sandy complexion. He is mar
fied and mas several children.
4 In connection with the McGinnis
family, the officers state that after
their first Investigations on Thurs
!, day they returned to the store on
Friday and found, beside a ditch
some distance from the buildings,
one of the stolen tires. They say
that further investigation showed
that this tire had been carried and
dragged from the store to a water
> hole into which it had been thrown.
1t had been later retrieved from this
water hole and dragged to the ditch
3 where it was found.
A visit to the robbers headquar-
ters occupied Dispatch representa-
tives Sunday evening. The Stidham
ranch is situated on great fiat
l about six miles from Kelton. The
!. house is of cast stone and is so con-
e structed as to make a perfect fort
ress. The girl Dolores told the re-
t porters that while at the ranch
: constant guard had been maintained
: against surprise and high-powered
e lrifles had been kept always at hand.
The ranch buildings are SO situated
that no one could approach near
e them without being seen and there
$ was every evidence that the high
L tower Of the windmill had been used
n as a lookout station.