The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-02-12
Police Smash
BARES RADIO
Theft Ring
Seven Negroes Arrested as
Alleged Members of
Gigantic Plot.
SALESMAN AIDS COP
Chicago Believed Disposal
Point for Stolen Re-
ceiving Sets.

CCtVlltY OCtOs
Arrest of seven Negroes and re-
covery of $500 worth of allegedly
stolen radio receiving apparatus
here Tuesday night and early today
is expected by police to result in the
breakup of a gigantic radio theft
ring, believed to operate throughout
the middle west, with Chicago as
the disposal point for stolen goods.
Further arrests are predicted by
police.
Leonard Davis, Negro, SO, of TOT
West Twenty-siXth street, is held
by police as the suspected ring
leader of the Negroes. who are
charged with looting many radio
stores here.
Questioned Closely
Charged with burglary and grand
larceny, he was being questioned
closely by detectives today regard
ing traffic with Chicago dealers who
are believed to have accepted stolen
radio apparatus for resale in Chi
cago cut-rate radio stores.
Davis, night man at a garage at
1905 College avenue, is alleged to
have operated from the garage.
Closing it at night, he used auto
mobiles from the garage with which
to cart radio apparatus away from
stores entered. police charge.
EIpdnro1 will l,o ooIIo5 s,,k1
the case by city police in an effort
to determine whether a truck load
of stolen radio apparatus, aban-
doned near Gary when the truck
went into ditch recently, was be-
ing shipped to Chicago by Indian
apolis members of the alleged radio
theft ring.
Others Are Held
Others held with Davis are:
Wilton Allison, IS, Negro, 254 West
St Clair street, charged with receiv-
ing stolen goods; Carl Carson, 80.
Negro, of 1017 West Twenty-seventh
street, charged with receiving stolen
goods; Harold Newbolt, SO, Negro,
of 906 Edgemont street, charged
with burglary and grand larceny;
Oliver Mcclellan, %, Negro, of 1905
Balsam avenue, charged with re-
celying stolen goods; Robert Dudley
Hooks, 35, Negro, of lit West
TWenty-seventh street, charged with
burglary and grand larceny; Jesse
Bryant, 33, Negro, of 429 West
Twelfth street, charged with receiv-
ing stolen goods.
The charges of receiving stolen
goods are based largely upon al
legged efforts of the gang TO conceal
a radio apparatus stolen from the
Curtis E. Burke Hardware and
Plumbing Company's store, $50 East
FOrty-ninth street, the night Of
Jan. 8.
Salesman Aids
KeenesS of a radio salesman. j.
B. Messler of 1908 Balsam avenue
gave police their clew. Messler, in
the James Dunbar cafe at 1167
Fairfield avenue when Allison, Nc
Clellan and Carson are alleged to
have entered and attempted to sell
a radio stolen from the Burke
store, noticed the serial number Of
the apparatus
When he began to ask questions,
the three Ne9roes took the machine
away. Detectives George Hubbard
and Edgar Deeter, assigned to the
case. allege the stolen radio was
hurriedly changed from one hiding
place to another. 1t finally was
located at the residence OF Bryant.
Radio store burglaries and bur-
glaries Of homes in which radio ap-
paratus was the loot in Indianapolis
totaled more than $4,000 in value
within the last three months, police
records show.
Apparatus recovered by police in
the arrests of the seven total $500
in value, including number of ex-
pensiVe radio sets. One apparatus
sold retail at $3.50, accord
ing to police.
Three Sets Recovered
One radio stolen from the Burke
store was recovered at the home
of Edward Best, 9O5 South Capitol
avenue, Best having paid $50 for
the $3.50 set, according to police.
A $40 apparatus stolen from the
indianapolis Music shop at AT Col
lege avenue on Jan Z, was recov-
cred. police said, at the home Of
James Hill. Negro, 1918 Boulevard
place, having been left there for
demonstrators" by one of the ar
rested men who asked $3.50 for it.
Police asserted a third set was
from the home Of M.
Aberhardt, 652 East Fifty-second
street, where 1t had been left on
and another from the
home Of Hughey Watts, Negro, 1886
Burton avenue, where it had been