Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-09-25
ROBBERY IN
BROWNSVILLE
IS CONFESSED

Following the staying OF his
brother. Chester. in a Houston
apartment. Jack Jones confessed to
. series Of e-blowings over the
state. including the Garcia Gomez
Job in Brownsville.
he tim this statement opened,
J1<k sand Chester were in Corpus
Christi. The confession, forwarded
70 1t. Of Police J. r. Armstrong. of
Brownsville. follows:
~. IA. called from Brownsville and
wanted us to come right down.
I checked out of the Princess Louise
hotel at about $3.50 p. m. and drove
on TO Harllngt1. Chester caught
up with me just before we came
into Harlingen and passed me when
! got to Harlingen. Chez er was In
front OF a hotel there where john
son was registered. Johnson and
Chester were sitting In the Cadil-
lac car. I drove up and parked
about two-car lengths behind
Chcster's car.
Start for Brownsville
Il got out and went and got in
Chester's cal. We sat there a few
minutes talking about a store In
Brownsville which johnson had
lired up. II was about 1880 p. m.
We all three got out OF Chester's
car and went TO a restaurant and
ate supper.
Then johnson and / went and
got into the Ford sedan. and Chester
went and got into the Cadillac.
John1on and 7 started for Browns
Wiz and Chester followed in the
Ca<t lac. When we got to Browns
vilitN. hester parked by the side Of
the Il JarGin hotel and came over
and got into the Ford with john
son ard myself. Johnson took
Chester and myself out 70 look at
the store we were going TO rob that
night.
after we had looked the store
over we drove around town until
about II o'clock. then we went back
70 the e Jardin hotel and Chester
got out.
HE got his Cadillac and drove
around and found an apartment
house and left his Cadillac parked
by the side or the apartment and
came over and got into the Ford
sedan with johnson and myself. We
drove back past the store We were
going TO rob, then came back and
parked on a vacant lot about 200
feet from the store. We got out
OF the car taking our tools with
us and Chester found q door at the
rear OF the store which had a pad
lock on 1t. Chester broke the pad
lock while johnson and ! watched.
AFTER Chester got the door open
we went inside ard found the safe
with the door standing open. The
inside thin door was locked. He
came back 70 tie door and told me
that he did not think there was
any money in the safe and then
he told me to come on in then we
would open II anyhow. We knock
ed the lock on the inside door and
found lots OF silver and greenbacks
piled up on the inside. We had
iust started getting the money
III " We heard johnson knocking on
thd end OF the building which we
were in and hollering for Chester
TO come on out. He told us to
hurry up. When We got outside we
did not e Johnson anywhere.
I'VE started towards the "a and
saw some officers searching 1t. We
then turned and ran back and
Johnson joined us at the end OF
the building. We went out across
the vacant lot on the opp lite end
from where the officers were and
went on over TO the Cadillac car.
We got in and drove out towards
Harrington. Just before we cot 70
Harrington we pulled off OH the side
road and divided the money. I
think we had about three hundred
dollars all told.
while we we're on this trip IN
the Valley on these Jobs. Barney
McGangel was In Marquet, Texas,
looking over the bank. "A day or
so after we got back Barney came
back from Marquet and told us
that We could make that bank at
night by digging through the vault.
A few nights later Chester. john
son. Barney and myself went up to
Marquet and looked ii over but
decided that we could not make Il.
We then came on back to Houston