The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-08-04
Milan Deputy Puts End to
Wild IL Hours of Crime by
Benton Harbor FactoryMen
Kidnapping, Car
Theft Charges
to be Faced
Driver Stripped of
Clothes Near
Ypsilanti

The trail OF two Benton Harbor
factory employees, who. according
10 their own confession, held up
and kidnapped two Benton Harbor
people. attempted robbery In Ypsi.
lanti, and committed several other
crimes IN II wild hours. ended
when Officer Thomas Goodrich,
Milan. captured them in that vii
lage about 2 o'clock this morning.
The prisoners are George Rose.
20. the Bronx. and Edmund Reaves,
10. Benton Harbor After question
ing at county jail today they ad-
mitted having robbed Mr.. and Mrs.
Earl Dannifiel of s175. and of hav.
ing forced them to ride from Ben
ton Harbor to Colonna at the
point of their own gun Saturday
afternoon
The Dannifiels operate a gas
station in the heart OF Benton Har-
Dor adjacent to a factory in which
Rose and Reaves were employed,
and the bandits knew where Mr..
Dannifiel kept his revolver. About
2 p. m. Sunday they stole the gun.
held up the Dannifiels, and forced
them, after robbing the cash regis
ter, 10 get into a grocery truck
standing nearby.
They then drove the Is miles to
Colonna where they ordered the
Dannifiels out. and drove the truck
about two miles further where they
abandoned It, they told officers.
Here they paid a boy S. to drive
them 10 Paw Paw. and there gave
a fruit truck driver another IS
70 take them 10 Detroit, passing
through Ypsilanti
Stop Here
In Detroit they bought a taxi
driver drinks until he was inebriat-
ed. and stole bis cab, driving IL
to Plymouth where they abandoned
IL and held up Richard Stevenson.
%, $3.50 Wayne Rd.. forcing him To
drive them 10 Ypsilanti They ar
rived al a gas station operated by
William L. Mcclure at 400 w.
Michigan Ave about 1880 D. m.
Troopers Jess Ralph and Jack Ebli
OF the local post later found tbs
abandoned cab.
Here they said 10 I'LL the tank.
which held only 50 cents worth
Of gas, a fact which made Mr.. Nc
Clure suspicious and led him 10
take down the license number and
notify state police. Troopers VII
liam p. Filter and Wallace Il.
Teddy o. the Ypsllant post phoned
officer Goodrich o. Milan OF the
incident. fact which led 10 the
ultimate capture o. the bandits.
Take Clothes
They drove west Of 'Ypsilan6
after leaving the station and or
dsred Mr.. Stevenson 70 get out d
tho car and strip. Resyss then
put on their victims clothes and
they left him there. Mr. Steven
son later borrowed a womsn's skirt
from a farmhouse. and was found
by state police walking toward
YDsilanti on W. Michigan I'd. about
2.30 a. m.
Reaves and Rose returned e
Ypsilantl where they entered
Motifs lunchrOom, 300 W Michigan
Ave, and asked who owned a cat
parked outside Charles T. Cean.
200 Michigan AXe.,- who Was IN
the room, said II was his. and they
ordered him into H. Mr.. Gean
told them the keys were in tho
car and for them 70 take a. There
we're no keys In the car, however.
. and In front % the restaurant the
pair accosted Mr. Mcclure who was
coming in for midnight lunch He
told them TO put the gun away
before they hurt some one, and
they did, driving west on w. Mich
igan Ave In Mr.. SteYenson's car.
Their trail was lost from there
until they were spprehended b.
officer Goodrich. who ordered
them 70 come out OF the car Win
their hands up. which they did Il
Is believed they spent the time
Just preceding their entrance 70
Milan, drinking beer IN the stolen
auto for several bottles we're found
and Officer Goodrich said they ap-
peared quite intoxicated.
Taken to 81. Joseph
After questioning by Prosecu-
tor George Meader this morning.
the pair was released 70 Sgt-De-
tertfve Robert Murray u the Paw
Paw state police post and 10 Sher.
IN William Hastings OF 81. Joseph
County where they are to face
charges OF robbery armed, kidnap-
ping, and larceny Of an automobile