The Republican., 1947-01-09
FOUR YOUTHS
Continued from Page One)

went to the Oakland Hardware and
Furniture store, took 16 revolvers,
rifles and shotguns as well as hun
dreds of rounds of ammunition.
Taking the loot to the basement of
the store they loaded it in the firms
truck and drove away, next stopping
at Harve's Market on route 2l9, east
of town, where they obtained a guam
tity of groceries and canned goods.
From Oakland the quartet drove
through Swanton and turned on to an
abandoned dirt logging road north of
II Mile Grade, arriving at the end of
that road abaut 10 a. m. Then they
unloaded the truck and cached the
loot in the underbrush
Returning to the truck, the youths
returned to Swanton and then drove
to Bloomington where they abandoned
the truck and hoped freight train
back to II Mile Grade
Then they hiked across country to
the cache and carried all of their
weapons and three bushels of groc-
cries three miles to the shack on
Hoover's Flat
Abandoned Car Found
In the meantime, State Police, who
were following close on the trail of
the culprits, learned at Swanton that
Ridings had helped to build shanty
on Hoover's Flats. Red mud clinging
to the truck when it was found at
Bloomington indicated they might
have been in the Hoover's Flat vicin-
ity Stickley volunteered to lead the
officers to the shanty
State Police, with Stickley leading
them, followed lime kiln road to its
two and half miles to the railroad
tower. When inspection of nearby
shanty disclosed nothing, the officers
split into separate groups, Sgt. Doud,
Trooper G. NJ Rotruck and Deputy
Sheriff Paul Fisher following the
safety track on II Mile Grade, and
Folk, Hart and Stickley striking out
cross country for the shanty on
Hoovers Flat.
On the way across the mountain,
Folk and Hart and Stckley spotted
fresh footprints on deer trail AS
the trio neared the cabin they made
use of trees for cover and when they
approached within so yards were able
to observe figures moving in and out
of the doorway.
The two officers and Stickley
spread out. Two youths came out of
the shack, became aware of the Of
ficers and Ridings broke into a run
to escape. The other youth returned
to the shanty.
Ridings halted Immediately on or
ders from Hart but the other three
youths refused to leave the building
until officers said they were going to
fire through it. Folk was armed with
a sub-machine gun and a revolver
Hart was armed with a double bar
relied shotgun and revolver. Stickley
carried double barreled shotgun.
At the threat the trio of youths in
side the building came out and on
orders from the officers dropped to
the ground a safe distance from each
other.
While Folk stood guard, Hart
searched the quartet.
He removed an unloaded As auto
matte, loaded % revolver and
large hunting knife from one of the
Lewis brothers. The others carried
% rcvolvers, a German Luger and
hunting knives.
Loot Is Described
While the quartet was being
searched, Sgt Doud and Trooper Rot
ruck arrived on the scene. After the
search was completed the four youths
were returned to the Oakland Jail by
Trooper Hart and Trooper George E.
Coddington.
Last night Hart said the loot from
the Hardware store included three
wrist watches, three pocket watches,
two single barrelled shotguns, one
double barrelled shotgun, three %
rifles, seven % target pistols, two
German Lugcrs, one 32 revolver, five
hunting knives, II pocket knives,
suitcase full of shotgun shells and Is
cartons of % calibre shells. Besides
the six bushels of groceries and seven
cartons of canned goods, between $50
and $50 in cash was stolen from
Harvc's Market, police reported.
Walter w. Dawson, states attorney.
said the youths would be held for the
action of the March Grand Jury Rid
ings is already serving year for car
theft; the two Lewis boys are await
ing action of the grand jury on
charges Of breaking into the b. and
o. depot and other places in this
vicinity, and Jamison is being held
for court on charges of breaking and
entering the Western Auto Associ-
ate store. They were the only occu-
pants of the Jail at the time.
Stock Prices, January 6, 1917, At