Ottawa County news. (Port Clinton, Ohio) 1931-1956, 1950-06-16
ARREST THREE
YOUTHS IN PORT
THEATRE CASE
Stolen Safe Is Found In Creek
Near Sandusky; Men
Bound To Jury

Two local young men and an
other from Sandusky are being
held in county Jail under bond or
81 900 to $4,000 and are awaiting
grand jury action in connection
with the burglary of the Port
Theatre and larceny of the theat-
er safe.
Held under $4,000 bond is James
Wharton, 25, father of two chill
dren. Charles R. Schiewe, 18, Port
Clinton, and Robert E. Ewing, ID,
Sandusky, are under $1,000 bonds.
They were arrested late last week,
Burglary of the East Second
Street theatre took place during
the night of Put-in-Bay Day, May
10. A wall safe, containing near
ly $500 in cash and watches, was
stolen.
First break in the case came
Thursday when Sandusky police
notified Police Chief Jack Shelf
fer that some young men were
spending money which had burned
spots in it. One of the young men,
was known to be driving an auto
bearing a Port Clinton license
plate.
Ewing was the first ito be ar
rested. After questioning, he ad-
mitted having assisted in remov-
ing the safe from the theatre, but
would not give information NAM
ing his accomplices.
Police Chief Shelter knew that
Ewing had been running around"
with Schiewe and Wharton, and
the local young men were picked
up for questioning. Wharton at
first denied any part in the bur-
glary until he was confronted with
the salvaged safe and other evil
dence, police records show.
According to confessions of the
men and police records, the trio
entered the theater through a rear
room window about 8 a. m. after
Putin Bay Day. The safe was
rolled to a side door and carried
to Ewing's car.
Later that night, the youths
took the safe to woods near
Sandusky, where it was hidden for
several days. Ewing, in his state
ment, reports that the safe was
then taken to the Lakecraft Weld
ing plant in Erie Township, where
an unsuccessful attempt was made
to open it.
, A day or two later, Wharton is
accused of getting the safe from
it's hiding place in the woods and
taking it to an apartment he was
sharing with fellow worker in
Sandusky.
Eventually the youths learned
of the Bay Bridge welder who fl
nally opened the safe after work
ing about 90 minutes. He claims
that he did not know the safe wac
stolen and that he attempted the
work only after having been told
that it had been found in the home
of a deceased uncle and might
contain valdables.
In his statement to police, the
welder said he was given rs dol
lars in bills and coins taken from
the safe. After the watches and
money was removed from the safe,
it was dumped in creek along
Route 6 in Erie County.
The safe was taken from the
cold waters Saturday after 4
lengthy search by police. 1t is
now being held as evidence, along
with three one dollar bills over
looked and still in the safe and
other recovered loot. The safe,
| valued at $4,000, was ruined when
it was forced open.
One of the watches was pawn
ed in Sandusky, and has been re-
covered. Another was sold to 9
Sanduskian for $1,000 and was
later given to a girl friend in
Athens. 1t, too, will be recovered
Police records state that the
safe contained $383.86 In cash
along with four wrist watches
valued at $4,000 each. Schiewe
claims that he did not get any
of the money, and did not know
that it had been opened.
Wharton told Police Chief Shelf
fer that he had spent nearly AL
the money shortly after the safe
was opened.