Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 218, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 September 1916 — RENSSELAER MAN IS CAUGHT THIEVING [ARTICLE]

RENSSELAER MAN IS CAUGHT THIEVING

Harry Wood is Arrested When He Attemps to Rifle Cash Register At Central Garage.

Rensselaer’s petty thiever seems to have been caught at last. In the past sev. ral weeks small losses by theft have been by several Rensselaer firms, and they w :re of almost nightly occurrence, and l although a conceited effort was made to apprehend the thief he eluded the vigilance of the officers until Saturday night.

Harry Wood, 45 years of age, and a well kpown character in Rensselaer, seems to be the guilty party, m fact the evidence against him is so strong that there seems no doubt as to him being the party who has been connected with all the recent hauls made in the city. Wood vvrs arrested at about 8:30 Saturday evening in the Central Garage. During the earlier part of the evening Wood was sitting on the east side of the court house square. A little later he crossed the street and entered the Central Garage, where he was in the habit of loafing. After some reconnoitering Wood entered the office es the garage and went to the cash register and opened it. Alfred Tresaman, who travels for the Watkins Medical Co., saw Wood open the cash drawer and take something out rnd roll it up .n him hand. Immediately afted Wood went to the rear of the ;aragc. Mr. Tressman imported to Albert Hudson, an employe, what he had seen and the latter called Wood back, stating that he wanted to see him. Hudson told him that he had taken sls from the till, which Wood denied, but when Tressman told him that he had seen him take it, Wood confessed and reaching down in his shoe took out a $lO bill and a $5 bill, and bondid them to Hudson, saying as he did so, “Well, here's the money. It’s all 1 have. Take it and do not say any more about it.” This, however, did not satisfy Hudson, who sent Tressman after an officer while ne held Wood. Nightwatch Critser made the arrest and placed him in jail. Wood was searched and a knife taken from him, which will probably convict him. That Wood is injplicatcd in "the other thefts reported of late, there seems to be no doubt. ■

Up to the time that The Republican went to press the defendant had refused to talk to anyone and would make no statement as to his guilt. He has cried most of the time since he was placed in jail. Deputy Prosecutor Sands, accompanied by L. A. Harmon, went to *he home of Elmer Gwin, his brother-in-law, where he nas been boarding, and made a search of his trunt for further evidence but the contents revealed nothing that would aid the state in convicting him. The fact that Wood w’as an habitual visitor at the Central Garage, the Rensselaer Gaiage, Wallace & Herath’s produce market tends to point to the fact that he is probably guilty in all of these cases. On September 2na, $lO was taken from the cash register of the Central Garage. On August 12th a few dollars were taken from the drawer at Wallace & Hcrath’s, and on August 25th, $68.98 was taken. Wood has not been oack to loaf at this place since the thefts. On August 24th the till at the Rensselaer Garage was relieved of $21.14, and Wood had been there only a short time before. Whoever took the money had registered up 11c in opening the drawer at that time. Harry Wood hj(S been a Rensselaer resident for a great many years, being employed for several years as a janitor at the Christian hurch and later working in the Barnes bakery, and later working at odd jobs about the city. For the past few months, hdrwever, he has done little work, and apparently had no visible means of support. Last week Wood spent several days at the Kankakee fair, and where he got the money to take the trip no one seems to know. Sheriff B. D. McColly is in pos-

session of a letter addressed to Wood from the Barker Car Works at Michigan City, offering him a position in the factory at from $3 to $3.50 a day, but he did not accept it. He was later offered a position with Miss Jennie Conrad at Conrad, Ind., but stated that he did not have carfare, but this seems to be a poor excuse and the consensus of opinion is that he had an easier way of making a living. While a great deal of sympathy is expressed for the defendant, it seems that he has gone too far, and that some sort of justice should be meted out in his case, bince Wood is past 30 years of age, if he is convicted of petit larceny he will be sent to Michigan City. LATER—Wood was taken before Judge Hanley at 2:30 this Monday afternoon and answered guilty to the charge, and was taken hack to jail. The prisoner had a handkerchief tied about his head and never once raised his eyes while in the court room.