Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 July 1916 — GENERAL AND STATE NEWS [ARTICLE]

GENERAL AND STATE NEWS

Telegraphic Reports From Many Parts of the Country. SHORT BITS OF THE UNUSUAL Happenings in the Nearby Cities and Towns—Matters of Minor Mention From Many Places. FRISKED BY “MOSQUITO FLEET” Rensselaer Man Has Exciting Experience With Gang of Strangers at Lafayette. Yesterday’s Lafayete Journal; Robert Tombs of Rensselaer, who says he Is an engineer, came to the city yesterday to have some work done at a local foundry. It 'being impossible to get the work out yesterday, Tombs started out last night to see the sights. He fell in with a newly organized “Mosquito Fleet” and they proceeded to shoot the can from the west end of the Brown street bridge. When the fun Btartes there were two women in the crowd and the “gentleman from Rensselaer,” to be real chivalrous, handed someone $lO with which to purchase a can of beer.

The beer came back alright, but Tombs says he failed to get any change out of the ten. He put up a holler and the mem neks of the fleet turned their guns on him and he rapidly retreated. It occurred to Tombs about an hour after the occurrence that the police might be able to do something so he made his troubles known to them. Shortly after midnight Officer Hedrick arrested Sam and Frank Nugent, two strangers, who were in the gang. Tombs claimed he gave the $lO to Sam. When the men were searched they had several dollars on them and one of them attempted to palm a $5 bill to keep the officers from finding it. The other one had $6 stored away in a secret pocket. After arresting the men Officer Hedrick and Detective Eversole started out to find Tombs. A search was made of the lumber sheds along the river and Tombs was found peacefully sleeping with six others. When he was aroused he found that his watch was gone, and also said that he was short SSO. The officers placed Bart Kane, Roy Likens, Henry Sifer3, William Mustin, Mike Byrn and Joseph Johnson under arrest. They were all bunking in the lumber sheds.

When searched at police headquarters the supposed SSO was not to be found, but Roy Likens was wearing the watch that Tombs said was stolen. He said Tombs gave it to him to wear. All of the men showed signs of having partaken of the contents of the bucket that made several trips to the saloon. They are all being held pending further investigation.