Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 September 1916 — HARRY WOOD ARRESTED. [ARTICLE]

HARRY WOOD ARRESTED.

Is Caught Saturday Night Taking Money from Central Garage Cash Register. Harry Wood, a familiar personage about Rensselaer, was arrested at about 8:30 Saturday evening after having been caught taking some money from the cash register at the Central garage. Wood, who is about forty-five years of age and who has not been employed much of late, had been in the habit of spending some of his leisure time at the Central garage, and when he entered the garage Saturday evening at about the time above stated no particular attention was paid to him. He sauntered around the building and finally walked back to the office and when he thought nd one was looking opened the cash register and took sls. Alfred Tressmer, the Watkins Medicine company agent, saw Wood open the cash register and take the money. He called the attention of Albert Hudson, an employe of the garage to the theft, and the two accosted him. Wood at first denied taking anything, but when Tressmer said he saw him take the money, he confessed, and reaching down to his shoe extracted a $lO bill and a $5 bill and handed them to Hudson with the remark, “Here’s the money. It's all I have. Take it and say nothing more about it.”

But Hudson was determined that i he should be taken into custody and j sent Mr. Tressmer after an officer. | Nightwatch Critser returned with i him and placed Wood under arrest and lodged him in jail. Upon being taken to jail he was thoroughly searched, but nothing was found upon his person but a pocket knife. This w r as later examined and both blades found broken, and when the broken ends were matched with the broken points found in Hamilton & Kellney’s office following the recent robbery of the safe there, the match was perfect. When confronted with this evidence Wood confessed to the Hamilton & Kellner robbery and told the officers where he had hidden the cash drawer and checks—at a spot behind one of the school buildings. They were found where he had said they were, the drawer containing the checks and a tin box surrounding the drawer a dollar in silver which he did not find, also a mortgage for S9OO. An effort is being' made to fasten other robberies upon Wood, particularly the last one occurring at Wallace & Herath’s, when $68.98 was taken. This would come under the classification of burglary, for which the penalty is much more severe. On August 24 the cash register at the Rensselaer garage was relieved of $21.14.' John Schultz, an employe, heard the bell of the register ring, and when he went to investigate found that someone had rang up 11 cents, and later it was discovered that the drawer was short more than s2l. Wood had been around there and was then sitting just outside the door, but no’ suspicion was had that he was in any way connected with the

theft as he had always borne a good reputation. In years gone by Harry has been employed in many of the best homes in Rensselaer, assisting in housecleaning and other domestic work, and has always borne a good reputation and implivitr<£.ith has always been had in him. His numerous friends regret his downfall and hope for the best for him when he regains his liberty. Wood has experienced several several changes in temperament since being taken. to jail. At times he talks freely and has been on the point of confessing to other thefts, then closes up like a clam and will not utter a word to anyone. He has spent a great deal of I time in crying and is no doubt experiencing much remorse and sym--1 pathy for his sister, who has been ' very good to him. The public also sympathizes with his sister. When taken into court at 2:30 Monday afternoon Wood plead guilty to the charge of taking the money from the Central garage cash register, but sentence had not yet been passed at the time of going to press. Wood has been offered several good positions but declined them. ; and this fact leads many to think that he is the person who has been committing most of the recent robberies in Rensselaer. If found guilty on the charge of burglary the penalty will be several years in the state prison at Michigan City.