Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 April 1917 — JASPER COUNTY MAN ARRESTED [ARTICLE]

JASPER COUNTY MAN ARRESTED

FIVE MEN UNDER ARREST Sheriff of Hamilton County Having Arrested Four Others Near Noblesville Last Saturday. Four men who broke into the Culp & Son and Jacks Bros.’ stores at Lee last Wednesday night, were arrested by the* sheriff of Hamilton county last Saturday. The men gave the names of Robert Smith, Lawrence Barrett, Herbert Smith and Loren McMunn. The four men had been under suspicion for some time past, and last Saturday a farmer noticed them unloading a quantity of goods at a farmhouse and notified Sheriff Woddle of Hamilton county. Robert Smith, Barrett and McMunn were arrested at the place where the farmer saw them and taken to jail at Noblesville. Herbert Smith gave the officers the slip but was later captured in Tipton county and taken to the jail at Tipton. The three captured in Hamilton county confessed to several robberies, but Herbert Smith proclaimed his innocence. When his garage near the Hamilton-Tipton county line. was searched a large amount of stolen property was found. Another cache in an old barn' northwest of Noblesville was the officers found some sacks of shoes, overalls, gloves, tobacco, • lard and bacon, all later identified as having been taken from the Lee stores. The officers making the arrest had read of the Lee robbery and thinking the town was in Jasper county notified Sheriff McColly, The latter accompanied by one of the Jacks brothers went to Noblesville and identified the goods. The prisoners were turned over to him and brought to Monticello, and are now in the Monticello jail. Three automobiles were found in the possession of the thieves and these were taken in charge by the officers, who are making an effort to identify them as stolen property. It would appear that a pretty active gang of robbers have been apprehended by the Hamilton county officers. * Later. —the parties who were arrested in Hamilton county and confessed the theft, implicated Clyde Burris, an alleged worthless character who resides in a house belonging to Victor Yeoman in Barkley township, just east of John Schroer’s farm residence, and the sheriff of White ,county came over Monday afternoon with one of the Jacks boys - and with officers here went out to Burris’ place and found the house filled with plunder of various kinds, among which was a part of the goods taken from the two Lee stores. Burris was arrested and taken to Monticello Monday night and is sure to “go the trip.” Deputy Prosecutor Sands filed an affidavit for a search warrant later and the rest of the loot found in -Burris’ home will be brought to Rensselaer and held for identification. It is believed that an extensive system of petty thievery has been carried on by this bunch for quite a I long time and that property stolen down in Tipton and Hamilton counties wa’s brought up here, and vice versa. Burris is reported to have not done any work except chase about over the country on a motorcycle, and because of this latter fact had been dubbed “Spark Plug” Burris. Many of the farmers up in Union and Barkley townships claim to have lost various articles of tools, chickens, turkeys, meat, etc., etc., and a number of them have believed that Burris was the party who took the articles, yet they had no positive evidence against him. They expect to find some of the articles stolen from them among the loot taken by the officers from his place. The Red Men will give a smoker and degree work next Monday evening, April 30. All members requested to be present.—By Order of Sachem.