Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 April 1917 — STOLEN AUTO IS RECOVERED [ARTICLE]

STOLEN AUTO IS RECOVERED

Scott Chestnut and Lewis Payne Arrested for Theft of Car. The Overland touring car stolen Thursday night from the J. C. Gwin & Son lumber yard, was recovered Friday evening about two miles west of Fair Oaks, where it was found in the possession of Scott Chestnut, a local character ■who has been in several scrapes of this kind heretofore. Chestnut was placed under arrest and lodged in jail and the car was towed to town. While at this writing Chestnut has refused to say very much about the matter, it ‘is believed that the car was taken ..comparatively early in the evening and in company with Lewis Payne he drove to Demotte and thence to Fogli’s place at Water Valley, securing booze at both places. .It was probably not his intention to steal the car, but merely to “borrow” it for the trip. On their return journey they had practically run out of gasoline and had some magneto trouble, Chestnut said, and he had taken the magneto to pieces and it was so found when he was arrested. Chestnut telephoned in from the Lawler ranch house to K. T. Rhoades about 4 o’clock Friday

afternoon, stating that he had an Overland car that he had traded a Ford fo*r, was having soVne trouble' with it and wanted Rhoades to come and get it. j I Suspecting that this was the stolen car Rhoades notified Sheriff McColly, who sent one of his deputies, John Robinson, along with the former when he went after the car. | It was hs suspected, and Chestnut was placed under arrest and brought to town. He was alone with the car when found, but an> othet man had. been seen there with him at times during the day and it I was thought that Lewis Payne was ■the party with him. Chestnut had gone to the Lawler place—occupied by Mr. Bordwell- — got Jiis breakfast and offered to give the car away, but Payne, who was’evidently less under the influence of liquor, kept away from everyone. While. another man was peen with him about the car, Chestnut would not tell who the party was when asked at Bord well’s. | They had also stopped at the Lawler. farm occupied by Jesse Newels at about midnight, while on their way back,, "but Jesse did not .get up to pee who the parties were •as he discovered they were under the influence of liquor, and they drove on. i Some extra inner tubes that were in the car were not there when the car was found and it is supposed that they were graded for I whiskey, of which a small quantity remained in a quart bottle found with the car. The license plates had also been, removed from the car and were found under the rear seat. Had, everything gone well it lis probable that they would have .At back here before daylight and, ewbpt for a broken lock on the dpjlf of the building where the auto was kept and knowing that the car had been driven, Mr. Gwin would never have known positively who had taken it. Payne returned to Rensselaer some time Saturday night or Sunday and was arrested and placed in jail. Both were arraigned before Judge Hanley Monday morning and bond fixed at SI,OOO each. Their cases were set for trial on next Monday at 2 p. m. In default of bond both were returned to jail. Payne’s sister, Bertha Payne, who cond cts the State”s Hotel in Hammbnd, came down Monday to bail her brother but. She showed by her bank book-'that she had something like $950- on deposit in one of the Hammond banks, and she wanted to put up a cash bond, j$lOQ cash ana a check for S9OO. 'The clerk called the Hammond bank and found that while she had the money there it was not subject ! to check. She returned home and ( expected to get the matter fixed up Iso that she could make the check jgood yesterday morning, which she ! did and Payne was released. j Chestnut, who was born and ■raised here and is about 35 years of age, has been in a number of ■similar scrapes heretofore and is said to have taken private cars from garages here where he has been employed or which he has secured possession of through false

representations . and driven them out on trips of this kind. Among the cars that he is alleged to have taken without authority were those of Ed Oliver, Devere Yeoman, E. L. Hollingsworth, Delos Thompson and Fred Phillips. The parties were induced not to prosecute and Chestnut has therefore evaded punishment. He was also charged with having stolen some articles from a touring car which stopped here) over night a few years ago, and, while arrested for thig theft he was ' released under a suspended) sentence. He is a sergeant in the local militia company, and is a > mechanic capable .of making good , wages. However, his . inordinate thirst for intoxicating liquors has j practically made him a public nuisance.. The general opinion is, that he will now be given a few years’, residence at the state institution at Michigan City to ruminate on‘the way of the transgressor. Payne is also well known in Rensselaer, which has been his home practically all his life, and he was sued for divorce by his wife only last week on the charge of desertion. He is of about the same age as Chestnut, but so far as known has net been in any trouble before.’ His ’friends think that he had nothing to do with the actual taking of the car, but simply was invited to go along with Chestnut on the trip, not knowing that the car had been “borrowed’’ Without the owner’s consent. The state will contend, however, that he was with Chestnut whfeh the car was taken and is, therefore, equally guilty with him. Chestnut has engaged John A. Dunlap to conduct his defense, dnd Payne has employed W. H. Parkison. ' ■_