Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 June 1917 — BURGLARS VISIT SEVERAL PLACES [ARTICLE]

BURGLARS VISIT SEVERAL PLACES

Sscured About S3OO From Hilliard & Hamill. ESCAPE ON RAILWAY SPEEDER Two Negroes Who Reached Fair Oaks on Such a Car and Took Train for Chicago Are Suspected. .» Rensselaer was visited by burglars Friday night who succeeded in entering several places and making their getaway with the plunder. The places concerned were Hilliard & Hamill’s clothing store, E. S. Rhoads’ grocery store, Farmers’ Grain company office and S. P. Hilliard’s home. Just w r hat the plunder is has not been made public entirely, Mr. Hilliard, probably the heaviest loser, declining to make a statement concerning his loss. • Entrance to the Rhoads’ grocery was made by removing a pane of glass from a rear window, the burglars crawling through the hole thus made. In making their exit they unlocked the rear dooi' on the inside and walked out. Here the robbers opened the safe, pried open drawers and scattered papers about. They took some $2 or $3 in change from the cash register. In an inner compartment of the shfe was a considerable sum of money but td all appearance the thieves were without tools and no effort was made to force the small steel door thereto, which would have been easy work for professionals. They also took a small quantity of cheese here, leaving their finger prints, which are being i preserved. At the Hilliard & Hamill store entrance was gained by forcing a rear window. Some instrument was pushed through the bottom of the upper sash and the latch on top of the lower sash opened, permitting the window tp be raised with ease. The burglars then went after the cash register, which is a large one with several drawers, all made of wood. Each of these 'drawers were forced open and the contents of value removed. It is reported that in the neighborhood of S3OO was secured here, altohiugh Mr. Hilliard refuses to either affirm or deny this. However, it was generally known that he had charge of considerable Red Cross money, which probably attracted the thieves. Mr. Hilliard’s home on College avenue was not entered but at the rear door marks were found showing where an attempt had been made to jimmy the same. The grain office was entered in the same manner as Hilliard &. Hamill’s store, and 75 cents in change and $1 worth of stamps taken. The safe was unlocked and the burglars had opened this and ransacked the interior in search of money. It is the policy of the grain company to leave no cash in the safe or to lock it at night. It was the intention to secure bloodhounds and trail the culprits but a rain Saturday forenoon made this impossible. Saturday noon word came from Fair Oaks that two negroes had appeared there early that morning on a speeder which had been taken in the Monon yards at this place, and that they had taken one of the morning trains for Chicago. Mr. Hilliard, accompanied by J. J. Montgomery and L. A. Harmon, went to Fair Oaks immediately but presumably learned nothing of value. .Whether or not the negroes are the ones who really committed the thefts is not known, although some indications point that way. However, one of the principal victims scouts this idea, as there is some evidence tending to show that the thieves knew of the presence of Red Cross money in Mr. Hilliard’s store, and this would have been highly improbable with the two negroes, as there is not a single person who saw either of them about town and they therefore had no chance to learn about this money. Neither would they have known where Mr. Hilliard lived, as seems

probable in the attempt to enter his house. . Every effort is being made to capture the thieves, whoever they are, and it is not at all improbable that they will be behind the bars before long. Mr. Hilliard assures us -that he is leaving no stone unturned to that end and is confident of success. Detective William Weinhardt has returned from Rensselaer where he was called Saturday to investigate several robberies that took place there Friday night. A clothing store, a grocery store and an elevator were robbed, the burglars securing about S3OO in all. After the burglars had finished their work they stole a railroad speeder and ran to Fair Oaks, and then took a passenger train from there to Chicago.—Lafayette Journal. Mr. Weinhardt was called here by Sheriff McColly to assist him in rounding up the thieves. Two Monon detectives were also sent here from Lafayette, and they went on to Chicago Sunday on instructions from President Kurrie to assist in tracing the thieves. Mr. McColly was in Lafayette Monday night, at which time the two detectives were still in Chicago, he stated.