Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 July 1920 — MENDER OF HAND OF THIEVES [ARTICLE]

MENDER OF HAND OF THIEVES

Has Confessed Implicating the Auto Thieves in Jail Here. In speaking further of the arrest of the two young men now in jail here for the theft of Arthur Cooper’s car at Morocco July 5, the Starke County Democrat of July 21 says: On Sunday morning an auto load of citizens from Morocco visited Sheriff Rodgers in regard to the work of these very same boys. When Mr. Cooper returned to his home with his car he found under the back seat and in the .tool box a number of things which were not his. In one place he found a box of jewelry, in another some clothing. He went to Morocco and reported his find. It was soon identified as some of the goods stolen from a Morocco home on July 5 or 6. The authorities then began to investigate the records of these chaps and found that the gun taken from young Manis was the one stolen from this same home. It now looks as though the het has begun to tighten around the boys and Sheriff Rodgers believes the lads are sure to get to serve time either for one charge or perhaps both. The Newton county papers state that through the efforts of Charles Medland of Starke county and Sheriff Gardner of Newton county a confession has been obtained from a young man in Chicago who was a companion of Manis and Casper, which discloses that the two latter were members of an organized band of automobile thieves who had stolen many cars in this section of the state and had its rendezvous near Knox, the stolen cars being disposed of in Chicago. The man who has confessed has not yet been arrested nor has his identity been disclosed, but his story is of great importance and he has agreed to go into court and tell the whole story of the automobile thieves’ syndicate. The property which the Starke County Democrat states was tolen from a home in Morocco, was stolen from the home of Boyd Welshaar at Brook, Instead, and Caspar had previously worked for Weishaar and knew the lay of the house. Manis and Caspar are soon to be re-arrested on a more serious charge in order that they may be held without “bond, it is said.