Take Car From Garage At Home On North Minnesota Street.

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FOILED IN ATTEMPT TO ROB GROCERY CO.

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Extra Bolts On Door Prevent Burglars From Entering.

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Reappearance of a gang of thieves who have been making a specialty of stealing cars and breaking into the local grocery company was evidenced Sunday night when the car of L. A. Mills, manager of the New Ulm Rural Telephone Co. was stolen and an attempt to enter the New Ulm Grocery Co. was made.

Take For-Dor Sedan.

Mr. Mills and his family had re-turned from a trip to St. Peter and it was about 10:30 in the evening when Mr. Mills put his car in the garage at his home at 620 So. Minnesota St. Upon getting up Monday morning he was at first undecided as to whether he would take the car or not but finally decided he would and upon going to the garage found that the car was gone.

He immediately notified the local authorities and Deputy Sheriff Gieseke immediately went to the Mills home and traced the tracks of the car. From the appearance of the tracks it was assumed that the culprits had taken the car and pushed it down towards the hill on Minnesota Street and then started it by going down the hill leading to German Street. On German Street they turned North.

Try To Enter Grocery Co.

In the meantime Chief of Police Alwin Harmening had been notified that an attempt had been made to enter the New Ulm Grocery Co. Investigation was made immediately and here the authorities found that the thieves by using auger and chisel had cut an opening of about six inches square in the double door on the side facing Minnesota Street. The lock was then jimmied open from the inside but the men found themselves stumped for the door was fastened with a couple of additional bolt locks on the top and bottom of the door and it was impossible to get these open without considerable trouble and they were no doubt unaware of these bolts being there.

Find Car Tracks.

Deputy Sheriff W. H. Gieseke began to hunt around for car tracks and found two tracks made by Miller Tires, which was the kind Mr. Mills had on his ear, on the opposite side of the building where it seemed a car had stood in a patch of grass. The tracks led down towards the Eagle Mills and it was presumed that this was no doubt the road taken by the partially foiled bandits.

Is New Car.

The sedan which was stolen from Mr. Mills was a new For-dor sedan which he had purchased the beginning of January this year. It was equipped with oversize Miller tires and also had a vulcanized spare tire. The motor number of the car was 8,886,650 and it bore the license number 17-480 B. By some fortunate motive Mr. Mills had his car insured about a month ago and does not have to bear the entire loss alone.

Several Similar Cases.

It will be remembered that several similar cases occurred here about a year ago when several cars were stolen and with each theft of a car there also was an entry made into the Grocery Co. plant where cigarettes and other valuables were taken. It was thought however, that this gang had been put out of commission with the arrest of several parties at the time of the last robbery but these parties proved an alibi and were never convicted. The cars in each instance were recovered and it is the general opinion of the local authorities that Mr. Mills car will also be recovered soon. A $25.00 reward has been offered for the recovery of the car.

Mrs. Herman Langhoff reported to the Review office that the thieves had also broken into their garage on South German Street. The lock was demolished but as the car was not in the garage it could not be taken. Mr. Langhoff is at present employed in the country and he had taken the car with him when he went to work. Mrs. Langhoff’s son Gustav, had been visiting with her on Sunday and had been contemplating staying in New Ulm over night and leaving the car in the garage but luckily changed his mind or else it might have cost him his new Ford.

From the Langhoff place the thieves went to the Baptist Groebner garage but here they were likewise foiled as the car was not in the garage. The possibilities are that they were wandering around that end of the city and being foiled in two attempts noticed Mr. Mills drive home in his sedan and so went after it.

New Ulm Review,

July 2, 1924

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