Try To Escape After

Coming Chief Harmening.

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CHOSE RESULTS IN

CAPTURE OF MAN

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Hearing Held Tuesday When Sum Of $3000.

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New Ulm was visited Saturday morning by two men who were trying out a short changing stunt, They were unsuccessful in their attempts to make a one dollar green back look like a five dollar bill and after attempting to pass the bills in several stores they were discovered and tried to make their getaway in a Ford Coupe. The car was equipped with special manifold and accelerator They drove east of the city over a rough road across rougher pasture land, down a creek and into a snow bank with the result that they had to abandon the car and run. One man was captured but the second fellow got away safely.

The man who was capture d by Ed Wagner and Wm. Backer gave his name as George P. Clavria 1400 Yale Place, Minneapolis. He said that his companion was Floyd Peters, also of Minneapolis. The Ford Coupe had a South Dakota license. Clavria was arrested about 7 miles east of New Ulm.

The two men entered this city in the Ford coupe about ten o’clock Saturday morning. They parked the car near a filling station, and went into a store. After they had made a small purchase one of the men handed the storekeeper a ten dollar bill, The salesman handed him in return a five, and a couple of one dollar bills with some small change One of the men took the change and bills, and then handed them back to the proprietor saying that he had the exact change for the purchase. When the storekeeper examined the change he found the $5 bill missing and a $1 bill in its place.

After the two men left the first store they tried “their stunt” in other business places. Chief Harmening was notified of the presence of the men and followed one man to the Central Grocery. He arrived just as Mr. Dietz had given the man change. ‘The Chief said to the proprietor “Watch your change.” When he heard that the stranger started to run and the Chief followed. When Clavria and Peters saw the officer after them they started for their auto which they had parked in front of the Commercial Hotel. One man reached the Ford coupe and was able to get inside, but the other one was caught by the officer just as he reached the car.

The pursuing officer nabbed the culprit by the coat just as the latter reached the machine. Seeing that he could not get into the car, and that his partner had started the motor, the man threw himself over the hood of the car just as it started, and the Chief’s feet were run over.

New Ulm Review,

February 25, 1925

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