Train looting 1923

PENDAK, RYAN, CLAY, JONES, HOMES, ADAMS

Posted By: Sharyl Ferrall (email)
Date: 5/15/2006 at 06:07:57

Probe Reveals Train Looting on Huge Scale.
Iowa Jury Indicts 3 for Receiving Goods Stolen From Freight Cars on Upper River -- 4 of Alleged Band Now in Prison.
Bulk of $20,000 Loot Not Found.

McGregor, Iowa, June 1 -- A story of train looting almost unparalleled in the upper Mississippi valley is being revealed here with the returning of indictments by the Allamakee county grand jury as the result of investigations conducted by railroad detectives for the last six months. More than $20,000 worth of loot, it is estimated, has been taken from freight trains on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroad between St. Paul and Savannah, Ill., and on the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul road between St. Paul and Dubuque.

Four members of an alleged band of robbers now are in prison on their pleas of guilty to stealing merchandise from trains. They are Alexander Pendak, arrested at La Crosse, sentenced to three years at Waukon; Mike Ryan of Garvia, Iowa, and Henry Clay and John Jones of McGregor, sentenced to six months each.

Three Indicted.
The grand jury has returned indictments against Mr. and Mrs. Henry Homes and C.H. Adams, of McGregor, on charges of receiving, buying and concealing stolen goods and additional indictments are expected. The loot of the car robbers consisted chiefly of caps, shoes, shirts and furlined coats. Some of the goods was found to have been stolen from the Wabasha Mercantile company at Wabasha, Minn.

The bulk of the loot has not yet been found. Most of it, detectives believe, is hidden in a warehouse in the hills of northeastern Iowa. The loot generally was obtained from freight cars on sidings, including cars in the yards below La Crescent, Minn.

-source: Winona Daily Republican, Winona, Minnesota; June 1, 1923