A Crushed Finger Gave the Safecracker Away

The police think that the arrest of Albert Johnson, a heavy, thick-set man, by Officer Brown yesterday afternoon will have the effect of breaking up a gang of safe crackers who are supposed to have been planning a raid on neighboring towns. A kit of cleverly made cracksmen’s tools was captured, and that they belong to the prisoner there can be little doubt.

The burglary of Frank M. Sherrard’s store at Kent last June led to the capture, and, unless the police have been greatly misled, Johnson is the man who, with an accomplice, committed the crime. Johnson was captured and locked up, but during the night his partner came back to town and assisted in his escape. A description of the escaped prisoner was sent to the police here, and the fact that the third finger of his left hand was crushed was mentioned.

Yesterday morning Officer Brown and the lieutenant on watch went to a cabin on Railroad avenue, where Johnson was living with two other men, but found the place vacant. On the wall hung a coat in the pocket of which were found two fine skeleton keys, two drills that would be effective for ordinary safe work, a bottle of powder and a paper sack full of the same stuff. These were wrapped in a striped piece of silk. Officer Brown lay in waiting for his man for three hours, but he did not come back. In the afternoon, however, Johnson appeared on the street and was arrested.

The officer says Johnson admitted ownership of the coat from which the tools were taken, and at headquarters a piece of cloth like that in which the tools were wrapped was found upon his person. Capt. Hogle asked Johnson to hold out his left hand. The prisoner did so, and there was the crushed finger given in the description from Kent. Johnson was perfectly self-possessed and laughingly told the captain that he had been in Kent within two months. Although there is no doubt that the tools found are those intended for safe-cracking, the police will have hard work to make a case.