Thursday, June 04, 2009

A Weighty Crime - Vancouver BC Canada - 1909

Heading out later to the Vancouver Police Museum, so while searching newspapers on-line this morning for family information, I noticed this very 'graphic' Vancouver crime story right away. I can almost picture the capture and the scene later at Police Headquarters too. (None of these men - police or criminals - are related to me, as far as I know.)

Charged With Stealing Lead

Vancouver, Oct. 15—A ton of bar lead is piled up at police headquarters awaiting identification by the owner, and John Smith and Jas. Duncan Wallace are in jail accused of theft. At a late hour last night the prisoners were caught unloading the lead from a boat in False Creek at the foot of Campbell avenue. An express wagon was waiting for the load. Waterfront pirating has long puzzled the police. Of late it has become frequent, and detectives nightly have been on the watch. Last night, Detectives McDonald and Perry were set to watch on the east banks of False Creek, and on their rounds discovered an express wagon hitched at the foot of the avenue. No owner was in sight. The muffled dip of oars came to the detectives’ ears as they lay in wait. Soon a boat landed, and the two occupants went feverishly to work unloading the heavy bars of Trail smelter lead. The detectives did not spring their trap until the two men had loaded the wagon. Then with drawn revolvers they appeared, and placed the suspects under arrest. In the police court this morning, the case was adjourned to give the police more time to investigate.

Victoria Daily Colonist, 16 October 1909, p. 5
Located in The British Colonist, Online Edition, 1858-1910

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