Alton Democrat newspaper
Dated March 1907
Dick and Gerrit Ruisch were successful in capturing two burglars who had stolen $200 worth of goods from the Henry Warntjes store at Maurice.
The men crammed the stuff into two gunny sacks and walked down the Northwestern track ‘til they came to the Dick Ruisch home a mile west of Alton.
They crawled into the hay mow and hid their goods under six feet of hay and went to sleep. They overslept and were found by Mr. Ruisch.
They claimed they had been put off the train between Alton and Orange City. They were well dressed, and Mr. Ruisch was suspicious but said nothing when they paid for their breakfast and left in the direction of Alton.
In the afternoon B. Kuyper, working on the Ruisch place “dug up the loot” from the hay. Mr. Ruisch at once hitched up and started for Orange City to see Sheriff Schaap. A trap was set for the men, who returned that night to claim their booty.
The Ruisch brothers, armed with shotguns, spotted the robbers under a wagon on the yard. The big one said he had left his working clothes in the barn and had come after them.
The boys took them to the house and mounted a guard until the officers came. When searched, a 48-calibert Colt revolver was found on the big fellow, and four stolen watches were taken from their clothes.
Sheriff Schaap and Marshal Duger of Alton took them to jail.
[Submitted by Barbara Hessel, 16 Mar 2006] |
