Fifth Arrest Made in Theft of Army Pistols, Clothing, Feb. 1, 1921

Fayetteville, Jan. 29—Melvin Baker, the fifth arrested in connection with the theft of a large quantity of army pistols and ammunition from a box car here, was brought back to this city Saturday from Savannah, Ga., by two United States deputy marshals. Baker was taken into custody in the Georgia city Friday and brought direct to Fayetteville. A hearing will probably be given Baker and the four other negroes under arrest Monday morning before U.S. Commissioner W.S. Cook.

The first of the arrests were made by Atlantic Coast Line Detective J.H. Benton when he secreted himself under a freight car on the A.C.L. yards here to watch for a negro who had just jumped from the car, and found two other negroes hiding there. Police Officers McQuage and Campbell the following day picked up clues that led to the discovery of one of the biggest hauls in local police annals.

A wide variety of goods stolen from freight cars, including 75 colt army pistols, was found hidden in an unused servants’ house on the premises of Mrs. W.L. Holt on Haymount where they had been secretly stored. The other articles included shoes, men’s clothing and women’s waring apparel. The army pistolds found in the house were consigned to the Fifth Field Artillery at Camp Bragg. The pistols alone were worth $2,000 to $3,000. A Quantity of ammunition was also found. Each of the negroes arrested carried one of the revolvers, it is alleged.

From the front page of The Dunn Dispatch, February 1, 1921