Windham County Observer

Fingerprint Man From State Police Headquarters Takes Hand In Probe After Fifth Break.

Gets Prints At Filling Station Latest Burglary Boldly Perpetrated.-Entrance Made As Station Attendant Leaves For Lunch.

State and Putnam police turned to more scientific methods of crime detection yesterday in an effort to put a stop to a series of burglaries which have occurred in Putnam during the past week. The latest move by authorities followed on the heels of a burglary early yesterday morning at the Gulf filling station located at the corner of Front and South Main Streets.

Officer Chameroy of state police headquarters at Hartford, a fingerprint expert, was sent to Putnam yesterday to aid investigators. He took several prints at the Gulf station and when he had completed his work, he returned to Hartford to develop the prints and compare them with prints of suspects taken by the Putnam police.

The break at the Gulf station was the latest of a series which have occurred in the downtown section of the city within the past few days. It occurred about 3 a. m., while the night attendant, Arthur Auclair, was at a lunch cart nearby. Auclair locked the door of the station before leaving but left a rear window open. It is thought that the thieves gained entrance through the window. They jimmied a cash drawer in the station, which the attendant had locked before leaving, and made good their escape with $25 in currency. About $12 in coin was left behind in the drawer as the thieves made their getaway.

The night attendant discovered the break when he returned to the station. He reported to police immediately and Sergeant Homer Breault and Patrolman Leo DuBois investigated. State police were called into the case the following morning when Capt. Harry Wallen of the Putnam department began an investigation. Policeman Henry Zehrer is assisting Capt. Wallen in the investigation.

One burglary and two attempted breaks were committed Friday morning at the Charron insurance agency and at the Montville barber shop and the Keroack insurance agency. Armand Montville, proprietor of the barber shop, reported that a second attempt had been made to enter his place of business Saturday night.

Series Of Breaks In Downtown Area Reported To Police

Burglars Get $50 At Insurance Office.-Frustrated In Attempt To Break Into Two Other Places Of Business.

No clues of importance had been found up to today by Putnam police investigating a burglary at the Charron insurance office in the Victory Theater Building and two other attempted breaks on the same evening at other places of business in the downtown section of the city.

The burglars jimmed a door to get into the insurance office, police said. James J. Charron, who conducts the agency, reported the burglary to the police and said that $50 in cash was missing. The money was left the night before in an envelope in a desk drawer in the office, according to the proprietor.

Two other attempted breaks were reported to have occurred the same evening, police said. The Armand Montville barber shop in the White Front Building on Pomfret Street was the scene of one of these attempted breaks. Marks of a jimmy were found on the door but the burglars were apparently unsuccessful in gaining entrance. Another attempt was made at the office of the Napoleon A. Keroack, Inc., insurance agency in the Bradley Theater building on Front Street. Marks of a jimmy were also found on the door of the office but the burglars were either frustrated in their attempt to gain entrance or scared off and left without getting into the office.

Police said that the Charron burglary and the other attempted breaks were apparently made by the same party. Marks of a jimmy, found on the doors of all three places of business, corresponded.

The burglary and attempted breaks are being investigated by Capt. Harry Wallen.