Launch Thieves Captured And Sentenced.

Thursday night of last week a 26 ft. launch belonging to Arthur Witte, of Blaine, and a 20 ft. launch belonging to John Stevenson, also of Blaine, were stolen from their mooring place near the Smiley cannery in the harbor there and the thieves started off with them across the gulf, heading for this county. They lost the smaller launch by the breaking of the towline and it was found the next day in Birch Hay. Two of the three men in the gang, which included also one woman and a boy, then got into the large launch and ran it to Patos island where they beached it, took out the 5 h.p. engine and all other equipment and buried the eugine in the sand, where it was found Sunday by Mr. Witte who had fortunately started in the right direction in his search and obtained some information about the thieves from some fishermen. The gang then came down to Orcas island and anchored their little fleet in Deer Harbor where they were discovered Sunday afternoon by Lieut. Seiter, of the Guard, who came here and reported the matter to the civil authorities and returned with Sheriff' Boyce and Mr. Witte for furthei investigation. The members of the gang were all brought here under arrest and kn.pt under nlttse guard until Tuesday morning when they were taken to Bellingham by the Guard and turned over to the authorities there by Sheriff Boyce. On the way over all three of the men —Philip Sheridan, Albert E. Olsen and Frank Pulis, admitted their guilt to the officers accompanying them, and on their arrival in Bellingham they were immediately taken to the court house and arraigned in the superior court where they all plead guilty and were given indeterminate sentences of two to fifteen years in the state reformatory at Monroe.

Sheridan turned over his launch to Mr. Witte as compensation for the loss of his hull and Pulis authorized the sale of his and the payment of the proceeds to his wife, who lives on Hood's canal, with one child. He has written her advising her to return to her parents at Dcs Moines, lowa. The woman with the gang is the wife of Olsen, who is a young man of intelligence and good appearance. All three of the men are under thirty years of age.

[NOTE: Frank Pulis was the brother of Charles C. Pulis]

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