Mrs. Carol MacBeth, arrested in a raid on her home in Sterling Wednesday, pale and haggard after two sleepless nights, was removed from the Lee County jail at 10 o'clock this morning by Sheriff Boyd Kimmell of Whiteside County to be taken to the Morrison jail. It was indicated that she was to be arraigned today in Morrison where bond had been sent at $25,000 and attorney Robert Besse of Sterling had been retained to defend both the woman and Emery Loundsbury, parolee.
During questioning yesterday afternoon the woman was said to have given no information which would shed any light on the series of robberies which have taken place in at least five northwest Illinois counties over a period of two years, or explain the presence of thousands of dollars worth of loot found in her home. The cache was said to be the largest ever recovered in a single raid in this section and took sheriffs from several counties to Sterling throughout yesterday who sought to identify property reported to have been stolen in the past several months.
Mrs. MacBeth, former time keeper at the Green River Ordance Plant was reported to have spent two very restless and almost sleepless nights since being brought to the Lee County Jail Wednesday night to be held for Whiteside County authorities. She conversed little when questioned and her answers were said to have been evasive. She expressed a desire to talk to Loundsbury before next Tuesday it was reported.
Yesterday afternoon States Attorney Morey Pires and Chief Deputy Sheriff Charles Redebaugh of Lee County went to Sterling where they conversed briefly with Loundsbury. Today Redebaugh stated that the prisoner and ex-convict talked freely of robbing four places in Harmon last April. These were the Considine Tavern where Loundsbury emphatically stated that he took no liquor, the Berhandt Hardware Store, Smallwood Implement Store and the Bontz confectionary and grocery store. All of these places he stated he robbed alone with no accomplices. He also admitted robbing the Ell road house west of Dixon on the Lincoln Highway a few weeks ago. Questioned about other robberies in Dixon and other Lee county towns he denied having been implicated in them.
He is being held on $25,000 bond.
Dixon Evening Telegraph 10 September 1948
A woman who law enforcement officials of this area refer to as "Velma Wallace" has been questioned in connection with a series of burglaries and two unsolved murders in this area, it was revealed today. Taken to the crime detection bureau in Chicago yesterday, she refused to submit to a lie detector test Cheif Deputy Sheriff Willard Buright of Oregon stated this morning.
Velma and Emery Lounsbury were taken to Chicago by Sheriff Boyd Kimmell where they were questioned in connection with the Mary Jane Reed and Stanley Skridka double murders near Oregon last June.
The Wallace woman was reported to have appeared in the picture prior to the raid on the home of Carol MacBeth.
Dixon Evening Telegraph 23 September 1948
The best the Sterling machinst can hope for is release on parole at the end of 27 years. He was paroled from prison last year after serving a term for automobile theft. Prior to his sentencing yesterday, Lounsbury changed his original plea from innocent to guilty.
Lounsbury had been indicted on 5 counts of burglary, larceny and violation of the habitual criminal act.
Judge Klingbiel told Lounsbury yesterday he was unable to find a reason why a man who is a fine mechanic and electrician and able to make a good living saw fit to prey upon property of other people in Whiteside and neighboring counties.
The chunky machinist who had appeared nervous at his recent arraingnment in Dixon broke into tears when Judge Klingbiel pronounced sentence. He was taken to Joliet last night by Whiteside County oficials.
Lounsbury was arrested early Sept. 9 in Sterling after a tip authorities reportedly received from a jealous woman friend led them to the home of another friend Mrs. Carol MacBeth in Sterling where they recovered loot valued at more than $10,000.
Mrs. MacBeth is scheduled to stand trial before Judge Klingbiel in Morrison Nov. 8 without jury, charged with burglarly, larceny and concealing stolen property. She is free on $5,000 bond.
Mrs. Velma Wallace, 28, of Sterling known as the "mystery woman" in the case has also been arrested and faces grand jury action in Bureau County, where two burglary victim have identified her as the woman who assisted Lounsbury in crimes committed there. She is free on $3,000 bond.
After his capture Lounsbury told authorities of his forays in Lee, Whiteside, Bureau, Ogle and Rock Island Counties. He had admitted officials said, burglaries of the Bontz grocery, Smallwood Hardware store, Behrandts Hardware, and Considines tavern in Harman as well as the Tyclub west of Dixon.
When arraigned Lounsbury pleaded Not Guilty on all charges. Ogle and Bureau Counties are undecided on their plans for prosecuting Lounsbury. Meanwhile and valuable stamp and coin collection which Lounsbury reportedly gave Mrs. MacBeth was seized yesterday by Whiteside Co. Authorities after Raymond Graham, Deer Grove tavern operator who lost $2600 in cash filed suit and received a writ of attachment for any personal property Lounsbury might possess.
Dixon Evening Telegraph 19 October 1948
The Illinois Supreme Court reversed the conviction of Carol MacBeth of Sterling who received a 2 to 5 year sentence on a charge of receiving stolen property.
The court said it does not believe she was proved guilty as required by law.
She was sentenced in March 1949 by the Whiteside County circuit court on charges of receiving a portable typewriter, a cash register, and a pen type tear gas gun, articles valued at $285.
The supreme court said the articles were found in her house but that evidence failed to disclose beyond a reasonable doubt she knew the property was stolen or was receiving it for her own gain.
The 37 year old McBeth woman formerly was employed by the Illinois Public Aid Commission at Morrison and by the U.S. Treasury Department.
The tribunal remanded the case to the lower court, leaving any further action up to that court.
Dixon Evening Telegraph 22 March 1950
