THREE ADMIT LENERTZ (sic) TORTURE, OTHER ACTS Faulty Alibis Trap Trio in Roxbury Plot Farm Youths Confess Series of Minor Thefts When Stories Collapse; Sentence Deferred By Kenneth R. Kennedy Three 22-year-old youths pleaded guilty in superior court today to the attempted "torture robbery" of Mr. and Mrs. Mike Lenertz (sic), Roxbury, last Saturday night. The three are: John G. Dresen, Jr., 22, Martinsville Elmer Greiber, 22, town of Roxbury Norbert Theis, 22, Marxville. Sentence was deferred by Judge Roy H. Proctor this morning after they had entered their pleas and had given statements to the court, Sheriff Fred T. Finn, and William Treichel, assistant district attorney, in which they admitted a number of minor thefts in the district about their homes. Alibis Collapse Sheriff Finn and Deputy Melvin Bailey arrested the trio Wednesday, and faulty alibis of Greiber and Theis resulted in their confessions. Greiber confessed at 4:30 p. m. Wednesday, implicating the other two. Theis admitted his part in the Lenertz (sic) store robbery at 11 p. m. Dresen did not confess to the officers but pleaded guilty in court today. Greiber and Theis were questioned by the officers Monday but were not taken into custody until Wednesday when intensive investigation revealed the flaws in their alibis. Suspicion first turned to them because they were known to have carried guns at times. Only two men entered the store, and Dresen was not under suspicion until his part in the affair was revealed by Theis and Greiber. He carried the only gun in the party. The boys planned the robbery a week ago Tuesday and put their plan into execution last Saturday night, but were frightened off when Lenertz (sic) kicked over the show case. Dresen on Probation Dresen was arrested last summer as one of a gang in the town of Roxbury which had committed a number of robberies, chiefly of gas from automobiles. He was placed on probation. According to Greiber and Theis, he was the only armed member of the trio and it was he who struck Lenertz (sic) over the head with the weapon and otherwise mistreated the storekeeper in an effort to force him to reveal where his money was hidden. The youths were arrested by Sheriff Finn and Melvin Bailey after three days of intensive investigation. Exchanged Machines According to the story told to the sheriff, Dresen drove to the Joseph Kipley (sic) farm near Roxbury where Greiber works, picked up Greiber, and drove to Marxville, where they found Theis. Driving to Roxbury, they left Dresen's machine parked about a mile from the village and went to the Lenertz (sic) store in Theis' car. Mr. and Mrs. Lenertz (sic) were just closing their store when the two bandits appeared and held them up. Lenertz (sic) tried to reach the telephone, and Dresen knocked him down with the butt of his gun, according to the story told the sheriff. The telephone was jerked from the wall. While they were struggling with Lenertz (sic), the show case fell and the bandits fled, according to Greiber and Theis. Alibi Stories Leaky Greiber and Theis were questioned by the sheriff and Bailey on Monday and they had alibi stories which had large loopholes in them according to the sheriff. Wednesday the sheriff brought in Greiber and after several hours of questioning, he confessed. Theis confessed late Wednesday night. Greiber first told the sheriff that on the night of the robbery he told Kippley he intended to go to town and get a hair cut. Kippley offered to loan him his car, but Greiber said his brother would come after him. He walked out to the road, and Kippley did not see whether he got into a car or not. He came back two and a half hours later, saying he had been home and had taken a bath. He claimed he had walked both ways, but Sheriff Finn found a witness who said he saw a car waiting for him outside the Kippley gate. The sheriff also had found his sheepskin coat with a spot of blood on one sleeve. Greiber First to Confess Faced with these facts, Greiber confessed, implicating the other two. Theis claimed he had left his home to go to town and started back almost immediately. However, he did not return home for more than two hours, and explained the lapse of time by claiming he had to stop on the road to fix his carburetor. Several motorists who passed by the place where he stopped reported that they had seen the car parked there that night. The sheriff also discovered that the carburetor on the machine had not been touched. That blasted his alibi, according to the sheriff. Dresen Claims Alibi Dresen claims that he was at home all night Saturday. Greiber and Theis also confessed they took some goods from the Sears Roebuck store here, according to the sheriff. Some of the goods, including a pair of rubber gloves, were found in Greiber's ..., according to Finn. After the robbery, the trio drove to Sauk City. Afterwards Greiber said he and Dresen drove back to Roxbury to see what was going on as a result of the attempted robbery. Wisconsin State Journal, 2 Mar 1933, p. 1, col. 3 and p. 7. col. 1