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Loudonville's Chief Nabs Criminals Passing; Through Village— ••—w—^ —-— cOfficers In Area Proud of Observant ‘RineyBy BILL HERRING News-Joumal Slate Editor An outstanding example of a small-town policeman is K. G. (Riney) Schnittke, Loudonviile’s chief of police.Schnittke has been on the force for 17 years and chief since Jan. 8, 1945. His lather, the late R. G. Schnittke Sr., was Loudonville’s night policeman for 24 years — serving 10 years ahead of his son. Riney, who started as night policeman and served as head of the Flxible Co. plant protection force during wartime, has attended all area FBI schools. Despite his envious criminal-catching record, Schnittke is proudest of organizing the Lou-donville schoolboy patrol m 1944, He still works with them daily during the school year. It is common talk in Loudonville that Riney knows more about the village’s children than their parents do.“In olden days children were taught to fear policemen,” Riney said. “Now I can’t enter a single street wjthout my cruiser being stopped amid cnes of “Hiya Riney’ from three and four-year-olds“We're proud of the school safety patrol which hasn't had a single accident since its formation. Civic clubs and the Loudonville Chamber of Commerce encourage the youngsters by taking members to Cleveland baseball games and other appealing events.”His police booth, opposite his cruiser at Main and Water Sts. is a mecca for young cyclists as they get downtown The children never interfere with his duties, or radio messages, and frequently provide valuable tips.has the usual run of diunken ar-lests and killing mad dogs, so his is a veisaiile life as policeman.Schnittke started keeping a scrapbook of his exploits ttvo years after joining the department. “I never keep track of my arrests”, Riney stated “My three grandchildren pay more attention to the scrapbook than I do.’f Riney lives here with his wife while their daughter, Mrs. Ruth Mae Weiss, and the grandchil-dien reside in Salem. Their son, James W., died of diphtheria in 1929 when 13 months of age.Not only does Riney apprehend criminals but stolen loot has been recovered through his ‘eagle eye’ methods. One time he stopped a truck with §1,800 worth of paint taken from a Newark dealer.‘T get them as they come through Loudonville.” is Rinev’s answer as to the query as to howhe attains such an envious record.Ashland Sets Scout Rallv* c.UNCANNY AT SPOTTING CRIMINALS — Loudonville’s police chief, R. G (Riney) Schnittke, is pictured behind the wheel of his police cruiser at Mam and Water Sts. in the Ashland county village He has spotted numerous wanted criminals and brought about their arrest to become a legend in Mansfield area policedepartments.:One of my most gruelling cases was in taking John Sopkp, 33, Akion safeblower ” Schnittke explained, “He was wanted elsewhere but I got him for the blowing a safe containing $.1,100 in the Loudonville Equity budding At one time I went 56 hours without relief clinching the case against Sopko ”“You should have seen the expression of relief on the face of a Ravenna motorist I pulled over to the curb to inform himhe was wanted at home, due to an illne'ss^in the lamily,” Riney chuckled. “He thought I was going to pin a traffic violation on him — X received radioed word to watch for the car with his license number and give the driver that message.”J-aGunfights are common during his official tours of duty. Riney bears but one scar — a no e wound suffered in 1935 when he captured a Purple Gangster from Detroit. The assailant, Frank Willard, was wanted following an t armed robbery in Wayne county.“I just ‘feel’ there is something phoney about the wanted men I’ve' helped retur.. behind bars,” Schnittke explained. “Some are furtive, others just dumb — Hke using truck license plates on a passenger car. I jot down license numbers of cars I'm suspicious of and often a radioed report soon arrives and I narrow the hunt down to this territory.“The village is plarning on installing a two-way radio in my cruiser,” Riney continued. “It will be on the Ashland county sheriff’s department wave length. The State Highway patrol broadcasts often are tardyreaching me as they notify their barracks first “Millersburg ChurchTwice Riney has ligured prominently m apprehending burglarsof the Arnholt Clothing store In 1942 he captured three Cleveland Negroes at 4 a. m. as they were forcing entrance into the store The Loudonville Chamber of Commerce this year commended him for his efforts in tracking the Columbus brothers who broke into the store the night of March 14 and fled with $3,000 worth of clothingDuring that day Schnittke had noticed three men and a woman riding around Loudonville in a car bearing West Virginia plates. Riney discovcr-ered how the burglars gained entrance upstairs and checked the West Virginia plates.They u ere issued to an auto rental agency and a trip to Wheeling provided the names of the brothers ^later caught withsome of the stolen merchandise m their car. The brothers, Charles. 34. and James Harley, 21, were sentenced a month after the buiglary, on April 14, in Ashland to one to 15 years on breaking and entering charges.They had been indicted by the Ashland county grand jurors- on April 5.During his tenure as policeman, Schnittke has anested 29 OSR escapers and leturned themto the Mansfield reformatory. His lengthy list of arrests include two killers, scores -of auto thieves, shoplifters and juveniles nabbed m robbing cabins in woods near Loudonville. RineyAshland School Editor Named.ASHLAND — Charles Stock-dale has been appointed editor-in - chief of the Ashland high school yeai-book, the Guide, for 1951. by a faculty committee at the high school. The new editor is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Ray Slockdalc of Giant StMiss Ann Gorsuch. daughter of A B. Gorsuch, high school principal, and Mrs Gorsuch, was named business manager for the 1951 edition of the yearbook.Richard Tarr is editor of the yearbook for this year and Son-dra McNary is business managerBucyrus School Band Parents Elect StaffBUCYRUS — Mrs Har-old Hinder was elected president of the Bucyrus High School Band Parents’ Assn. at the annual reorganization meeting She succeeds Mrs. Harold KerrOther new officers include. vice president, Mrs. Dale Welling, secretary, Mrs John Ervin and treasurer, Mrs. Wallace Frey.A party for senior class band members will be held Tuesday. May 16, Mr. and Mrs. E. C Op-penlander, chairmen, announcedASHLAND — All Bov Scouts j and Cubs of Ashland county will ! stage a rally at the coliseum on , the Ashland county fairgrounds Saturday, June 3, the program at 7.30 p m. to feature an Indian pageant depicting Scouting from colonial days to the presentFollowing a parade of Scouts and Cubs there will be a display j of the handicraft work of the boys and awards will be presented for winners of contests scheduled on the program. A couit of honor will close the rally program.Clayton Jackson, Scout leader, is chan man of the committee on arrangements assisted by William Parsons, Carl Bachman, ! Frank Cross and Bernard Hughey.Conducts RevivalBUTLER — Rev E. J Halde-man, of Edison, will begin a revival series in the Evangelical United Brethren church here Tuesday evening.Name May 7 Soloists For Ashland ConcertASHLAND — Guest artists at the Ashland symphony orchestra concert, Sunday, May 7, will be Miss Elizabeth Pastor, well-known local pianist, and Calvin Y. Rogers, violinist and head of the Ashland college department of music, according to announcement today by Dr L E. Pete, director of the symphony orchestraThe concert is scheduled for8*30 p m at the McDowell auditorium.ENTERTAIN WIVES M I L L E RSBURG — Rotarv club members will entertain their wives, the Rotary Anns, at Tuesday's 6*15 p m meeting in the Day Dining Room
Newspaper Details
Mansfield News Journal
Mansfield, Ohio, US
Sun, Apr 30, 1950
Page 31
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 16 Aug 2018
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