In the Eastover neighborhood a luxury home had been broken into. Valuable silverware and china were stolen. Ellis got a telephone call from the owner, David Dillard, asking him to find the goods. Ellis looked in second hand stores and pawn shops for some time.
Finally it turned up in a pawn shop. The seller gave incriminating information that easily led to his identification, and arrest. Ellis returned the silverware and china to Mr. Dillard.
He was paid $400 for his work on that case.
In west Charlotte a dry cleaning laundry business was broken into. The cash register had money taken in the amount of about $3000. The Sanitary Laundry owner named called Ellis for help. Witnesses there on the crime scene described the robber. Ellis took testimonies. Ellis looked at police mug shots and matched Howie. This led him to soon arrest Howie. Howard Skinner had the loot on him in his room. He was put in jail. Ellis went to the trial. Howie was convicted. He got fifteen years but his good behavior had him out in five years. Ellis received $250 from the laundry for his work.
Catawba Hardware and Fence Company had the back door broken down. A lot of merchandise was removed from the store. Likely a truck was loaded and hauled it off to be sold for a black market profit. Arnold Richards, the store’s owner visited Ellis at the liquor store and hired him to solve this crime. Ellis talked to people at the crime scene. One neighbor saw a white cargo truck back up to the rear of the store at about 1:00 A.M. It was a Dodge, he thought. It had a tandem four wheeled rear axle for heavy loads. After much searching, Ellis found the truck parked in an alley. He got the license number, and identified the owner. With a police escort, he questioned this man, Arthur Avery. He broke down and confessed of the crime. The police arrested him. The stolen loot was found stored in a garage nearby and returned to Mr. Richards. He paid Ellis $300 for working this case.