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Historic gun stolen from Indiana town found in Ohio

SOUTH MILFORD, Ind. (AP) – A World War I-era machine gun stolen from a northern Indiana town’s display case was returned Wednesday after an Ohio man confessed to taking it, authorities said.

The decommissioned 1895 Colt Automatic machine gun taken from an outdoor case in South Milford last month was recovered Tuesday after Jason T. Saam of Van Wert, Ohio, confessed to taking the weapon and told officers they could find it in his home, the LaGrange County Sheriff’s Department said.

Saam had been arrested Nov. 1 in Decatur after police found him allegedly trying to pull out a sculpture of a Pegasus and an eagle that was mounted in front of the Adams County Courthouse. When detectives learned of that incident and its similarities to the South Milford case, they decided to interview Saam, and he confessed to taking the machine gun Oct. 29 by pulling it out of the display, the sheriff’s department said.

LaGrange County Sheriff Jeff Campos brought the machine gun back to South Milford on Wednesday, and it was returned to its repaired display case.

The machine gun had been on display in the town about 30 miles northwest of Fort Wayne since 1923 to honor members of South Milford High School who served in World War I.

Saam was being held Wednesday in Adams County on charges including theft and criminal mischief. It was not clear whether he has an attorney.

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