A Brief History of Breading's Cigar Store: Very brief.
Pronounced "Bree-ding" but spelled "Breading" Breading's Cigar Store was started as a little cigar making shop in the small town of Warsaw, Indiana in 1925 by Robt. Breading, Sr.
Though the business changed hands throughout the years beginning in 1958, Breading's Cigar Store kept it's reputation for providing the community with good cigars, cheap eats, and cheaper laughs. It closed it's doors after years of decline but mostly because the clientele was dying off... Breading's remains to this day a true icon to the American spirit... or as my parent's generation would call it a "den of iniquity". Which after finally looking that term up after 38 years of wondering, I found that the phrase "implies a certain discernment that a morally upright person would consider intolerable."
I would say that's fair.
:D
Warsaw Indiana's Oldest Unsolved Mystery: By Ronald Sharp, Times-Union City Editor
On Jan. 28, 1927, Frank Tucker disappeared from Warsaw, never to be heard from again.It is suspected that the 58-year-old clerk at Breading's Cigar store met with foul play on his way home from work that night. His habit of carrying a large sum of money with him at all times gives cause for suspicion. When Tucker disappeared it was thought that he had $4,000 worth of cash and checks on him.
After Tucker's disappearance law enforcing officers were able to get two confessions from men who said they were implicated in the murder of Tucker. Officers obtained the confession of four men for conspiring to rob Tucker prior to January, 1927.
However, no conviction was ever obtained nor was a body ever found. One man was tried for murder, but the trial resulted in a hung-jury. A second trial brought forth a verdict of not guilty, and the accused was set free.
Old timers who were close to the "Tucker Case" say that petty bickering between law enforcing officers resulted in a miscarriage of justice, and that the guilty parties were caught but went free.
Tucker worked and lived in Warsaw for 30 years. At one time he was city clerk. He was about five feet, eight inches tall with a medium build, blue eyes and thinning gray hair. He was married, but his wife had left him, leaving Frank living alone in the Tucker home at 412 Pike street.
Rather eccentric, especially in financial matters, Tucker always carried huge sums of money with him. He loaned this money freely and cashed checks of any amounts for anyone, friends or strangers alike. Frank would say he could tell whether a fellow was honest merely by talking to him. He charged no interest on his loans.
When he disappeared, 34 Warsaw men owed him more than $1,5000.
Tucker told one of his friends that his personal "bank" did hundreds of dollars of business per week. In fact, he mentioned that he had done $1,200 worth of business that day.
Tucker was declared dead a year after his disappearance. His wife received $500 with the remaining sum being divided among relatives, most of which went to his twin brother, Fred.
This article appears in full at Yesteryear in Print, Kosciusko County Indiana Historic Newspaper Articles.