Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-01-23
ANOTHER HORsE-THIEF COMES TO
GRIEF.
He is Taken from His Guards by Di'
guised Men. who esprit |" Hill

He is Taken from His Guards by Dis
guised Men, who esprit" Him
Away.
It will be remembered by our readers,
says the Murfreesboro Monitor of yester-
day, that there have been numerous horses
and mules lost ia this vicinity recently,
and that hand bills and advertisements
have been scattered through the country,
offering rewards for the of the stolen
animals and the apprehension OF the
thieves. This web Of crime is unraveling
gradually. There is strong hand at work
somewhere, whose mysterious movements
we cannot fathom. The raiders are on the
track of the law-breakers, and woe be to
him who by crime crosses the path of these
selfconstiluted executioners.
About ten days since Mr.. w. B. Lillard,
residing five miles from this city, in the
neighborhood of Salem, lost fine mule.
He Immediately came TO the Monitor Office
and had bills struck, Offering one hundred
dollars reward for the arrest of the thief
and the recovery of the animal. These
bills were distributed broadcast over the
country.
A Mr.. Richard Collier, who has been
very successful as 8 detective, took the
matter in hand, and Immediately started
in pursuit of the thief While on the road
be gained some information of him, and
at a house about fifteen miles from Sa'
lem, in Jackson county, Alabama
Just beyond the Cumberland noun
tains, he came up with a man named
John Garner, who was in possession o.
the mule, and who afterwards aeknowl
edged the theft. When Mr.. Collier de-
manded Gamers surrender, the SCAMP
drew a revolver and showed fight; but The
cool, calm determination of the former
soon overawed him, and he gave himsel
up. Garner was brought by his captor t.
within two miles of College Grove, il
Williamson county, where be stopped Al
the residence of Esquire Alb. Scales, or
Friday, the 18th inst, intending TO bring
his prisoner on to Murfreesboro the follow.
ing day.
On the road from Alabama, Garner con
fessed to having stolen as many as five
hundred horses and mules 10 the course o
his life, and gave Mr.. Collier quite glow
ing account Of his numerous adventures il
that line. He also offered that gentleman
| $1,000 to turn him loose.
In the evening of the above mentioned
day a party of masked men, we'll armed
rode up 10 the house of Esquire Scales
demanded Garner, and took him away
frem his guards, leaving no trace to indi
cate what disposition they had made o
him.
Garner is said to be an old man, and il
doubtless one Of the leaders of the gang o
horse thieves who have been operating il
this locality for some time past. The ne
| gro Copeland, of whose sudden taking of
we gave an account in our last issue, ant
also Garner, who has been mysteriousIy
spirited away, implicated other parties il
connection with these thieying transac
tions. Our officers are upon the lookout
and will have an eye upon them.
1t will also be remembered that SOM
weeks since rewards were offered by j. B
Jordan, of this county; D. S. Mccullough
living near College Grove, Williamson
county, and Mr.. AIcorn, for horses stoIeI
at their premises. Garner acknowledged
the theft of these animals, and gave thei
owners written directions as to where they
could be found. Other parties have alsC
lost horses, which We have no doubt Garne
had hand in stealing.
Much credit is due Mr.. Collier for th,
fa;thfulness and energy with which he fol
lowed the trail of this notorious thiei
That he failed to bring his prisoner to thi
city is no fault of his, as the number of tn,
masked men was 30 great as to render re
sistance to their demand of no avail.