Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1870-10-18
Horse Stealing Curious Statement.

At the late term OF court man
named Ladd was convicted of steal
ing q horse belonging to Sheriff
elise The hoIse was missing on
the night that Ladd broke Jail and
escaped. Both were captured-the
horse below Potosi on the river bot
tom and Laid at Dubuque. This
Ladd was held to trial.for stealing the
horse, and the evidence of his guilt
was sufficient to convict him. An
other horse thief named Sprague,
who was convicted Of stealing horse
and buggy from the Lancaster livery
stable u short time after the above
occurrence, came into the court and
voluntarily made the following
sworn statement which, if true,
would put another face on the Laid
affair
George Sprague came into court and set
forth and declared that he stole the horse of
WIN. elise, on the 2lst of April last
81 don't know where elise was al that time.
I had never seen the horse that know Of
did not know elise. ! was living at British
Hollow, boarding at Union House, working
for Mr.. Hymer. Next morning | was back to
Hymer's at d o'clock. | left Union House
evening before, that is, Thursday, 2lst. No
body was with me, except | rode up with a
IaraAeT having a bay team. | left bin al the
poor house, and he turned to the right | got
into Lancaster about9 O'Clock. was at Jno
Wr'ghrs and Albrecht's saloons that night
lad been in Lancaster once before in the
winter il was in January, and ate dinner a.
the Phelps House, but did not register my
name. passed by Jail, back OF yard, and
heard horse stamping gate wa, open. saw
sorfel mare in the lane could not catch her,
and ! went IA stable; door was not locked I;
struck match, and found horse and colt, and
think a COW. thought il was roam horse.
did not 60 by the blacksmith shop was OPP
posite II on the street. took horse, saddle,
bride, and martlngsle, and took a rubber
blanket which found to the right of the barn
door. rode horse with the intention Of 60
ing into Illinois, on the road through by Dun
lrlih by the Mississippi river. | found the
water too high. ! rode below the mill piece
and turned back toward Potosl, intending TO
take an upper road. saw a light in house
on the left hand side Of the road coming UP,
either above or below the Catholic Church,
but near it on opposite side Of the road. A
man came TO the door and stood, and asked
HIM where the upper road was leading to Dun
high, that must cross the ferry, that should
put up at the hotel and take daylight for il.
rode up distance, to lower edge of town, got
on OF horse, tied halter and reins TO the saddle,
turned him toward the river, hit him with a
stick, and that was the last | saw of him. |
then went TO my boarding house about day.
light. / didn't see the horse afterward till
came up here got into bed at the hotel, and
nobody knew anything about it, saw man
~ n IN Nh
Lancaster the evening | stole the horse |
don't know where he lives saw him first at
Prairle du Chen; did hot intend TO steal a
horse tall heard one in the stable | didn't
know Ladi, or that he had been in lail live
IN Canandagua, Ontario Co., New York. NV
father and mother are dead. | lived with nv
brother. ! lived with John Day of Wyalusing
in February last, and with Mr.. George Stewart
near Lancaster The latter part of April, and
for month and half. | came from British
TO Mr.. Stewards. l make these statements
because / know that Laid is innocent. After
Ladd was convicted Of stealing Mr.. Clise's
horse, told his lawyer that Ladd was nno-
cent and that stole the horse. | had chin
whiskers on when stole the horse. did no;
tell Laid that stole the horse. | was afraid
he would hurt me. He is a passionate man.
never spoke about it to LadJ or acknowl-
edged the theft till tonight in Court The
last saw OF the saddle was when | let the
horse 20. | never saw Ladd till saw him in
Jail. On leaving Lancaster with the horse l
met man and team between II and 10 O'Clock.
near the edge of town he looksd very close
at me. The man in whose wagon rode up TO
Lancaster with, had a sack and something IN
i 10 the wagon. Hymer paid uie two or three
dollars when eft. served in Company A..
lst Reg. Michigan Cavalry-Col. Briggs Vet
eran Cavalry first enlisted in the Fifth Caval-
ry. refuse TO say on what business came
TO Lancaster when | stole Mr. Clise's horse
il was private business. GEO. SrRAGUE.
Subscribed and sworn 10 before me this eth
Sept, 1870. J. T. Mills, Judge.