The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-12-14
From the Morgantown constitutional
A Long Search Rewarded-RecoVery
of n stolen Horse.

We last week gave an account
copied from Pittsburgh paper Of the
arrest in that city OF a noted horse thiei
named John Holmes. We have since
been favored with an interview with Mr..
Robert Boyd residing seven miles east
Of Grafton, who was one Of the victims
of Holmes exploits. Mr.. Boyds story
OF his pursuit Of the thief and stolen
property and the subsequent recovery Of
his horse is so interesting that we lay il
before our readers.
Mr.. Boyd's horse, fine young mare,
was stolen on the night Of the 4th Of
July last. The same night bride and
saddle were stolen from Samuel Cor
uthers, a neighbor of Boyd's. The next
day Mr.. Boyd took the track of the
thief and succeeded in following him as
far as to this place where all traces
were lost. He then telegraphed an &C.
count of the robbery and description Of
the mare to Uniontown, to which place
he proceeded and had bills printed and
distributed, offering reward for the
thief and man. Failing 10 obtain any
word of either he returned home. lie
had been there but about a week,
when Mr.. E. c. Lazer, of Morgan
town, sent him a messenger with infor-
nation that the man who stole the
mare had stopped at the house OF Mr..
Mccormick, three miles this side Of Mt.
Morris, and had the mare fed, and had
traded a bride and saddle with McCor-
mick. EMr. Boyd then went on to Nc,
Cormick's and found in his possession
the bSdle end saddle that had been
stolen from Coruthers. With this clue
he pro6seded on in the search, going by
Wayne burg, Jacktown and other places
in Grspe county and thence home,
with d further Information obtained.
Mr.. Bd next visited Pennington and
there's |rped that Holmes had been in
that on the third of July and
hado'1 Fourth Expressed q chest OF
tools 10 No. y Water street, Pitts
burgh. With this further clue Mr..
BOYD proceeded to Grafton and got
out warrant for Holmes, and
on the 2Sth OF July succeeded IN
arresting Holmes at Pennington, to
which he had in the mean time retrun-
ed. Here whilst in the very gripe OF
the constable, Holmes made a sudden
lunge and getting away started to run !;
the constable fired at him, one OF the
balls taking effect in the fugItive's hip,
who, however, got away. Luckily he
was again arrested the next day and
lodged in the Grafton Jail. Unable to
make out a case warranting commit,
ment for trial. without the testimony OF
Mccormick, Mr.. Boyd made another
Journey OF seyenty-two miles to the
former 3 house and brought him on to
Grafton, where Holmes WAS finally com
mitted. The same night the constable
deputized his two sons to take the thlet
to Fairmont Jail, as that at Grafton was
insecure.
On the train en- route for Falrmont
Holmes requested to be allowed to visit
the water closet. Instead Of doing so
he made a sudden pitch for the door oi
the car and, balancing life and liberty in
the scale OF chances, jumped from the
train and made good his escape.
The next chapter in the pursuit Of
this enterprsing thief and his booty
dates on September oath, when Mr..
Boyd again went on tour OF search.
He proceeded on through this county,
and thence to Burton Station, Freeport
and Rogersville, at which latter place
he fell in with man named Roberts
who informed him that the thief had
been there the Tuesday before at the
house OF John Scott; that he had a
brown mare, which he said he had
bought for 500, and asked Scotts son
to lend him a saddle, which be did
Proceeding to Scott's, Mr.. Boyd found
out that he had in his possession lol
oftools, &c, which Holmes said he had
got from Mr.. MCGOWAN, residing
twelve miles east OF Pittsburgh, to whom
he had disposed OF the mare.
On the oath Of October, Mr.. BOYD
again set out for another journey, this
time to McGowans. Visiting the latter
he ascertaned from McGowan that he
knew the man { (Holmes) well that his
son-in-law had the mare. Mr.. BOYD
read the description of the mare, when
MCGOWAN at once acknowledged it tc
be Boyd's, and sent word to his sou.in'
law to deliver her up. which was done
The same day Mr.. Boyd started on
his return trip, after a most persisten'
and successful search, and had the plea
sure of learning OF the arrest
OF the thief on the very day OF the
recovery of the stolen mare.
A Large Bird.