The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1877-11-01
THREE THIEVES.

Al Escaped I'eniioniinry RlTd Pulled
on Tie Wing one Of Isis COnipAn
Inns, - Horse thief, Captured, tb'
OiheF Escapes.
Yesterday Sheriff Moon received 4
dispatch from the sheriff of Austin
county, telling him TO hold the prla
onor John Matt, arrested and lodged
In Jail NJ n horse thief. The arrest
aud imprisonment Of Matt occurred IN
this way; During the first days Of the
fair Policeman Dlckey NOTICED three
men on the streets, who acted suspl
ciously. The officer kept hls eye ol
them for some time ana at last thcy
separated, two OF them going down
the street. Dickey went TO where the
third one was left standing, and al
haphazard accused him OF being an
escaped convict, This he at first de-
MED, claiming to be II railroad hand
and stating that he had last worked at
the gravel pit on the Texas and Pacific
road. When asked where the pit
was, he pointed east which was
the wrong direction, the pit being
located west near Eagle Ford
When he made the statement the ofii-
Ger arrested the man who gave his
name as Abercrombe. Taking the
prisoner TO the Pacific depot, Dickey
there learned from Jim Murray that
Abercrombe was no railroad man and
had never been employed on the Pa
cihc road. AT this point Abercrombie
weakened and owned up that he was
an escaped convict. He then gave the
officer u detailed account of his escape
from the penitentiary. He was CON.
mitted to Jail and the next day Sheriff
Moon turned him over to the sergeant
who has charge of the convict force
now AT work on the Pacific road near
this point. After being placed in pris-
on Abercrombie informed the officers
that the other two men had each stolen
u horse near Austin and had brought
them here for sale. The officers i'm
Immediately started out in search of
the two and succeeded In arresting one
of them, named John Matt, but the
other, whose name is not known, es-
capped. Both had sold the horses here.
Matt was placed temporarily in the
calaboose, and shackles placed on his
ankles. Before he was placed In the
cell he was carefully searched by keep
or Carter and everything, rs was
thought, taken from his pockets.
After being locked up, he by some
means became possessed Of knife,
and with this SO tempered with the
shackles as to get them Oft his legs,
His intention then was to make bold
dash for liberty the first good Opportu-
nifty. Itso happened that the term of
imprisonment of vagrant, who was
also III. the same cell, expired that day,
and this man called keeper Carter to
the door and told him what Matt
had done. Carter Immediately entered
the cell and placed another set of irons
on the prisoner and sent for police
man, who removed him to Jail. Sheriff
Moon then informed Sheriff Corwin,
of Austin county, of the arrest OF
Matt, and the circumstance of the
stolen horses. Yesterday n dispatch
was received from that officer, directed
to Sheriff Moon, requesting him to
hold Matt until the owner of the stolen
horses, who resides eight miles from
Austin, could reach Dallas. This gen.
tleman is daily expt cted, to identify
and claim his animals, and il they are
his property, the prisoner will be taken
to Austin for trial. Special Policeman
Dlckey deserves great credit for the
shrewd manner in which he worked
the case and made the arrest.