The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1877-11-03
THREE THIEVES.

sn Escspea P~aitentiayy bird Pulled
GA the ~iux-Oae of His Gampan-
tons, herse Thief, Captured. the
otaex Escapes.
I Yesterday Sheriff Moon received A
dispatch from the sheriff OF Austin
county, telling him TO hold the pris-
oner John Matt, arrested aud lodged
IN Jail ss horse thief The arrest
aud Imprisonment Of Matt occurred in
this way: During the first days Of the
fair, Policeman Dickey noticed three
men ON the streets, who acted suspi.
eiou-ly. The officer kept his ey, ON
them for some time anu at last they
separated, two OF them going down
the street Diekey went to where the
third one was left STAMPING. and AT
haphazard accused him Of being sn
escaped convict. Thi. he at first de-
nied, claiming 10 be a railroad hand
aud stating that he had lat worked st
the gravel pin 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 r gle Ford.
When he made the statement the Off.
Ger arrested the man who gave his
name rs AbercrOm bic. Taxing the
prisoner to the Pacific depot. Dickey
there learned from Jim Murray that
Abercrombie was no railroad man and
mad never been employed o. the Pa
ellie read. At this point AbercrombieI
weakened and owned up that he was
an escaped convict He then gave the
officer detailed account of his escape !
from the peDitentiary. He was COM |
United To jail aud the next day Sheriff
Moon turned him over IN the sergeant |
who has charge OF the convict force
now NJ work on the Pacific road near |
this point After being placed In pris-
on Abercrombie Informed the officers
that the other two men bad each stolen |
8 horse near Austin aud 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 IL not known, es-
capped. Both had sold the horses here.
Matt was placed temporarily in the
calaboose, and shsckles placed on his
ankles. Before he WIS placed in the
cell he Was carefully searched 10y keep
er Carter and rythlng, az was
thought, taken from his pockets.
After being locked up, he by some
means became possessed Of knife,
and with this 30 tampered with the
shaekies As to get them oil his legs.
His Intention then WAS to make a bold
dash for liberty the first good opportu.
nifty. Itso happened that the term Of
imprisonment of n vagrsnt, who was
also In 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 scot for a police
man, who removed him to Jail. Sheriff
Moon then informed sheriff CorSin,
of Austin county, OF the arrest OF
Mst, and the circumstance o, the
stolen horses. Yesterday "a dispatch
wss received from thai 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 etcd, to identity
aud claim his animals, and IL they are
his property, the prisoner will be taken
to Austin for trial. Special Policeman
Diekey deserves great credit for the
shre~d manner In which he worked
the case snd made the arrest. /,