The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1882-01-25


return would be accompanied by five
and eight armed men. They would
remain at the house of Moore about
two weeks, and each time they went
and come some house was burglar
lied or horse stolen, or saddle or
harness taken. The officers found
out that Halt was very bad man,
and went by an assumed name, and
was wanted in various places. They
found out that Moore had known
Halt long and well, and knew him
when he first came into the county.
Halt married neice of Moore's,
and was married at the time
he was here hunting stolen horses.
There was large reward Of
fered for Halt and he was arrested in
Ft. Sfott, Kansas, and has been
sentenced to the penitentIary in Kan
sas according to the best information
the citizens can obtain. After Halt
disappeared the nezt man who ap-
peared was Walter Hobbs. He and
Moore made several trips off and al
ways came back with pleantv of
money. There was Geo. Robinson,
Pet Reed, Tom Reed, Ike Haynes,
who would frequently come in with
Moore. They all went armed and
done any work, but always had
plenty of money. During the last
summer and fall there has been at
least dozen houses burglarized and
about twenty head of horses stolen
from Hudson township. The num-
Der of saddles and sets of harness
taken during the last two years are
difficult to enumerate. On the
night of November 5th 1881, there
was only Hobbs and Moore at the
house of the latter and that night
set of harness and buggy was taken
from Simeon Gilbreath and span
of mules from G. G. Peeler. Moore
and Hobbs both disappeared that
night, Hobbs was arrested in Tex
as, he and John and Jim Reed for
burglarizirg house there. Hobbs
was brought back to Missouri and
put in Jail in Bates county by Sheriff
Simpson and his deputy. The citi-
zens sent two parties to Miller coun-
ty, Missouri, and there they obtained
true history of each and every one
of the gang. L hey found several
sets of harness and saddles belong
ing to citizens in Bates county and
those who possessed them said
Moore and Hobbs hauled them in
there and sold them out. Moore has
done no work for two years. Hobbs
and Moore have been running to-
gether all the while. Hobbs has
wife III Miller county. The citizens
in the last named county have suffer-
ed a great deal by the means of this
gang of thieves. After Hobbs was
arrested and brought back Moore
became frightened and as every one
supposed LETT the country. Hobbs
admits to having been in the peni-
tertiary and it is reported that James
Hickman has also been there. When
lanes Hickman forfeited his bond
the citizens kept on the lookout for
him and knowing that old Sim
Mitchell who lived within two and
one-half miles of Eldorado springs,
in Vernon county, would harbor and
protect him, sent two men over
there. These parties went to the
constable, who took some other men
and the ten surrounded the house
about two O'Clock and Hickman
Jumped out the window and en-
deavored to make his escape but
was captured. 1t turned out that
Moore and young Robinson was in
a house near by and hearing the
noise made their escape into the
brush. They were followed and
some fifteen or twenty shots were
passed between the parties. One
man under charge OF the officer was
wounded in the leg 1t is not def
natelv known what became of Moore
and Robinson. Robinson stole a
horse from man near McAllister.
in the Choctaw Nation, and run HIM
through to Sedalia and sold him.
The parties pursuing got an over
coat from Moore and some fifty
different keys of all sizes and de-
scriptions. Hickman was brought
back and sentenced to seventy days
Imprisonment in the county jail for
having upon and about his person
concealed deadly weapons. previous
to his leaving. This secures his at
tendance fol the March term OF
court. A. D. 81. Reed waived ar
examination and his bond put at
S., ZOO, and having tailed to give it,
was committed to Jail. Hobbs is
sull in Jail in Bates county and will
probably remain there until March.