Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-04-30
SHERIFF'S SOIREE.
Half q Million Dollars Worth of
Horses St0lsn.
EXTENSIVE BAND OF HoosIER THIEVES,
Whose Work Extended Over Several coun-
ties in the State Of Indiana
for a Number Of Years
Fine Detective Work.

LAFAYETTE. IND, April 29-There has
existed and lourished in Western Indiana
for years past an organized band OF horse
thieves, who have been a terror to owners
of stock. II was one of the most extensive
bands ever known in the history of the
| State, and their steaiings in the past six
years are estimated by officials who are in
q position TO know to be not less than
three thousand horses. They have piled
their thieving ayocation in the counties of
Pulaski, White, Carroll, Clinton, How
ard, Benton, Warren, Tippecanoe, Mont
gomery, Fountain, Boone, Parke, Vermil-
lion, Clay and Sigo. A history of the
movements OF the gang, their final appre-
henslon and conviction during the past ten
| days III the Criminal Court in this city of
/ its me mbers reads very much like q border
| romance or 8 work of fiction. To the
farmers of western Indiana who have suf
fered so much at the hands Of the thieves
| the announcement of the final destruction
| OF the gang will be cheering news, and at
least for some time they will have immu-
nifty from heretofore
Ineessant Depredations.
1t has long been puzzle to many that
the thieves could SC successfully operate in
| the very shadow of courts and jails, but it
seemed that they were strongly fortified
and did not fear the grand jury or the
/ officers Of the courts. Recent develop.
ments have strengthened the belief, and
| practically verified it, that certain officers
| of the law have been in collusiOn with the
| thieves, and that men who are respectfully
| known in different towns IN the horse-thief
territory protitsd jointly with them by re-
/ -. kll, l. A..
| from members OF the gang and shipping
| them away 10 foreign points, where they
! were sold, and as consequence the ami
/ mails could never be recovered by the
| owners.
During the war there was great deal of
| crooked WORK in this State. There was a
! great demand for horses and at every
! CroSSroad buyers were stationed, and ami
/ mails hundreds of them stolen - were
hastily bought and no questions asked.
| They were quickly run Off for service in
/ the army, and the imposed-upon farmers
/ found no relief whatever.
! Six years ago the band was in q flourish
/ ing condition. 1t seemed that horses could
/ be run off without the slightest fear OF de.
/ lection. Many reputable dealers in stock
Were Caught by the Raseals.
| Scarcely any horsemen escaped. At length
! buyers absolutely refused to purchase a
! horse unless the person offering the animal
| for sale was known as honest and reliable.
Among others who were imposed upon in
| the purchase OF stolen horses was the well
known Congressman, Steven o. Taylor,
who for four years past has capably filled
| the office OF Sheriff OF this county. Mr.. Tay-
lor went into Office and proposed to break
up the gang. Ii was an undertaking OF no
| little magnitude, but he was thoroughly in
terested in the work and at once set about
L, lad 30 AAnk
| covert measures, since from the mode OF
operations of the thieves il was evident
that they were aided by certain officers,
and there would be great difficulty in eX-
| posing and Furnishing them. Hundreds of
horses were stolen only to be run away to
regular stands, where they were held
until a reward would be offered, and then
turn them up, secure the reward anu divide
it among themselves.
Three fellows avoided Sheriff Taylor.
They knew his reputation, and were sus'
| piCiOus of his movements. The band was
Organized through from Logansport to Terre
Haute. A horse would be selected, a GER
tain member detailed TO steal it, who, hay
ing done so. would run the animal a distance
of twenty or thirty Wiles to a certain point
where he would be relieved by other mem
bers OF the gang, who, in turn, would re-
move the stolen property to some place OF
| safety. The owner
Finding His stock Gone
would usually offer a handsome reward,
| and the horse or horses would then,
| through the Confederate officers, be re-
| turned to the owner. Otherwise they
would be run on further, from one point
! TO another, until they were sold. That was
the status of affairs encountered By Sheriff
Taylor. There was nobody in the way.
! The field was unobstructed. On one night
| D. in
| ", ten horses were successfully stolen. II
has often happened that a half dozen
| thefts were reported in a single day.
The first important step taken by Mr..
| TAYLOR was the arrest at Winnimac OF a
man named Miller, whose movements had
been carefully watched by the Sheriff. He
brought the horse here from Warren coun-
" and secreted it in the woods three miles
| west Of this city. Notification OF the theft
was received promptly before Miller had
| opportunity to run his horse away. Tay-
| lor saw him in consultation with Felix
1 Connolly, the City Marshal of Lafayette,
/ and Bill Harlan. During the night Miller
\ run up to WinnimaC, where he was ar
rested and brought back by the Sheriff.
| when Arrested
| at Winnimac he claimed he was straight
| and asked the officers to telegraph to the
| Marshal OF Lafayette. who would vouch
/
| Miller. Connolly, Harlan and VIM. Roe.
| Harlan was convicted and is now in the
| penitentia nv. During COnnOlly's trial q
| Juror was taken out, got drunk, played
| cards, and the jury dismissed on account OF
| his conduct. Afterward several important
witnesses were tampered with and left the
| State, and to this day the untried cases are
| still on the docket. Several others wers
! convicted and sent to the penitentiary.
J The recent cases, those of Graybeal Fab
| nestOCk, Hall and Roe, convicted during
the last ten days, have attracted unusual
attention The defendants made deter
! mined fight, but could not evade the law.
| Il is believed that their convictions rids
| this and adjoining counties of the plague
! that has severely tried the good HooSiers
for several years. Sheriff Taylor has oc-
| Complished more than the combined effort
| of county officers of Western Indiana in
| breaking up the gang. There are several
! others under indictment, whose conviction
| seems certain.
Sheriff Taylor, who bears his houors
meekly. has returned more than one hua-
| dred stolen animals to their owners. He
| is rorndly congratulated on the brilliant
effort of his official career. Almost unaided
snd alone, he has broken up the most for
midable gang of thieves Western Indiana
was ever afflicted with.
-<D~--
KAse kAne's Case.
Ok ata