The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1886-02-20
FOSTER AND POUNDS.
How Pounds Defied the officers
and Escaped--The Arrest
of Foster.


gives thrilling account of the at
tempted arrest in that place of
Pounds and Foster, charged with
stealing two valuable horses from
Alpheus Sine, of Blacksmith, this
county, and two sets of harness from
others in the same neighborhood.
Pounds openly defed the officers
and is still at large, but Foster was
taken in out of the cold The dis
patch says:
This town has been cursed for
some time with family named
Pounds, of which there are five of
six brothers, all hard cases of the
worst character For the last two
months there have been numerous
robberies committed that have been
laid at their door.
On Wednesday night Sheriff
Chamberlain and detective Abel
sperger came to town with a warrant
for the arrest of one of their number,
John by name, and man by the
name of AL. Foster, for stealing a
strap in West Virginia, to which a
horse was attached. They met the
two men ON the street and placed
them under arrest, but Pounds es-
capped and made for the domic;le de
Pounds. He was followed, but bar.
ricaded the door and threatened
with death the first man who at
tempted to enter This was about
twelve o'clock at night. Constable
Caldwell was deputized to waken up
a number of the vigilance committee,
which organization was formed sew
eral weeks ago for public protection,
as the robberies had become so nu-
merous.
THE PURSUED MAKE A DASH
In short time number of the
committee were on hand and the
house surrounded While they were
debating what to do the door was
suddenly thrown open and three OF
the brothers, armed with hatchets
and revolvers, made dash for the
party in the rear of the house and
threatened to make mince meat OF
them if they did not leave immedi.
ately. Instead of running, as no
doubt they expected from so redoubt-
able a delegation, they held their
ground and called ON the sheriff to
see if the man they wanted was
among the number, but he was not
Just then the door opened slightly,
and the notorious John made speech
to the effect that he would never be
taken alive, and that he was prepar-
ed, and would kill the first man who
attempted to arrest him.
GIVING UP THE JOB.
The sheriff was either weak kneed
or else had not the proper authority
to make the arrest, as he appeared to
not know what to do. He would
neither deputize the vigilance com
mittee, none of whom were sworn in
as officers, to make the arrest, nor
would he attempt to do so himself
The citizens left disguised, and the
sheriff and detective and two OF
three others toasted their shins at
Iseman's store until about 3 o'clock,
when they concluded discretion was
about 937 per cent. better than valor
and left. Pounds, of course, escaped
and may be in Canada by this time
for all the brave officers know to the
contrary There are no two ways
about it, Sheriff Chamberlain made a
mess of it. If he had the power to
arrest the man he should have done
so, or at least made some attempt
If not, he had no business there at
all. Either way you take it he made
a serious blunder. The man Foster
was taken to the Brookville jail
Thursday morning until requisi-
sition for his transfer to West Vir-
ginia can be procured.