Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-07-31
YOUTHFUL HORSE THIEVES.
Unparalleled Operations Of Two Tsnas
Boys 1t Chicago-Thsy Steal Nearly
Half q Hundred Valuable Horsss.

Boys 1t Chicago-Thsy Steal Nearly
Half Hundred Valuable Horses.
CHICAGO, July 3l.-The police have sue
ceeded in capturing q ixteen-year-old rob-
! ber, whose achievements Is in the horse steal.
| ing line are unparalleled in this part of the
country. His name he gives q Edward
Brown, and he claims to have come here
| from Kendall county, Texas, about the 9th
| of June. brown came in with . car load
of Texas ponies, and when his friends had
sold their stock and returned home, he
formed the acquaintance of Charles Crane,
aged 10. and hailing from Texas. Brown
soon proposed that they go into the horse
stealing business ON large SCALE being
convinced that it would be very profitable.
| A business partnership was formed between
the two Texans, and barn rented on tho
west side of this city that would hold about
twenty horses. Nightly forsges were be-
| gun, and were successful. The boys hired
| tive men as grooms, bought hay by ton and
oats by the car load. In less than twenty
| four hours after they started in business
they had stolen i've horses and sold three
of them for q liberal price. The boldnsss
of their plans was remarkable. They
| would hitch two stolen horses to stolen
carriage and drive along Michigan avenue,
| until they saw q team which suited them.
| To see q good horse meant ownership to
them, for they would follow il home and in
all probability secure il that night. Every
few days the two Texans would go out into
suburbs to look for good horses. They
stole them from Hyde Park, Grand Cross
ing, South Chicago, Englewood and other
suburbs west and south. Their stable be-
came full of valuable horses, and citizens
began to frequent the stables for the pur-
pose of buying stock. The business pros
pered exceedingly and the whilom COW
boys blossomed out in radiant raiment.
All this time complaints were coming in
to the police thick and fast but they could
not find the thieves. July II. however.
was fatal day for the adventures. They
stole horse and buggy from q north side
citizen and drove to q blacksmith shop
near by 10 have some slight repairs made.
While waiting. one Of them stole the black
smiths watch and was soon accused of the
theft. Both drew revolvers and compelled
the blacksmith to apologize for the charge.
As soon rs the boys left. the smith COM
planned at the Lake View police station,
giving q good description of the bandits.
A detective was detailed on the case. He
was about to give up the search in the
early part Of last week, when suddenly he
saw the boys driving west on Washington
boulevard. He secured q horse, followed
them TO their barn and shadowed them for
three or four days, as he could not believe
that they alone could have been guilty of
such gigantic scheme of horse stealing a.
was before his eyes. Crane became sus-
picious of the espionage and fed, but
Brown WAS arrested. On his person was
found 500 in cash. Twenty-Five horses
and eighteen stolen vehicles have already
been turned up and more are coming in
every day. The horses are uniformly fine
and the vehicles range from dog cart to
four-in-hand. Brown confessed everything
to Captain Villiers. The stolen property is
being restored TO the proper owners rs fast
rs it can be secured and identified