Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1889-09-21
MISS ETA ROBBINS.
Four Times a Horse Thief.

WINFIELD, w. VA, Sept. l4.-Four
times horse thief, twice Jail break
err: that tells the most Important
events in the sensational life of IT.
year-old Eta Robins. Incidentally
she has travelled scores of miles at
night, dared wild beasts, slept in
caves in the earth and swan mile
in raging river to escape pursuers.
Eta Robbins was born near Mari
eta, o., and came to this county two
years ago to visit two of her brothers
who live in this county. She was
then as now, a pretty rouud-cheeked,
brown-eyed girl, full of life and a
fayorite with all who knew her She
is an animated picture OF innocence,
and apparently has not the slightest
idea of how wicked the world is.
She uses good language, dresses in
perfect taste, is virtuous and was
never known to tell a lie. She is at
the same time a stranger to fear and
is as full of ingenuity as Edison is Of
ideas.
Six months ago she was visiting
her brother, who resides on what is
known as Five and Twenty mile
creek, small stream emptying into
the Kanawha river, six miles from
this place. Eta stopped ut the
house of Thomas Handy on whose
farm Robbins is employed. One
morning Eta was missing, as was
also fine horse belonging to Ma
than Mccoy, nearby farmer. 1t
was supposed Eta had grown home
sick and returned to her parents.
Armed men traced the stolen horse
forty miles across the widest country
to Salt creek, an insignificant stream
emptying into the Ohio river near
Gallipolis.
The pursuers we're dumbfounded
to find the horse in the girls possess
sion. While debating the affair the
girl who WAS still on the animals
back, dashed into the river and at
tempted to swim to the Ohio shore
but was caught. She said she took
the horse about 8 o'clock at night,
and rode him the whole forty miles
through strange country before
daylight. Then she camped in the
woods a day aud night and was
caught just as she was leaving the
state She was placed in the lookup
here, but during the night crawled
out through the chimney, and return
ed to Handly's. Mr.. Mccoy decid-
ed the girl was too young and limo.
cent to be a premeditated horse
thief, and declined to prosecute.
A few weeks later a fine horse be-
longing to another farmer Of the
neighborhood, named Smith, was.
missing at the time great food was
in the Kanawha and the back waters
filled all the creeks for miles. The
bottoms were seas of water. The
horse was tracked to the edge Of the
back water at the foot of the hills,
then all trace was lost. Next day it
was discovered on the opposite side
of the water several miles below.
The third day the horse and Eta
Robbins were found hidden in dark
recess in forbidding hollow. The
girl had swan the food mile on the
horses back, then rode it in the edge
Of the water for several miles farther
She had slept out every night, living
on what she could steal.
Again her youth protected her
and she returned to her brothers
home. Two months later she stole
horse from Lewis Lesley. She
was pursued and captured at Gleen-
wood, ON the Ohio river, and return
ed to the Putnam county Jail. She
remained in Jail a few weeks and by
her ingratiating disposition, good
looks and good conduct worked her
way into the confidence of Jailor
Melton, who allowed her many privi-
leges to his cost. About three weeks
ago, the jailor taking up her break
fast discovered she had very cleverly
cut her way out. Further investiga-
ton revealed the fact that she had
come down into the jailor's rooms,
stolen a suit of clothes, took the
stable key and decamped with a fine
horse belonging to DR. Carpenter,
which was in possession of the jailor
Pursuing parties and the Eureka
detectives, of which ALI. w. Burnett,
is chief, raided the surrounding
counties for ten days, but failed to
find clew. She was at last caught
by farmer, who lived few miles
from her old haunts. In her trip
she had wandered from this city into
Kanawha county, then into Lincoln