St. Paul daily globe., 1889-11-01
GIRL HORSE THIEF.
Eta Robbins, Aged Seventeen /,
Runs or With Four Horses and
EScaneS From Hail Twice

ASC0 SBCh
Runs or With Four Horses and
Escapes From Jail Twice.
Winfield (W. Va.) Letter TO Philadelphia
Press:
Four times horse thief, twice a Jail
breaker; those are the most important
events in the sensational life of seven
teen-year-old Eta Robbins. Incident
ally she has travelled scores of miles at
night, dared wild beas is, slept in caves
and swan miles in rapid river 10 eS-
cape pursuit.
Eta Robbins was born near Marietta,
O., and came to this country two years
ago to visit her two brothers. She was
then, as now, a pretty, round-cheeked,
brown-eyed girl, full of life. and ia
vorite 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,
and was never known to tell a lie. She
is at the same time stranger to Tear
and Is full of ingenuity.
Six months Eta 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. She
stopped at the house of Thomas
Handy. on whose farm her brother is
employed. One morning Eta was miss
ing, as was also fine horse belonging
to Nathan Mccoy. by farmer. 1t
was supposed Eta had grown homeSick
and returned TO her parents. Armed
men traced the stolen horse forty miles
across the widest country to Salt creek,
int
the Ohio near GallipOllS.
The purSuerS were dumfounded TO
find the horse in the. possession of the
girl. While debating the affair, the
girl, who was still on the animals back,
dashed into the river and attempted to
swim to the Ohio shore, but was caught,
she said she took the horse about 9
O'Clock at night and rode him the whole
forty miles through the strange country
before daylight, when she camped III
the woods a day and 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 returned TO
Handly's. Mr.. Mccoy decided the girl
was too young and innocent To be pre-
meditated horse thief and declined to
prosecute.
A few weeks later q fine horse be-
longing to another farmer of the neigh
bOrhOOd named Smith was missing. AT
that time a great flood was in the Kan
awha, and the back-water flooded 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 hill, then all trace of it
was lost. Next day it was discovered
cfr rn nf shn OF up clvnrol
miles below. The third day the horse
and Eta Robbins were found hiding in
a dark recess in forbidding follow.
The girl had swan the flood mile on
horseback, then rode in the StOp-up
water several miles further. She had
slept out every night, living Oh what
she could steal. Again her youth pro-
tected her and she returned to her
brothers. home.
Two months later Eta stole horse
from Lewis Lesley. Size was pursued
and captured at GlenwOod. on the Ohio
river, and returned to the Putnam
county jail. She remained in Jail few
weeks and, 10y her ingratiating DISPOSE
ton, good looks. and good conduct,
worked her way into the confidence of
Jailer Walton, who allowed her many
privileges TO his cost. About three
weeks ago the jailer, going up with her
breakfast. discovered she had very
cleveriy cut her way ont. 1t was found
that she had come down into the iailer's
rooms, stolen suit of clothes. taken
the stable key and decamped with
fine horse belonging to DR.. Carpenter,
which was in possession of the jailer.
Pursuing parties and the Eureka de-
ttctives, of which Alf n. Burnett is
chief, raided the surrounding counties
for ten days. but failed to find clue.
She was at last caught by farmer who
lived few miles from her old haunts.
On her trip Eta had wandered from
this city to Kanawha county, then into
Lincoln county. and getting lost, had
given the horse rein and it had brought
her home.
On her trips the girl had lain out
night after night in the darkest of ra-
vines, infested by catamOunts. panthers.
and other wild animals, lived on green
corn and what other food she could
steal. She does not seem TO know what
fear is, or care what is the value of the
animal taken