Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1889-02-01
Horse Thief Captured.-on Thursday

Horse Thief Captured.-On Thursday
of last week ex.Sheriff VIM. B. Miller cap.
tured the thief who stole the horse of Mr.
VIM. Riggs, from the stable on his farm, near
Brookeville.
About three or four years ago, farm
hand by the name of Alpheus E. Bonnell
from Fairfax county, Va, set-in and worked
a year with Mr.. Riggs, and after that time
lived in and worked about the neighbor.
hood with different farmers until last Fall
when he left.
On the night before last Christmas Mr..
Riggs lost one of his finest horses. After the
disappearance of the horse, Mr.. Riggs sus-
picion fell upon Bonnell as the thief He
wrote to Virginia and obtained information
that Bonnell was there and had in his pos
session horse answering to the description
given of Mr.. Riggs horse
Mr.. Miller, who is a close neighbor OF
Mr.. Riggs, went to Virginia in search of
Bonnell. Upon big road leading from
Washington to Bonnell's home, the distance
between the two points being about ten
team, but did not recognize him from his
new full-growth OF whiskers and passed by
down the road until he met another man
horse back and with blind bride on the
horse which he thought he recognized as
Mr.. Riggs. He stopped the man, who
proved To be Mr.. Stuart Oliver, of Prospect
Hill, Fairfax county, Va, and the employer
OF Bonnell, and made inquiry about the
bride. MIR. Oliver told him that it belonged
to Bonnell, and supplemented it with the
information that Bonnell had traded the
horse which he brought with the bride for
mare which he was keeping for Bonnell
for her Iced. Mr.. Miller turned about with
Mr. Oliver and overlook Bonnel, who after
first making general denial of the theft,
finally admitted from pertinent questions by
MIR. Miller, who pretended that he had I'M
deniable backing tor them, that he did do the
stealing He arrested Bonnell, who again
confessed stealing the horse in the presence
of Justice of the Peace in the county, and
the latter officer of the law reduced it to
writing. Mr. Miller arrived here ON Thurs
day evening with his prisoner anu safely
lodged him in Jail. He also brought the
mare with him. returned to Virginia with
her Friday to make an exchange for the
horse, knowing where he could be found
Bonnell has been seen since he was put in
Jail and states that he walked from home on
the day he stole the horse to Washington, and
there boarded the O'Clock train on the NJ
b. Railroad and got off either at Forest
Glen or Knowles' 5 alton, not certain which
From there he walked To Mr.. Riggs farm
without meeting any person he knew. He
secured the horse, travelled down the pike To
Brightwood, where he turned and went into
Georgetown, and from there home, arriving
about daybreak. La Brookeville ON the
night before Christmas number OF young
men were celebrating the night by the ex.
plosion OF fire works, and when they heard
Bonnell ON the pike approaching at dis
lance they called to him without knowing
who he was to know if the explosions would
scare his horse. He says that he answered
them without any attempt at Disgusting his
voice and that they were the only persons
he met on his trip whom he knew. He is
an unmarried white man and middle aged
Before the arrest OF Bonnet, crcum
stances pointed to Il negro man, who had
formerly lived with Mr.. Riggs, as the thief,
and he was arrested near Badensburg,
brought here and placed in Jail, where he is
now, and will be kent to answer another
charge, we are informed.