Evening journal., 1891-09-19
DARING THIEF CAPTURED.
HE HAD ESCAPED FROM THE MIDST
OF A DOZEN ARMED MEN.

OF A DOZEN ARMED MEN.
Charles Thompson ALLEGED 10 Have
Cleaned All the Chicken coops in
Christiana Hundred. and Conveyed the
Fowls to This City in the Farmers Own
Teams-Attempts to Escape After Ar
rest.
An arrest that will probably prove to
be one of great Importance was made by
Detectives McVev and Witsil In the cap
ture OF Charles Thompson. a mulatto,
while on Market street, in this city, yes
terday afternoon Thompson has been
one, it is alleged, OF the most daring
chicken thieves that has infested New
Castle county for many years and his
mode Of procedure was as novel as il was
bold Being well acquainted with the
topography OF Chris lana hundred, be
would steal a farmers horse and wagon
at night, raid several chicken houses, fill
the wagon with fowls, drive to the city
leave the chickens here and return the
team before IL had been missed So well
did be pursue the vocation marked out
for himself that not only was he not sus-
pected. but suspicion was so strongly
directed toward a white man in the
neighborhood, that every theft commit
ted was quietly set down to his credit.
On Tuesday, August % the little
daughter OF John Glare OF Christians
hundred, found coop with thirteen
chickens In her fathers field She noto-
fed her father, who identified the chick
ems as his properly. He removed ten Of
them. leaving three in the coop and
then summoned the farmers OF the
neighborhood to guard the remainder
and capture the thief on his return.
About dozen farmers well armed and
accom- panied by Constable Chambers OF
Newport lay in wait for the thief A
10 o'clock team drove up, the occupant
hitched his horse to the fence aud sprRne
over the bars, almost tresding on one Of
hts would be-captors. He approached tbs
coop and seeing but three chickens con
cluded that all was not right Before
be could act Constable Chambers jumped
up and discharging his gun in the air
| cried, I've got you now.
The moment that the CUR was dis
charged, the thief bolted, the farmer
opened fire but none OF the bullet
struck the max. and although dead,
aim was taken the bullets whizzed harm
lessly by the fellows head. After
sharp chase be escaped in the darkness
aud baffled his pursuers, for the nonee
The slight glimpse obtained of the THE
strengthened the farmers In the belle
that the culpirt was the white man sus
pected
Detectives McVey and Witsil wer
notified, and, after few days investi
cation, satisfied themselves that tn
suspected man was innocent
The horse which had been left hitche
to the fence belonged to William Brackeu
who lives on 1.-THE new road one and
half miles from Wilmington. In tn
wagon was found a heavy chicken COOP
which the detectives took charge OF an
brought to this city
They located its owner, produc
dealer on King street from whom the
/ learned that a colored man had borrowe
1t on the morning Of the robbery. Afte
| getting a description of the mau the
learned that the only man answerin
that description was Thompson. On til
night Of the robbery the thief had lost
black straw hat, and Thompson's gran,
mother told them that he had lost
/ similar Ahb Two Weeks ueAoIc, NOM
son lives near the house OF Villa
Bracken and is well acquainted with Il
neighborhood The detectives had a
most completed their web, when yestei
day afternoon, as they We're standin
opposite the attorney generals Office,
mulatto passed on the opposite side
That looks like Thompson, Une
them remarked. as the man turned dow
Market street. The detectives wake
up behind him and McVey asked, 81
your name Davis2" mo, sir he al
swered, turning round, my name
Thompson We'll, you are just Il
man we wRnt, was the quiet reioinde
and before he was aware, ne had bee
collared They marched him in the
rection OF the produce dealer from who
be had purchased the coop. At Four
and King streets he bolted and ran
the direction of French street. but W
| captured and shackled. After beiI
identified by several parties, ThompsC
WAS locked up. He will have a hearii
before Magistrate Smith at 8 o'clo
Monday morning on two charges, that
horse stealing and the larceny of chic