Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-10-03
BORN TO STEAL.
KLEPrcYlMA IS TEE DEFENSE OIAvElLIHY
THIER.
4 Widows Ingenious Arrangement for Catching a
Thief in Her 6ranary-1hs Captured Nan
in a Wealthy HsighbOr Above
Suspicion.
Eoeefsl Tslegram 70 he Rsoilssr.

SDocicl Ttlegrdm to TIE RsoistSr.
ST. CLAIRsvIELE, ONO, October D.
Widow Beech, who lives with her sons
on little farm near Jacobsburg, Bel
mont county, has been annoyed by pet
" thieving for several months past.
So have her neighbors, but the thieves
escaped detection until the widow ar
ranged an ingenious continuance OF her
own device. The Widows granary was
only short distance from the house.
After dusk she connected the door or
the granary with the kitchen by means
of stout Irvine and at the end she sus-
pended an empty coffee-pOt in such
manner that II the granary door were
opened the cOffee-pot would fall upon an
inverted dish-pan with q great crash.
At 4 o'clock on Sunday morning OF last
week, the widow and her sons were
startled from their sleep. The coffee
Dot, which had been balanced on its
edge, was gyrating upon the dish-pan,
and it was evident that the granary door
was ajar. Within few minutes the
widows sons sprang into the darkness
toward the grain pin. One Of them
adroitly closed the door and fast
ened it, waiting for Developments.
The developments followed quickly
enough. There was a shutting OF feet,
then a heavy mans weight was thrown
suddenly against the side Of the bin,
the boards gave way and the prisoner
was free. A rlhe-shot whizzed after
him and he threw up his hands and
awaited the coming OF his captors.
Great was their amazement when they
recognized the thief as i. r. Simmons,
q well-to-dO farmer living in the neigh
borhOOd, who of course had been above
suspicion. The captors took SammOns
before Squire Morgan Stidd, who was
impressed with the gravity Of the Of
Tense. The Squire put the prisoner
i'm the custodYOf the marshal Of ia
cobsburg and held him in the sum Of
1000 for his appearance before the
Common Pleas Court. The Squire
accompanied the marshal and his
prisoner 10 st. Clairsville. The party
arrived mere az nine o'clock Sunday
night. The prisoner made another
break for liberty while the marshal
was tugglng al the door bell OF the
sherifPs residence. Squire Stidd i'm
mediately raised his voice to high
heaven In a mighty shout and then
he wrapped his arms about himself
tightly to hold himself together. The
sources shout aroused the villagers
and then they heard three pistol shots
in rapid succession. The Marshal was
In pursuit of his prisoner. The prisoner
was stoutly built, while the Marshal
was tall and sineWy, and although the
prisoner had a fair start, the long-legged
man overlook him in four squares. BY
that time the prisoner had lost all faith
in his short legs and sent for an attor-
ney. He retained Newell X. KennOn,
of the st. Clairsyille bar, who furnished
bond for SammOns' appearance in court
and SammOns was released.
The arrest caused a great sensation IN
the county. Summons came TO Jacobs
burg from Waynesburg, Greene county,
Pennsylvania, few years ago. DE
bought a small farm, paying therefor
nearly So, 600 in cash, and his reputa-
ton has always been the best here.
The disclosures Of the past week, how
ever, are startling enough. They are
to the effect that Mr.. Summons
left his old home in Pennsylva-
MIA because of an overwhelming impulse
TO steal everything in sight, needlessly
and purpoSelessly. In Greene county,
Pa, it is said, there are fully score of
neighbOrs Of SammOns who suffered
from his depredatlOnS and who were
paid well by his relatives and friends to
prevent criminal prosecutions. They
make no exclamation OF surprise now.
They have no other exclamation to make
than that SammOns is kleptomaniac
and they assert that it will not be diff
cult 70 prove the fact. Sammons will
be indicted for burglary at the next
term OF court, and il remains to be seen
cow a Belmont county jury will receive
this novel defense.