The record-union., 1891-09-19
CAPTURED And ESCAPED,
A Thief Who Has Been Troubling the
Farmers, Shot Down.
He is Taken to Town, Placed On a Cot
at the Receiving Hospital and
Allowed to Escape.

Several times during the past month
the police and the deputies in the Sheriff's
Office have been notified that some thief
or thieves have been pilfering among the
farmhouses along the Freeport road, and
iu the vicinity Of the Union House.
Largo quantities of newiy-churned but
ter have been stolen at times from the
cellars, and the hen roosts have been
raided to an alarming extent. The Off
GERS were notified that the person sup
posed to be committing the numerous
thefts was party who drove white
horse, but this was little or no clue on
which to work.
Early yesterday morning between the
hours of l and o'clock, John Coleman
I farmer who resides near the Union
House, heard an unusual commotion in
his chicken-house and he at once came TO
the conclusion that whoever was doing
the thieving was the person whom the
farmers in the vicinity were trying to
hunt down. He dressed himself but by
the time he had gotten out of the house
and aroused a couple of neighbors, the
chicl1en-thief had gained considerable
headway, being provided with a horse
and buggy.
Coleman got a party of neighbors to-
gether, and knowing that the person they
wanted had taken the road leading to
town, they started in pursuit. They fol-
lowed him for over ten miles, when sud
denly they came upon the RIG, tied to
fence short distance this side of Willow
Slough on the Freeport road. It was then
about o'clock in the morning and the
moon was shining brightly The thief
had entered on the farm of j. H. Hanil-
ton TO make q descent on the latter's
chicken-house. He had evidently for
gotten that be was being pursued from
the Union House, or else he thought
that the chase had been given up.
short time after the men arrived at
the place where the horse was hitched
they noticed q man coming across the
field toward the road, with a couple of
sacks on his back. They were soon able
to see that the thief was Chinaman,
and. lying down in the Stubble, they
waited for him.
When he had gotten to within about
forty yards Of the wagon the men jumped
up and told him to stop. Instead he
dropped the sacks and started to run.
~ Meanwhile the chickens in the sacks
found their way out and did some yigor-
Gus cackling for several minutes. There
were fourteen in number, two or three of
which were dead.
a young man named \. 3. Davis, who
had joined in the pursuit, followed the
Chinaman and drawing a pistol COM
manded him to stop. The thief paid no
heed to the warning, nor did he stop after
a shot had been discharged. \ second
shot was fired and he turned around lust
in time to allow the bullet to strike him
in the right side a couple of inches below
the nipple. He fell TO the ground and
was Immediately assisted TO the buggy
and driven to town by two of the men.
de did not appear to be dangerously
wounded. The. pistol was of 81 caliber,
and Davis was about thirty yards from
him when he fired the shot.
The prisoner was brought to the County
Jail and given into Deputy Sheriff AL
ter's charge. Alter brought him to the
Receiving Hospital at the City Jail about
o'clock in the morning and left him in
charge OF Night JaiIer Clark for treat
ment.
The Chinaman was placed on one of
the cots in the hospital and at that time
looked as though he were dying. Officer
Rider came to the Jail about half hour
aiterward to relieve officer Clark. and
found a note on the desk in the office,
saying that there was a Chinaman who
had been shot lying on one of the cots i'm
the hospital. Rider did not go into the
hospital Immediately, but sometime after
ward when he went in to see the sup
posed dying heathen he was surprised to
see the cot empty and no Chinaman in
sight.
The wounded thief had quietly arisen.
put on his clothes, and walked out of the
hospital through a window which had
been left open all night.
When the men who had made the cap.
ture and several of the farmers came
down to the Jail yesterday morning their
Indignation knew no bounds when they
learned OF the escape. District Attorney
Ryan investigated the matter. and the
conclusion reached was that the prisoner
should not have been brought to the city
Jail at all. He was arrested outside of the
city limits, and should have been held at
the County Jail
So far all efforts to find the missing
Chinaman have been unavailinc. He
gave the name of All Kee. He was ar
rested in this city several weeks ago. and
q sack of chickens was found In his pos
session. Tne owner did not call for them.
and the police authorities Were compelled
TO let him go.
The horse and wagon belonged TO Mike
Smith, and the Chinaman had been in
the habit of hiring it very often for all
night trips. A firkin of butter was found
in the wagon. 1t was undoubtedly
stolen,