Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-04-21
a ruGrrIrn nEcAprrRro.
Detectives Mcyey and witsil's Experience
With Thief in the Welsh Mountain
EOresfs.

Detectives Nicyey and witsil's Experience
With Thief in the Welsh Mountain
Forests.
Charles Thompson, colored, the notori-
Gus chicken thief of Mill Creek hundred
who was arrested last September, but sub
sequently broke away from the police sta
ton here, was arrested Monday by Betec-
lives McVey and Witsil and taken to New
Castle Jail that night.
The incidents in connection with this
criminals career form a very interesting
police episode. For months the farmers
OF Mill Creek had been victimized by the
Wholesale drafts in their chicken yards.
The thieving was done with such adroit-
ness that at last the farmers made up their
minds that only a well-conceived and
well accomplished plan could rid them of
the trouble. The story will be remembered
OF how Constable Chambers and posse of
farmers concealed themselves in ambiis-
cade one moonlight night in Jonas Klair's
cornfeld. How as they lay there con-
cealed wagon was heard coming along
the neighboring road. 1t stopped at the
fence and the driver walked up to the
middle of the field where he had already
made cache of several dozen poultrys
The constable and posse jumped out
and fired their guns too soon, and the
chicken thief's fleet feet got him away
followed him. 1t was Farmer Brackens
wagon that he had stolen en- route. Sub
sequently he was captured. A true bill
was found against him by the grand Jury
at the September term. The police station
officers had detained the prisoner here in
stead of sending him over, in tho usual
course, to New Castle The thief escaped
from the police station. When Sheriff
Simmons came for his prisoner he was not
given up. He had escaped and that was
all the satisfaction the sheriff could get in
regard to a prisoner that should have been
i'll his custodianship.
The Police Commission afterwards made
an investigation of the circumstances,
which resulted in colored Turnkey Bird
and House Sergeant Mari being each fined
$40. In some directions, however, there
has always been doubt whether these
officials were the ones upon whom the
blame rightly belongs for the escape of the
prisoner.
Detectives 1Icvey and Witsil captured
their man in Chester county, this side of
the Welsh mountains. lie was discovered
Monday hiding in an old shanty in the
depths OF pine forest. He had been
working for wood-cutter there. The
officers got to the place at midnight and
bursting the door open captured the man
before he could make any resistance. He
had no opportunity to give fight as the
detectives pistols reduced him to submis-
sion at once.
The officers were determined, in view of
past circumstances, to take no further
risks. They brought their prisoner with
stout Wristbands ON him, straight to New
Castle jail, where he is now securely locked
up.
The way the officer got the trail of him
was through Charles Grow. the commits
sion merchant of Third and King streets,
from whom Thompson had borrowed a
chicken coop. The thief told the story to
Mr.. Crow that his mother had some
chickens she wanted to sell and he would
fetch them in. Mr.. Crow lent the man
the coop. He remembered the man sufii-
GENTLY to give his full description to the
detectives. 1t was the same coop that was
found in Farmer Bracken's wagon. 1t will
be remembered also that Thompson in the
corn-field fight dropped black straw hat
with a peculiar mark on the band. This
Mr.. Crew positively identified as the one
worn by Thompson when he came to beg
the loan of the hen coop.