The record-union., 1892-06-07
WHOLESALE CHICKEN THIEVES.
Lowell and WestfaII Held to Answer
for Grand Larceny.
Mcdonald, Their Comrade. Rearrested
on Another Charge-Farmer
Trevathan'S Loss.

Yesterday the three men arrested last
Thursday evening by Deputy Sheriff
Alter and Policeman Talbot, on the Hag-
gin Grant, on suspicion of having stolen
q large number of chickens in the vicinity
of Pleasant Grove, were examined be-
fore Justice Henry on charges Of grand
larceny. District Attorney Ryan ap-
peared for the people and c. n. Post for
! the defense.
Deputy Sheriff Henry Alter was the
| first witness called. He testified to the
circumstances under which the men were
arrested out near Arcade Station, the
particulars of which were published in
the RECoRD-UNIoN on the morning fol-
| lowing the arrest. Lowell, the larger OF
the three men, told the officer that he
wasn't big enough to search the wagon"
| but Alter compelled the party to turn
| about and drive toward town.
Witness then related how the men tried
to bribe him to allow them to proceed
unmolested, and how he and Officer Tai
| bot declined to release them and COM
! PEELED them to return TO the city and
! locked them up. On the way to town
| Lowell said the officers might as well let
them go, as the most that could be proven
against them was that they had stolen a
few chickens.
officer Talbot, who assisted Alter in
| making the arrests, testified to having
| first seen the prisoners near the engine
| house on Second street, and SuSpectlng
them of being the parties who had raided
| numerous chicken-houses in the country,
| he followed them until he met Deputy
Sheriff Alter, when they both pursued
| the suspected parties out OF town and
over upon the Haggin Grant, where the
men were arrested.
The witness corroborated Alters state
| ment regarding the attempt made by the
parties to bribe the officers to let them go.
| Talbot said the man VINO drove the team
! evidently knew the road very well, as he
| drove through the water that oyertioWed
the road leading to the grant without ac-
| cident, although few persons would have
| been able 10 do so.
Mr.. Post asked Talbot if the prisoners
did not '.josh' him and Alter consider
| ably on the way to town.
"Oh, yes" replied Talbot, people
often josh me, but l generally manage to
| land my prisoners just the same.'
VIM. Trevathan, farmer residing near
| Pleasant Grove, testified that on the night
of May 23d between eight and nine dozen
chickens were stolen from his place. Four
dozen were worth SS dozen, being full
! blooded Leghorns, and the others were
worth So so a dozen. One hen had a
broken wing and was otherwise dis
| figured. There was also a peculiarly
marked rooster which he could identity.
He was shown white rooster found at
the Sacramento Market, where it had
been Sold, and identified it in court.
The witness testified that there were
tracks about his place showing that two
or more men were engaged in the raid,
and that they had two horses.
c. II. Trevathan, a son of the last wit
| 81
theft on the morning Of May 9th, and
the tracking of wagon from the place
toward Sacramento. He and the Con-
stable, Bishop, traced the wagon-tracks
nearly into the city, ond found some of
| the fowls where they had been sold. One
of the horses made a peculiar footprint,
and one of those belonging to the pris-
oners witness had found to make the
same sort of track.
William Watson, a clerk in the Sacra-
mento Market, testified to having bought
about three and one-half dozen fowls
from man early on the morning of May
24th. The wagon in which the fowls
were brought resembled the one used by
the prisoners. The chickens were nearly
all wet, as if they had been hauled
through the water. There were two men
in the wagon; one of them said they had
brought about nine dozen to town and
disposed of the others.
Witness identified two of the men in
court as having brought another lot of
chickens several days later, which they
also sold to him for the market. The
price paid in each instance was Sc per
dozen.
1.-The date of the latter purchase was
about the time large lot of chickens
were stolen near Florin.
George Z. Curtis, proprietor of the Sac
ramento Market, testified to having seen
the chickens in his yard and that they
were all wet.
eAfter some further testimony by en-
ployes of the market, tending to show
that Lowell and Westtall are the men
who sold two lots of chickens there the
case was argued by Mr.. Post and District
Attorney Ryan. The former insisted that
there was no evidence before the court
connecting defendants with the theft of
Trevathan's or anybody else's chickens,
and that so far as Mcdonald was con-
cerned, none of the employees of the mar
ket claimed to have seen him before
District Attorney Ryan held that a
strong case had been made out against
| the accused, and asked that they be held
for trial.
Justice Henry decided that sufficient
evidence had been adduced to warrant
him in committing Lowell and Westfall
| for trial, and he so ordered, fixing their
bail at 81 900 each. Mcdonald, however,
| ASASA itOS OCCl one OI JDS per-
| sons engaged in the sale of the stolen
/ poultry, and he WAS ordered discharged.
Deputy Sheriff Alter, however, imme-
| diately rearrested Mcdonald on a charge
| Of petit larceny, and he will be tried for
the theft of some chickens from man
named Anderson, residing near Florin.
The prisoners have a very good team of
bay horses, wagon of Fish Bros make.
and good outfit for travelling, all OF
which was no doubt stolen. They were
very anxious to have the court make an
| order permitting them to send the horses
| and wagon to some friends of theirs, but
this Justice Henry declined to do, as the
outfit forms very important part of the
testimony against the prisoners
Beside, 1t Is possible the owner of the
horses and wagon may be found, in
which event another case may be made