Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-10-14
CHICKEN STEALING.
Hox q Trapper" Was Trapped and a
NoYel Method Exposed.
TON KELLY FEARS LYNCRlEG.
The Alleged Horse.Thief Gives IN Liabor'
etc History Of His Life Claims TO Have
Been a Confederate Soldier.
Correspondence Of the pispa,ch.)

Correspondence OF tho Dispatch)
CONFORM. KING GEORGE COUNTY,
VA, October IS.-The trial Ia this
county recently 81 person charged
with the larceny Of some hens exposed a
most novel and ofectual method Of thief
catching. A number OF fowls had dis
appeared from a certain plantation. and
the housewife Sspccung that a neigh
Dor was taking them by means OF baited
traps as wild varmints are caught. wrote
her name on n little tag ana adjusted II
securely 10 a hens body, where II was
hidden by the wing and feathers
The ne!ghbors traps were watched. and
soon the 'trapper' appeared and basged
The game" among which was the
labelled hen. The wronged owner also
appeared. and with a witness to the tag
ying transaction, identified her poultry,
exposed the nice littlo trapping business
Snd turned the novel case over 60 the
Commonwealth's -Attorney as an item or
criminal expenses"
Farmers throughout this section are
Plated over the present high prices Of
hew corn, and many of them are taxing
advantage OF the rise by shucklDg and
shipping as rapidly a. possible. even to
The neglect OF the seeding Of wheat AMI
oats. Several shipments OF new corn from
this county have already sold for sixty
cents per busho. in Fredericksburg and
Ety-hye cents In Alexandria.
A LIGHT CROP.
The chestnut harvest is Jus; opening
fairly. and the woods are alive with
chestnut hunters-people OF all ages
Glasses, and conditions. from poor, pcnni-
less parents whose little ones winter
clothing depend upon the chestnut crop
to fortunes fayOrites. who make the
chestnut hunt an annual picnic ~ no
tnconsiderable pleasure and merriment
rhe present crop # chcstnuts, however, is
much lighter than Us 1T one tine ildi-
Gated by the bloom. bat prices range from
s. 10 Sc per bushel. so that even n llGht
crop is godscnd to the poor people.
At "Marmion." the Lewis homestead.
In this county. there Is a cherry tree IN
full bloom this week. which is an at,rac-
tive curiosity and rare freak OF nature.
The tree bore Il crop OF nico fruit IN
June. and II not hindcred hv frost AMI
ice. Will be laden with cherries again in
November
Mr.. Mathew y. Pollock. Of Washington
ID. G.. Is spending the iall with relatives
In this county.
Miss Lizzie Ford. Of Leonardtown.
Nd. is teaching at "Marmiom," tbs
county. this session.
MAD-DOG SCARE.
Another mad-dog craze IS this week
nonotolzing thought and conversation
here. About ten days ago a rahil canine
visited the plantation OF Captain T. ".
Radcliffe on the Rappahannock and had
fiings its own way for some hours. until
IL was shot AMI cast into the river.
Besides biting several dogs. etc. the in
furiated mld-dog ate seven puppies with
remarkable avidily. ana then turned its
Intention 10 farm-au!mals. and was
almost IN the act Of doing great damage
when 1t was killed. Others are at large
IN the county. ana the people are uneasy.
on account of the danger Go which farm
stock is exposed while the dogs are being
looked for TO be Killed
Rev. John Mcknabb. rector Of the Epis-
ropal churches Of this county, left last
Tuesday for Baltimore ana vicinity. AMI
will return In time 10 III his pulpit at
Port Conway on sunday.
Ague and fever are more prevalent here
this fall than they have been snce 1850
md they prevail 20 Il greater extent
throughout the forests than they DO along
he tidewater courses. where they usually
disturb the health II the people in Sep
,ember and October.
CNFOUNDED FEARS.
Tom Kelly. thu alleged horse-thief now
In the King George jail. awaiting IL new
trial etc. expects to be !ynchel. and is
30 frightened on the subject that Judge
Ashton has had strong guard PLACED
at the jan. But the prisoners fears are
Entirely ll-founded. for his life il as safe
ss that Of any infant in the county. 80
'ar as lynching is concerned. Several
lays ago Kelly talked freely and ut
considerable length with the Dispatch
spondent. ANA begged the scribe to
send him some newspapers to make jail
hfe bearahle. He gave an elaborate de-
scriptlon u his arrest In Fredericksburg,
protested innocence q the charges
against him. SAID his railroad ticket and
money were taken from him by the
Fredericksburg officials ana held to pay
for warrant sworn out against him for
disorderly conduct Tho Prisoner told the
Dispatch representative that there were
now twenty-seVen aliases charged 10 him
In the courts, and that he had but one
name. and that was Tom Kelly.
AN EX-SOLDIER.
He claims 70 have belonged to the Thir-
tleth Virginia Regiment, Company X;
entered the Confederate service May n,
1851: was shot and wounded IN right
ankle and foot at Drewry's Bluff the 18th
day OF May, 1864. and in the face and
shoulder at Sharpsburg. lie bears now
some ugly old scars: the toes Of his right
foot are gone Continuing with his own
history, the prisoner said: Il was born
In King William county, January ). 1870.
and am now nearly 50 years old. | WAS
partly reared IN Caroline county, and
have a very rich uncle living in Essex
county. and another uncle in Baltimore
to any OF my kin since ! was pat into
this place. Yes. yes, boss, ! have fam
iiy-a wife and three children-in Caro-
line"
Whether or not Kelly IS the guilty
party, deponent sayeth not here; but GER
tainly he Is not lacking IN common sense,
ana the long story Of his eventfll life
es told by him Is both ingenious and in
terestiag. and II the interviewer viii let
him tai. on without cross-questionins him.
his personal explanation IS as piauss-
bic rs 1t is ingenious.
Messrs. John Crawford & Son, monu-
ment builders. Buffalo. y. Y, several
days ago presented your correspondent
with most beautiful paper weight
made from a fragment OF the Mary
Washington monument At Freiercks-
burg-the cornerstone laid by President
Jackson. May :. 1S}-replacod by a gran
i,e shaft, 1896 1t IS handsomely designed.
appropriately inscribed. and Of ccaYen-
tent size and shape. and s. an uncommon
ly pretty and attractive souvenir.