The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-15
THE BOSS CHICKEN THIEF,
A Young Man Who Has Stolen Ten
Thousand of Them.

Boston Correspondence New York Sun.
Prisoners in the Middlesex county Jail
at Cambridge have one among them whom
they thoroughly despise. He is a new
conner, a chicken thief, halls from Yer
mont, is not negro, and for years has
adroitly piled his vocation in the coun-
try towns handy to Boston with boun-
teous returns. The other prisoners cluck
at him. In the evening when all are
locked in their cells, a barnyard chorus
IS started, combining a series of motherly
calls, gladstone cackles, contented croons.
IIaspy squawks, wing f1appings and de-
hant crowings.
TIC. this chaotic language of the barn
yard Frank Pike, the new prisoner. lis
tens without protest. He is IS years old,
invented his own line of work, and has
never consorted with other thieves. Peo-
pie think he has stolen over 10000 chick
ems, but neither by word nor by ex-
preston will he give confirmation to this
belief. Detectives have tried to compile
MS lie history, but have failed. No
tongue was ever muter than Pixies. but
while carrying on his business of roost
robblng he kept an account of his sue
cesses, the money derived therefrom and
the places visited. These entries ran
back over two years. They told of the
number OF chickens sold, and it was from
THIS source that the police worked up
their estimate of the 10000 kidnapped
pullets. Two weeks ago, when Pike was
nrst arrested, the Pemberton Square po-
ne tllOuSHl lney ndQ an ordinary rOOSt
robber, but when the books turned up
they changed their minds. Pike was
then photographed, and his was the first
portrait of a chicken thief TO get snace
in the Boston gallery of rogues.
Two weeks ago, after taking an order
10 deliver thirty chickens at ten cents a
pound P IKE Iett Boston about twilight
one evening on what proved to be his last
Iald: shortly after midnight he entered
the Donald n. Houston estate at Wake
neld, tried for the watch dog. and. learn
int
men mouse. Mr. Houston had a choice
lot of spring chickens, which Pike had
evldently marked down some time before
DuI that nlght he was a trifie nervous
and just bit clumsy. AS a CONSEQUENCES
one Of the chickens squawked. Mr. Hous-
I1n hearo me alarm, and ran out with a
was race. Mr.. Houston fired, and Pike
teLl' but he was up in a second turning
the corner of a building just in time to
eVade a possible second barrel.
When Pike fell he lost hold of the bag
ne usually carried on his nocturnal Wis,
It's. In this bag were tools such as house
breakers use for forcing doors and win
COWS, the note books, and a menu printed
Dy restaurant in CauSeway street The
ing the proprietor of the restaurant about
ms chicken purchases, the police were
told that real prime birds were sold to him
Tor 10 cents pound by a farmer who took
his meals there. About noon Pike came
IN to say that an uncle had died and that
the chickens couldn't be delivered that
0eNJ' AAS el0 tdAtH 10 STATION g. in Law
street. and some people in Wakefield who
mad caught glimpses of hen-house prowl-
er at various times during the past sfx
months were sent for They identi6e6
him. He was arraigned and held for The
grand jury. While waiting for trial de-
tectives will try to trace out the hundreds
or thetts in the towns of Medford san
gus, Someryille. Lynnfeld, Winchester
Milrose. Woburn and Wakefield
In Pixies note book were the names ~
customers whom he supplied. Among them
was woman living at AZ Leverett street
who knew Pike. She said he came 10 her
house about year ago and told Of Ms
vast chicken farm and his desire 10 helm
poor people by selling at low price T.flre
the Chinese, he believed that chickens 81
De a. their best should be kept alive un-
~ Just before preparations for cOokine
That's why he brought them to town Wiz
their feathers on. This woman aid No
suspect Mrongdolng on the part Of Pic
ana latsr when he asked permission to
pluck Dis stolen goods on her PREMISES
hls request Was readily granted fit5e.
poor people 10 LeVerett street hailed No.
as me farmer Dhilanfhr0pist ana bes+,o.s..tt.
~ gn nm iislr broaaest smiles. ONO IN
anhle he made each OF IFS Ieveroff
sileel customers e present ~ Z fat 80
loN -slanr'1 bird. telling fhem fe 80