The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-09-26
| KING OF THIEVES.
A. F. Poole, the Most Renowned
Chicken Thief
KANSAS AND NEBRASKA
| n

rs Vow On Trial On q Charge OF Petty
Burglary Which May send Him TO
the PenItenttary.
The trial of the noted chicken stealer,
A F. Poole, is on in the district court. 1t
was begun this morning and is expected
to last at least until noon tomorrow
Owing to the wide attention that Poole
has attracted through his unique way of
gaining renown. considerable trouble was
experienced this morning in securing a
jury. Every man VINO was finally re-
tanned said he had read of the. case in
the papers, and the lawyers dsspairing of
finding men ignorant OF the incidents.
discharged only those thoroughly ac-
Quainted with the facts. Seven jurymen
were excused, the inpannelling occupied
an hour The jury as finally selected is
composed of Reed R. Slylor, f c. Sears,
Z. j. Holloway, g. w. Burge, G. w.
StockweIl, W. E. Gilman, J, NJ. Miller,
j. {. Packer, w. E. Stewart, Frank o.
Peterson, James Naylor aud A. Kuyken-
dali.
Poole has been in the county Jail since
his arrest on July IL, being unable to
raise his $1,000 boad. he appeared neat
anG looking well as he sat behind his
attorneys in court this morning, His
wife, with their baby aud two of his
three little girls were beside him. His
girls are pretty and Mrs. Poole had evil
IDENTITY taken some pains to bring them to
court looking their very best and they
| we're attired in their prettiest dresses.
! The crime of when Poole is accused
is taking of fifty cents worth of corn
! from the granary on the farm of Freder-
| lex Dauber six miles north of town on
! the Central avenue road. This was at
day break on the morning Of July 13.
The charge is burglary.
The state has % witnesses, and the de-
! Tense will produce about 10. The de-
! Tense will try TO prove an alibi
In stating their case to the jury, the
| attorneys stated that they will prove by
Mrs. Poole and others that the accused
was at his home at the time of the steal
ing and chase into town. They expect
10 prove that another man is guilty of
! the theft
Frederick Dauber of 225 Paramore
street, the prosecuting witness, was the
frat person called to the stand by the
state. He testified in regard to the corn
| crib from which the corn was taken.
Mr. Easmiuger asked the witness some
questions on farming:
allow does it happen that this two
bushel sack was full and had only one
bushel of corn in it?"
almost any man knows that one
!
bushel sack"
well, don't" said Mr.. Ensminger
Elmer jackson, the hired man on the
farm, had spent the evening of the 18th
of JULY at Garfield park. He had re-
turned late to the farm and had slept in
the barn.
"Were YOU aroused during the night?"
Eyes. sir; early in the morning the
| horses became restless l went down to
see about it and went outside the barn"
"What did you seer"
81 saw a man making away from the
corn crib with a sack on his shoulder"
did you get a good look at him as he
passed your"
ayes. sir; Isaw him distinctly"
"Is that mao in this court room now?"
''lIe is sitting there"
"What did he do with the corn?"
Gle took it to his wagon and drove
off"
Did you see that wagon again?"
81 saw it in North Topeka after Poole
had desertedit."
slow close were you to this mani"
"About ten steps,"
"What did you dof"
Il asked him what he was going to do
with that cCrn.'
AWhat did he say?'
"Thst he was going to feed it. saw
it was a stranger and called to him tc
put it down He said he guessed he
would take it along, anyway"
This was foggy morning, was il
not?'
alt was"
'sAre you willing to say that you posi-
lively identify this man when you hac
never seen him before; it was a foggy
morning. and you saw him but 4
momsn?"
81 do"
Jackson's evidence showed that thu
! difference between night and morning
in the country is according to whether thu
persons have been to bed or not. II
! SAID he had been out the evening befor'
until O'Clock. In two hours he awoke
r in the morning.
: j. W. Bigger was the next witness. H
told of following the wagon by the tract
it left in the read. He followed it clea
to town. At the corner of Sayweli stree
and Kansas avenue the tracks turned wes
!. sHow far west did you GOT"
r "Out by SINNERS nursery on tn
= Shorey road"
: "What did you fiud there?"
q in the woods opposite Mr. Skinner
: place l saw the wagon l had been TO
n lowiug''
> ''What else did you notide?'
The man was standing beside it Il
had gray beard"
: ''What then did he dof"
q she drove out again towards towT
: When he had passed the Davis elevate
: in North Topeka one of his horses fell.
i: "Did you go up to him then?"
}. sYes."
l. Would you know him if you sa'
y him?"
Yes; he sits there" pointing to n
Poole
# The examination is still going on.
r BURNED IN THE FIELDS
. Forest Fires Destroy Hnndrsd. Of Far,