Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1890-1895, 1895-06-21
GROWS INTERESTING.
Officers Bodeker and Baker Making Numerous
Arrests of Men Who Are Implicated
in Cattle Stealing,

painstaking effort the police have at
last unearthed the nest of COW thieves
that have for years been the terror and
pest of cattle owners in this vicinity.
Repeated efforts have been made to
catch UP with the marauding gang who
have taken COWS which, in many cases,
were the only support of women
and children, often depriving them
of their sole means of subsistence.
Complaints were lodged daily with
the chief of police until 1t got
TO be almost unbearable, in the last year
nearly $50 COWS having been stolen.
Chief Mcdonald delegated officers Bodi-
ker and Baker to detect and capture the
means untried to capture the culprits.
In the early part of last week the two
officers began their work and soon had
several good clews. which they followed
up. and, as stated in Tuesdays Age-Her-
aid, they arrested Will Harris and VIII
Pernix, two darkies who were in the em-
ploy of Mr.. Ben Holzer, q butcher who
has a stall in the market, and who has
the contract to furnish beef to the city.
The action Of the two negroes excited
suspicion. coming and going at hours
when all other butchers We're at their
stands, and the further fact that Mr..
Holzer was supplying meat to the city
under contract at 2 cents per pound, less
than he is supposed to pay for 1t, as
we'll as suspicious actions in the sale of
the hides, led to close watch and the
two negroes were arrested in the act of
butchering q missing COW in Mr.. Holzer' S
butcher pen.
AS soon as they were arrested they
were separated and then they
"squealed' and stated that they were
working under instructions from Mr..
Holzer and that there were others inn
a IInOn infnrn11
and other, to the police, corroborating
evidence, Mr. Holzer was aroused from
his slumbers at 80 a. m. and placed in
Jail, where his friends bonded him out
next morning.
Mr. Holzer strenuously denied the
charge OF collision.
In the meantime the officers were not
idle. Disguised as tramps they wandered
through the woods, and every day in
their wanderings they would come across
slain cattle, which had been killed APP
parently for their hides only as the
skinned cow would be lying there with
the meat apparently intact, the hide and
two or three pounds Of meat only being
taken.
Wednesday evening they saw negro,
John Lewis, Slipping through a thicket,
and following him cautiously they saw
him go to a tree at which a young bull
had been tied and knocked in the head
and skinned. The negro picked up a
basket, which contained butcher knife
and some pieces of meat. Then taking
the hide from the animal he put it in
sack and started off, when the officers
placed him under arrest.
Lewis acknowledged the killing and
stated that he was put up TO it by white
men, who shared the profits with him.
and according to his statement there are
about twenty or twenty-five men in
volved, among them some butchers, who,
he claims. have been the greatest bene-
ficiaries of the constant populations.
Lewis agreed to go with the officers and
show them some of his accomplices.
In the meantime Stephen Hawkins, a
negro, was placed under arrest on the
same charge. Each prisoner was placed
ina separate cell. with no chance to COM
municate with each other, and as each
was separately Intercepted and their
statements corroborated the officers gave
them credence.
Yesterday afternoon Officers Bodiker
and Baker placed John Lewis in the pa
troll wagon and they were taken out
near Green Springs, about four miles
southwest of the city There they left
the patrol wagon and took to the woods
and waited near a place shown them by
the negro. Their watch was soon re-
warded by seeing l.. u. Reese, a white
man. who also goes by the sobriquet OF
"Texas" come from the bushes. The
negro told them that he was one of their
men. He was placed under arrest and
they proceeded with him about twenty
yards, where they found a cow, which
had just been killed, the blood still ooz-
ing from her nostrils. Reese was placed
in the patrol and brought to the station.
On his person was found an immense AZ
caliber pistol, six gold rings, lot of
cheap jewelry and a pocketknife.
Late last night the officers, who are
striking while they have hot trail, went
out for another raid, and this time ex-
pect to catch what they term the big
fish. and they claim they will break up
this cattle stealing if they have to stay
in the woods night and day