The Wichita daily eagle., 1895-03-29
HAD A WINCHESTER
VERY IMPORTANT ARREST BY
CHIEF AND DETECTIVES.


Harness Thieves are Finally Captured After
Trailing Them for Three Months--Dis-
patch from Norwich "Look fer the New
sBain' Wagon" Leads TO Their Arrest
Were Taken TO Sumner County Last
Night--Give the Names of John Smith
and George Cowen-- Wood and Sutton
are Pleased.
John Smith and George Cowen were
arrested yesterday morning for steal
ing harness and chickens. The police
claim that they have been on the track
Of these men for three months. 1t is
claimed that they are the men who
have been stealing harness and chicken
by the wholesale for nearly a year
past
Day before yesterday Chief Massey,
Detective Bedford Wood and reporter
for the Eagle were sitting around a
table at police headquarters when q
telegraph boy came in and handed
Chief Massey a dispatch which read;
Norwich, Kan, March 2S.
Look out for the new Bane wagon,
harness and chickens
The reporter thought that was a
very unintelligihle dispatch but Bed
ford Wood jumped clear off his CHAIR
and said: They are our men. Where
is Harry"
When Bedford went out to hunt. up
Harry Sutton the reporter asked Chief
Massey who the men were indicated in
fhat dispatch.
They are the men I presume who
nave been stealing harness and
chickens all over the county around
Wichita for more than u year" said
Chief Massey.
Bedford and Harry have been on
the track of these harness thieves for
almost three months. We have SuS-
pected that they ship their chickens in
here TO the poultry houses from some
outside station and that they drive two
horses to a new Bane wagon.
We have some Of the officers in sur
rounding towns when chickens and
harness are stolen and that new Bane
wagon has been seen in the neighbor-
hood to notify US and we viii head
them off.
Now this dispatch means that har-
ness and chickens have been stolen at
Norwich and that the new Bane wagon
has been seen in that neighborhood' -
Then Chief Massey pinned a star on
his brother, Zack Massey, who happen
cd To come in the Office. and told him
Ia be ready TO help Bedford and Harry
that night.
Harry Sutton and Bedford Wood
went around to the poultry houses ansf
inquired if they had received any co n
signments Of chickens that day. One
house had received a shipment from
Derby and had just turned the chickens
into the lot.
1t was learned that the chickens were
shipped by Geo. Cowden and the mon
ey was ordered to be sent to Derby by
mail
Wood and Sutton supposing that the
man would be at Derby that night 70
get the money from the postotfice they
got on the train and went TO Derby
When they arrived there the post
master told them that the Derby mail
would not be put OFF there untEl the
next day and that the men had when
they ascertained that fact left and in
structed him when the letter cs.me to
return it to Wichita
The detectives came back to Wich-
ita and started back with Zack Mas
Sey to find the men. Massey found
them south of town but seeing that
they had a Winchester Sitting handy
in the front of the wagon he thought
1t safe TO let them come on into town
assist him
Massey came in and informed Sutton
and Wood that the men were coming
and the officers went ont 10 meet them.
The men left the road and it was
q clock yesterday morning before the
detectives found and arrested them
The horses We're found and j. y
Brewer. a farmer living near Norwich.
came in yesterday and identified them.
as bein z the ones stolen from him.
The officers consider that they have
a sure case against these men and they
50 notified the officers of SuGoner coun-
ty. Chief of Police Massey told the
officer at Wellington 10 have his war
rant ready and he would ~. et him at
the train with his prisoners which he
did, and the men VINO have probably
made such a success at horse and
chicken stealing are this morning safe
in the Sumner county jail.
Sutton and Wood said they had lost
more sleep over these men than over
any crooks that have been in Wichita
for a long time. People iEi the sur
rounding country who had horses and
chickens stolen were satisfied that they
came TO Wichita and they thought il
very strange that the police here could
not catch them.
The reason that they were not caught
before was that they did not bring
their chickens in the city in their new
Raue wagon, hut shipped them from
an outside station.
The officers talked over the affair last
night and admitted that the harness
and chicken dealers We're pretty smart
after all.
Harry Sutton said last night that he
had been for slime time satisfied that
these harness thieves made III cir head
quarters in Wichita. one thing that
convinced him stronger than ever was
that last winter when il was too cold
1o operate outside that a great many