The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-07-27
CHICKEN THIEVES CHASED.
By Farmers and One of Them is Shot

BY Farm ers and One of Them is Shot.
Sheriff Bob Kepley and a farmers
posse captured a chicken thief gang
early Sunday morning southeast of the
city after a hard chase of twenty-one
miles. One of them was shot by the
farmers posse before the sheriff ar
rived, and he is now in the county jail
with two dozen pieces of shot in his
body. The two wagons belonging to
the gang are in the jail yard, and in one
there are 200 chickens which have been
stolen. Two of the gang were cap
tured by the sheriff, while one escaped.
A farmer named Mcclellan came to
the county Jail yesterday morning and
aroused Deputy Sheriff John Jones, He
said that 4 party OF chicken thieves
had been intercepted by farmers on the
country road nve miles southeast of
the city, and had shot one of them.
The injured man, he said was taken in
charge by two of the farmers, and the
rest of the pursuing party continued
the chase after the thieves. Mcclellan
had been to q party and was returning
home when met by the farmers and re-
quested to go after the sheriff. Sheriff
Bob Kepley hurriedly secured a buggy
from McCurdy's, and he and Sergeant
Tim Donovan of the police force, start
ed in pursuit of the chicken thieves.
They drove fast and soon met the far
mers, who We're bringing the injured
man to the city. Continuing the drive
the sheriff found the posse of farmers,
and all Joined in running down the
fugitiVes. At q point about 20 miles
southeast of the city the sheriff caught
sight of them.
The thieves were going at a high rate
of speed. Kepley mounted one of the
farmers horses and galloped after the
wagons. In q hollow in the road just
past some woods, the sheriff caught up
with the thieves. He drew his reVOl-
yer and leveled it at the man who was
in the front wagon. The latter threw
up his hands, and the sheriff kept him
covered until the pursuing party ar
rived. In the front wagon there was a
young man named Bill West He says
he is no relation to the noted desperate
who escaped from the Shawnee county
Jail and was afterwards killed. In
the other wagon was his mother, Katie
West. The party had been composed
of four at first, but when one of them
was shot by the farmers, another of the
men left the wagon and ran into the
woods near by.
Sheriff Kepley made the last mile
and a half on horseback in quick time.
Had he not done this it is probable that
he would have secured only the wag-
ons as chicken thieves usually take
to the woods when the officers get real
close to them.
couple of farmers whom the sheriff
deputized, and brought to the city. The
arrest was made about O'Clock in the
morning. and the aggregation of Off
GERS and thieves arrived here at IL
O'Clock yesterday morning.
The man who was shot gave the
name of Bert Stanley. The farmers
had him securely tied with straps in
a buggy between them.
Deputy Jones took him in charge and
summoned County Physician Howard.
Almost the whole charge of shot from
a shot gun had entered his body. Sew
eral entered his breast and have caus-
ed considerable pain. The abdomen
received a goodly number, and the
right leg was peppered with them. The
county physician thinks that the
wounds are not dangerous. He says
that he does not intend to remove them
as they are superficial.
The wagon which was being driven
by Bill West, had on it five chicken
chickens There were close to 200 chick
ems in the coops when the capture was
made The vehicle is a two horse
spring wagon, on the sides of which
the name of A. NJ. Holloway is painted
in large letters.
The other wagon is a rickety affair
due to the fact that one of the wheels
of this rig was out of shape and made
an uneven track on the road that the
thieves were tracked 50 closely.
Sheriff Kepley says he does not know
who shot Stanley, as there is kind of
a horse thief protective association out
there and all the farmers who belong
to it don't know who did it
This gang of chicken thieves came
through Douglas county a few nights
ago and stole several things from
farms. Chickens are reported stolen
all the way from Kansas City here.