Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-12-12
VERY MUCH WANTED.
4 Festive Horse-Thief and some of
His Exploits.

NORFOLK, VA, December u.-(Spe-
cisl)-George Cox alias Fox, whose ar
rect here several days ago. charged with
stealing a pair Of horses and a buggy
from an Elkins On. CO man, was noticed
In this correspondence. was this afternoon
surrendered to Sheriff A. NJ. Gribcle. or
Habershaw county. Ga. A constable from
Elkins came for Cox, but Cox was held
awaiting further developments, and the
North Carolina officer had 10 go back
without his man. IT was, perhaps. well
that the prisoner was held, for since his
arrest inquiries and facts regarding MIN
have been shOwered thick and fast upon
the Norfolk Chief of Police. Sheriff
Gribbe and Mr.. J. II. House. of Haber-
shaw Comfy Ga, came here yesterday
10 see L the man they wanted was in
limbo. and easily identified COX" as John
Westerm6n, who had stolen two ponies
and a buggy from Mr.. House, Of the firm
OF House & Spencer. October 7th aast.
From these two gentlemen the following
facts regarding the prisoner were OBJ
tanned. which show that he is almost a
record breaker as o horse-thief:
HIS CAREER.
lie first appeared at Blueridge, Ca, on
October It'll, under the name of W. a.
Fox. where he hired two horses and a
buggy. He took them to Hall county,
Ca. whore he snapped them 10 Jeremiah
Hawkins for one good saddle-hOrse and
SIS cash. He then went 10 GAINESVILLE,
where on October 9th he hired two fine
ponies and a good buggy from Mr..
Houses firm. Westerman skipped C
Walhalla, S. c., where he traded the
ponies for a mare, but kept the buggy.
He then went TO Greenvllle. S. C.; then
TO Spartanburg and on to Gastonia- Here
he traded the Walhalla mare for horse.
His next stop was at Charlotte. n. c.,
and at Davidson College, n. c.. in Meek
lenburg county, he traded Hawkins s
horse TO ]. NJ. Potts, and then went "a
StLtesvile, where he gold the Gastonia
horse. Elkin and Leakesville were the
next towns visited, when he traded two
horses and Mr.. Houses buggy to Ivey 4
Co., for sl00 worth Of tobacco and 50 cents
IN cash. Westerman shipped the tobacco
to Petersburg 10 j. o. Brown, who was
none other than himself, and there sold
IT, He then went to Waverly, Va, where
he stole a horse and buggy from Doyle
& Co., which he brought TO Norfolk.
The Sheriff had requlsition papers for
Westerman but they were incomplete
lacking Governor O'Ferralls signature.
The prisoner, however. consented to go
with him, and he was manacled in the
afternoon, and taken over the Norfolk
and Carolina railroad to GAINESVILLE, Ga.
for trial.
OTHER VICTIMS.
There appear TO be still others who
have been victmized by this rascal, as
the following telegram received here from
Kinston. y. c., to-day will show "Mr
g. w. Harper, Of this place, lost a pain
OF horses last April stolen, be thinks
by the same man. but going by a dif'
ferent name. The man called himself
Bridgers, and claimed he was selling cot
ton bagging TO farmers. He was about
so years old, with long gray-red beard
and was about six feet high
Westerman answers the above descrip-
ton very easily, though, perhaps. he Is
not quite 50 old, being only about &
years of age.