The record-union., 1897-05-07
M'CREA is NOT IMPROVING.
He Tells DAtectiYe Fisher That He Realizes
He Cannot Live.
Some "reminiscences of Fishers Re-
specting Past Annals OF
Chicken Stealing.

Deputy Sheriff Max Fisher went out
to the County Hospital yesterday to en-
deavor to get photograph of John Nc
Crea, the supposed chicken thief, VINO
was accidentally shot while being ar
rested by him.
McCrea professed to be willing to let
his photograph be taken, but when the
operator was ready screwed up his face
and put his hand up so as to partially
hide it. A snap shot was taken by
strategem, however.
In conversation with Fisher he stated
that he knew he was going to die, but
he utterly refused to make any state
ments about himself or his doings, and
will probably die without making any
revelations concerning his career. he
is evidently an educated man and uses
good language, but. unless he changes
his line of conduct very little Will be
known of his past life unless accident
or investigation reveals 1t.
Fisher has written up some remlnls-
cences of various operators in the line
of chicken stealing, running back for
six or seven years, which are as fol-
lows:
About seven years ago tWo-then-
small lads named Tetherington and
Jordan went about this town stealing
chickens right and left and selling
them to tamale vendors. On one occa-
sion they went to old Mrs. Haley's
place on Fourth, between y and
streets, and Jordan stole one of her
hens. He put the chicken under his
coat and brazenly the twain strolled
back through the alley and UP to Mrs.
Haley's front door
Don't you want to buy a chicken,
ma ann" inquired young Jordan, ex-
| iiibiting the hen.
Why, 1 declare replied the unsus-
pecting lady, that is the dead image
of hen have got
Ought to buy it for a mate" replied
| the youthful crook. Mrs. Haley paid
thirty cents for her own property with
out finding out her mistake until after
| the boys had left.
About five years ago c. c. Houghton,
a railroad brakeman, residing at 3O9
Eleventh street, at about 1870 o'clock
| at night heard someone pulling boards
off his chicken house. Grasping his pis-
/ tol Mr.. Houghton cautiously opened
| the door and went out on his back
| porch. Soon he became convinced that
at least three or four persons had en-
tered his premises and were catching
| the chickens off the roost in his hen
house. He fired a shot in the direction
| from which the noise came and as the
| thieves began to beat a hasty retreat
! he discharged two more cartridges. OW-
| ing to the extreme darkness he could
not see either of the parties, and could
only hear the noise they made. Hough-
ton was surprised when shortly after
ward a neighbor knocked at his door,
saying that a man lay dead outside OF
his fence. 1t proved to be young Finn,
| shot through the body. He was dead
before he struck the ground. Nor was
| this all, another of the gang "Hatchet-
| faced" Daley, was shot through the
shoulder, while John Rawles' right arm
was grazed by a bullet from Hough-
toms trusty revolver.
| The history of Charles Rodden, the
veteran chicken thief, is only very
vague in my recollection, but it was ad-
| venturous.
About seven years ago an oldish
man named Henry Henry did" the
! town for some months. He used to
! have a coal oil case with a strap over
| his shoulders. In the dark of the even
| ing or early morn he would be passed
! by as tins-to-mend man. He
| hardly ever took more than from ten
| to twelve at one time. One night he
| took six hens and a Japanese rooster
belonging to a man by the name of
| Wells. south of r street. He carried
| his load into the Turner Hall saloon,
put it behind some boxes in a rear
room, got a few drinks and went to
sleep in a chair. Someone whose Curl
/ osity was aroused opened the lid of
| the coal oil case when the Japanese
rooster got out and into the barroom.
well, by c., boys, if that rooster
of mine did not follow me clear up
town." were the words which fell from
the lips of one of the crowd, and it was
young Wells.
| A short explanation by the bartender,
! a peep into the coal oil case, look at
the sleeping man, a right-ha swing
! of Wells arm, a dull thud and Henry
Henry had been rudely awakened from
his slumber. After serving six months
for this theft, Henay robbed the hen
roost of John Fitzgerald, who is now
driver of the patrol wagon. He had
gotten four big fat hens into his case,
and sat down behind tree near the
corner of Tenth and T. evidently wait
ing for a belated couple to move on,
and fell asleep. He was found by Fitz-
gerald and got six months more.
Then came a series of country chick
house raids in which two men and
horse and wagon figured. Notably
among the big "hauls" made was the
robbery of George Duden's poultry
yards, when the thieves took all but
| twelve of the fancy-bred chickens of
Mr.. Duden. For monthsi John B. Rod
gers and Police officer Billy" Ahern
tried to land the thieves, till at last
their efforts were rewarded. Duhite, the
slick" chicken thief, used to hire a