The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-05-03
TRAILING A CHICKEN-THIEF
How Numerous Country HenrooStS We're
Depleted.
Incidents That Led Up to the Arrest
of MCCrea and the Battle
i'm Yolo.

About ten days ago Adolph van
Merriam, a popular young rancher near
Antelope, in this county, was returning
home at about II o'clock at night from
a social gathering at the schoolhouse.
In the shadow of some trees near his
place he saw an odd-looking cart with
a dark bay mare attached, tied to his
fence
In view of the fact that nearly every
ranch in the northern portion of the
county and the southeastern portion of
Placer had been visited by chicken
thieves a short time previous, Mr.. Van
Merriam concluded to investigate. Hid
ing near the rig, with his trusty shot
gun in his hand. the young rancher
waited to see who would come for the
peculiar looking outfit.
Soon a tall figure, wearing a long
brown overcoat, was seen climbing over
Van Merrian's fence with a sack under
his arm, and as the man reached the
cart and just as the lid of the box
under the seat was heard to close, Van
Merriam heard the squeak of turkey.
He crept up to his man, and was just
about to yell to the midnight marauder
to surrender, when the fellow, agile
as d cat, IedDeu llllO the Cal anu e.
capped.
After that the young fellow, and also
some old men. formed a sort of a
road patrol watching for the cart with
long blue box behind to show up.
About four days later two of these
young farmers, Lee Smith and Charles
Aston, at about the same time of night
heard the rattle of a cart, and lying
close to the fence on the Auburn road
they saw the looked-for rig pass swiftly
by, driven by an oldish man wearing a
sandy beard. They cautiously follwed
it till suddenly the pattering noise of
the horses feet ceased.
Soon the two watchers came across
the outfit tied under some trees near
Farmer Cavett's place. Noiselessly
they crept after the occupant of the
cart until they saw him stop in front
of Cavett's henhouse. Aston, in try
ing to arouse Cavett and his sons, was
either heard or seen by the chicken
thief, who. without much effort. leaped
over a fence and was trying TO reach
his horse and cart.
There, however, he was headed off by
Lee Smith, who was lying in wait. See
ing his plan frustrated, the man scaled
another fence into a field and continued
his run toward the Folsom road.
It is now believed by the Sheriff and
his deputies-and McCrea's agility dis
played in his desperate battle with Dep
uty Sheriff Fisher seems to bear out
the theory-that the rObber came down
by way of Folsom, and not wanting to
go home entirely empty-handed, stop
ped at old man BidwelPs place near
Perkins to get chickens to perhaps fill
an order at some tamale house in this
city
The horse and cart were taken pos
session of by Smith and Aston. When
examined it was found to contain a
sack despatched with blood and con-
tanning chicken and turkey feathers, a
can of peaches, 10-cent loaf of bread.
a paper bag of doughnuts, an empty
peach can containing a package which
proved to be a piece Of canvas dipped
in a solution of sulphur, and appar-
emily some other poisonous ingredients
which undoubtedly We're used by Nc
Crea to stupefy and bring down poultry
from trees and high roosts.
Sheriff Johnson-who had for several
nights, with three Of his deputies been
stationed on different roads leading out
OF the city watching for this man-at
once detailed two deputies, Frank
Meister and Max p. Fisher TO inVesti-
gate the case. Fisher found the rig at
Antelope and waiting till dark got into
the cart, headed the mare towards Sac
ramento and gave her free Roadway,
carefully noting her movements.
After crossing the railroad track on
Twelfth street the animal, when near
ing the corner of Twelfth and z streets,
started to turn into the alley on
Twelfth, between f and F, but wo-
man on a bicycle turned her and she
travelled to the corner Of Twelfth and
F. where she stopped at the watering
trough and drank. and then without
guidance turned around and trotted
back to the corner of the alley near
the new electric light works on Twelfth
street.
Fisher. being satisfied that nothing
could beat common horse sense, con-
cluded that the animal evidently knew
where she belonged, at once started to
find some one who knew the outfit, and
If possible its owner.
Owing to the lateness of the hour
Fisher found it exceedingly difficult to