The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-08
JIG. KOERNER'S DUAL LIFE
WELL-KNOWN MAN HAS STOLEN
HORSES SYSTEMATICALLY.
Score of Animals Taken from Indian
apOlis Streets and Driven at
Night to Ohio.

The arrest of John G.. Koerner, of this
| city, at Middletown, o., few days ago,
brings to light a story of dual life which
| equals many a bit of fiction in that line
Koerner is an old soldier, has been a resi-
| dent Of Indianapolis for many years and
has had the respect of a wide circle of
! friends and acquaintance. He has lived for
a number of years with his wife and three
| daughters at SO Oak street, and the family
! was looked upon as an eminertly respect
| able one. Koerner is a member of Odd Eel
| lows and knights of Pythias lodges and
| has acted in the capacity of nurse, waiting
upon members of his lodges when they were
i'll. He was fairly beloved by the brother
members of the lodges. and was looked
upon as a model man, husband and father.
Now he lies in the county Jail self-con-
fessed horse thief
Last Thursday letter was received by
| Superintendent Quigley from ]. B. Emery,
| chief Of police at Mddletown, o., saying
| that a man was being held there on sus-
| pfcion of having stolen a horse in Indian
apolis The horse he had answered the de-
scription of one stolen from j. B. Allfree,
which description has been sent out over
the county by postal card. A more minute
description was sent and the chief of police
of Middletown had no difficulty in Identify
ing the horse positively. Saturday Detective
Splann went to Middletown and was sur
prised when he saw who the man was under
arrest He went by the name of John
George in Ohio
koerner made no effort to deny his guilt,
except to say that the actual stealing was
done by colored man and that he (Koer-
ner) simply drove the horse to Ohio to dis
pose of it. Koerner, however made some
startling disclosures, admitting that he had
been engaged in the business for eighteen
months and that he had driven a score or
more of horses to Ohio and disposed of
them III that time. He had one other horse
With him at Middleton when arrested, and
said that others were scattered about in
the vicinity and in the adjoining county.
he said he transacted his business through
Robert McCutcheon, a. livery stable man of
Franklin, o., and accompanied Detective
Splann to Franklin. In McCutcheons stable
koerner pointed out six buggieS which he
said had been stolen from indianapolis
and he said there were many more in the
hands OF farmers through the country
which had been disposed of by McCutcheon
Splann tried to get the chief of police of
Franklin to place McCutcheon under arrest
ON a charge of receiving stolen goods, but
failed
DESCRIBES TWELVE OF HIS CRIMES
The story of his crimes as told by Koer-
AASA 10 GIL lllcl SSIiHS one. fOr the last TWO
years horses and buggies have disappeared
IN the early evening of the downtown
streets. About the neighborhood of Monu-
ment place the thief seemed to work most
Koerner admits that this was his favorite
field. He did not know the owners of the
rigs stolen, but remembered having taken
rigs which he describes about as follows:
Bay horse (originaD, fifteen or sixteen
7 hands high, hitched to phaeton; stolen
from in front of the Baldwin block, April,
1897.
Dark brown mare, htched to coil spring
buggy; stolen from Delaware street, be-
tween Market and Washington streets,
Sorrel horse, hitched to box-bed top bug
gy; taken from in front of the Ross block
during the latter part of October, 1897.
Dark brown mare, hitched TO phaeton;
stolen from in front of the First Presby-
terrain Church.
Small sorrel mare, hitched to canopy-top
block in July, 1887.
Light bay mare, hitched to end spring
top buggy of the Robbins make. Taken
from the Denison House in July, 1897.
Bay mare with star in forehead, hitched
to top buggy Taken from in front of the
Ross block in April, 1897.
Small black horse, hitched to phaeton
stolen off Market street, between Illinois
street and Capitol avenue.
Small dun pony, hitched to small Surry
Does not remember from where taken.
Small gray mare, hitched to end spring
box-bed buggy, with red running gear.
Stolen in June 1896, from Ohio street, be-
tween Illinois and Meridian streets.
Four-year-old bay horse, with white hind
feet and bald face. Taken from the Wind
sor block in June. 1896.
Bay pony hitched to box buggy. Taken
| from the Tabernacle Church in May, 1897.
Koerner says these were all taken after
dark, and that he invariably drove to Rich
| mond by morning and there fed the horses
and himself and drove, on to Middletown
or Franklin, O. The police have compared
koerners descriptions of horses stolen and
| have found them to correspond to those
| given by the following persons who have
lost horses recently: Frank Mason, w. Mol
lenkopf, J. J. Baker, e. r. Odle. G. A.
Boeckling and c. Fl. Gilman. Superintend-
ent Quigley is anxious that people who have
lost horses during the past two years call
on him and take steps to recover their
DrODertV