Sistersville oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1896-1901, 1898-03-09
Alex McMullenis Brought Here
and Tried Before
Squire Henderson, TOday-McAuiien
Believed % be Implicated i'm q Series
rofThefts ON the Ohio Side-McMuflen
. ProcIaims HIS Innocence and says
Johu Hitchcock Hired Him TO Take
Care Oft.

company, had a bicycle stolen from
the tool house on the Russell heirs
farm back of town. Mr.. Shaw H.
stituted search, but no trace OF the
wheel could be found. On Monday
he notified Constable John Tuel and
offered him reward of S. for the
recovery and return of the wheel.
Mr.. Tuel had in his possession at
that time search warrant for some
half dozen houses in Strlngtown tor
tools that had been stolen from his
lease few nights previous.
In searching the home of John
Rudder Tuesday evening, he came
across the wheel that had been sto-
len. 1t had been taken apart and
concealed in the kitchen garrett.
He stated that he would be COM
PEELED to make arrests for the
wheel. Just at this juncture, Alex
McMullen, the son-in law of Rud-
de-, came up and asked what he
intended doing with the wheel. Mr..
Tuel replied: "Oh, nothing, if it is
YOURS" and when McMullen re-
piled in the affirmative, he was at
once arrested on suspicion.
He was taken yesterday after
noon and given preliminary hear
ing before Squire Folger at Coch-
ransville. Squire Folger held him
for the West Virginia authorities
and young McMullen decided to
come 10 this side of the river with
out requisition papers.
He was brought to this side by
Deputy Constable Nissan and was
given hearing this morning before
Squire Henderson in Squire His
sans Office, owing to the fact that
the latter named justice had to leave
the city this morning. McMullen
plead not guilty but the evidence
| in the case would hardly bear out
the plea. He stated on his own behalf
on the witness stand that he was
induced to 60 out in the country on
Saturday evening by John Hitch
cock who claimed that they could
/ NY some junk from a man near
Lewis store.
When they had gotten to the
mans house no one was at home,
and ON their return Hitchcock said
he had left a wheel in the tool
house along the road, and they
would stop and get it. He further
stated that Hitchcock took the
wheel apart and carried it to their
(Rudder's) home, and told him that
if he would keep it until spring he
would reward him for his trouble.
McMullen's mother-in-law, Mrs.
Rudder, stated that the wheel was
found in a closet, and that she had
forbid Hitchcock keeping the wheel
about the house, and saw nothing
more of it until Mr.. Tuel found it
concealed in the garrett of the
kitched. McMullen looks to be
about FL or ~ years of age, and is a
son of Levi McMullen of this city.
Young McMullen has previously
borne good reputation here, and
was not suspected of being impll-
Gated with the clique that has been
committing depredations on the
Ohio side.
1t is claimed that Hitchcock has
just recently returned from serving
term in the penitentiary, and
carrys a very SHADY reputation.
He, in some manner, learned OF
McMullen's arrest and has skipped
out. His whereabouts are at pres,
emit unknown.
A TOUGH GANG.
A tough gang has been at work
on the Ohio side for more than a
year and it seems impossible to ap
prehend the guilty parties. Pump