Chariton courier. (Keytesville, Chariton County, Mo.) 1878-current, 1898-01-28
VOLUME XVII.



no small degree Of interest was mani
tested at the Salisbury circuit court
last Thursday was that of the state
against Burl Jones, at one time farm
hand of this vicinity, he having work
ed for John F. and ]. ". whitesides
and others of near Keytesville, and
&. w. Rutledge. a iveryman at Dal-
ton, who were charged with the theft
of I 900 pounds of wool from G. B.
Hurt of near Shannondale In June,
1897, which, it viii be remembered,
was hauled to Moberly by means Of a
team ana sprirg wagon hired
from Liveryman S. B. Elliott of SAL
isbury, and sold to weisburg & Co.
Jones was shortly afterwards cap
tured IN Saline county, the fact having
developed in the mean time that he
had an accompGce, but it was not
learned until after Jones' conviction
who that accomplice was.
tones and his assistant were in
dicted at the last July term Of the
Salisbury circuit court. The indict-
ment against Jones' partner in crime
was returned as Richard Rec" in the
absence of the guilty party's real name.
Some three or four weeks ago G..
w. Rutledge Of Dalton was arrested
upon suspicion Of having lent a
helping hand in getting away with Mr..
Hurts sheep product, but before
Rutledge's case went to trial Prosecut-
ing Attorney CoIlet entered a HoLlt
brusegm and Rutledge was discharged
as there seemed to be no question of
doubt about the defendants being
able to prove an ahbi-
Mr.. Collet then trained his guns
upon Jones and prosecuted him with
a vigor for which Charlton county,s
prosecuting attorney is becoming
noted. His efforts were crowned with
success, as the jury which tried Jones
brought IN n verdict Of guilty and
sentenced him to Ia years in the
penitentiary although he did not hire
the team which conveyed the wool to
to Moberly nor did he sell the clip
to weisberg & Co., but he induced
his "paP' to perform both Of these
hazardous missions, Jones remaining
in the background at a safe distance.
He probably would never have
been convicted had he not been seen
returning from Moberly in company
with the man who hired the team and
spring wagon and sold the wool.
After his conviction Jones confessed
his guilt, and implicated man by the
name of VIM. Johnson, alias VIM.
Steers. whom, Jones said, is now
serving term of five years in the
penitentiary, having been sent to that
penal institution from Lafayette
county for stealing a wagon and team
and 20 bushels of clover seed from a
farmer living near Concordia not long
after his shady transaction in Nh.
Hurts wool.
Jones gave Sheriff Dempsey a
minute description of Johnson which
tailed exactly with the description
sent Mr.. Dempsey by Sheriff John A.
Fulkerson of Lafayette county, even
to the narrow brim straw hat and
brown suit Of clothes Johnson bought
from Jacob, Myer Of Salisbury after
returning from Moberiy.
As soon IS he had sold Mr.. Hurts
wool to /. weisberg & Co., johnson
inquired OF Ell Miller, the clerk, if he
KEEP, binder rwine, remarking that he
Uohnson) wanted to hurry back home
''to cut wheat" weisberg & Co. did
not handle binder twine, but Johnson
was directed to n place where he
could find it and bought a couple OF
balls, but alas, that twine never bound
any wheat as it was thrown into a
creek on the way back to Salisbury,
together with the sacks in which
Jones and Johnson had hauled their