The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-15
BANEY'S HILLSIDE CABIN
STOLEN PROPERTY FOUND IN NOR
GAN COUNTY BY THE POLICE.
Hole i'm the Floor to Make Escape to
the Brush Easy-Ten Horses
Stoleh.

Noah Baney and his wife, Della Baney.
and his brother-in-law, William Short, were
bound over to the grand jury yesterday
morning in Police Court on the charge of
grand larceny. The detectives are pleased
with this action, for it gives time for more
evidence against the three to turn up, and
developments of Baney's operations are
constantly appearing. 1t is not probable
that a case can be made against Mrs. Ba-
ney, for it seems she has simply kept at
her husbands side. Detective Splann re-
turned early yesterday morning from a trip
to Baney'S farm, nine miles southeast of
Martinsville, near Morgantown. Before GO
ing to the farm Captain Splann looked
around" at Martinsville and found four
farmers who had traded horses with Baney.
This makes about ten horses credited to
Baney's record already, and Chief Colbert
says the evidence shows the horses Baney
traded were those that he had stolen. Ba-
ney's trick was to trade crooked horses
for straight ones, and then sell the lat
ter. as the detectives tell it.
After a long search Captain Splann found
Baney's home. His farm consists of four
acres and a log cabin. For this property
he paid 49, The cabin stands on a hill,
and the four acres are on the side of the
hill. The cabin is new one and is built
so that a person inside can drop through a
hole in the floor and run down the hillside
without being seen. Once down the steep
fifty-foot incline and in the dense under
growth OF the gully, all the sheriffs in
southern Indiana could not find the person
who was fleeing, Captain Splann says The
cabin has one room. In it Captain Splann
found over one hundred dollars worth of
furniture which belongs to the People S
Quitting Company, of this city. The man
ner in which Baney secured this furniture
further illustrates his shrewd methods Two
weeks ago a man entered the store of the
Peoples Quitting Company and selected
enough furniture to furnish a house COM
pletely. He paid $40 down on the furniture
and ordered that it be delivered to a house
on the South Side. The furniture was taken
TO the house and no further attention was
paid to the matter by the management of
the store until the next payment became
cue Then the collector called at the house.
he found 1t empty. Yesterday morning at
rol' call the description of the furniture was
READ TO the patrolmen and they were asked
TO look for II. Captain Splann was in the
roli-call room, and when he heard the de-
scription he knew that the furniture at
BaAey log cabin was that which had been
DougnI OF the Peoples Quitting Com
parry. The company will send down to Ba-
captain Splann also found at Baney's log
cabin a chest of tools and two dozen jars
OF fruit A new cooking stove stood under
q, tree near the cabin. The tools belong to
Henry Kelley carpenter, living at S67
Massachusetts avenue, and he losS. them
while working on an apartment house at
Meridian and Tenth streets. The jars of
f uit are from the kitchen of Shorts next
door neighbor at 1911 North Senate avenue.
Captain Splan and Chief Colbert are of
the opinion that Baney intended to live
quietly in his little cabin on the hill, al
ways ready TO dive like rabbit through his
floor and to cover, and to conduct business
like that of the bandits in the old yellow
backed novels. He started out stealing
horses, harness and things of less value
by the wholesale, had furnished his house
we'll without IL costing him anything and
was in position TO do all kinds of good
for himself and evil to others until that
unfortunate evening when Chief Colbert and
his assistants made a call on the family al
1859 North Senate avenue and returned To
the police station with Mr.. and Mrs. Baney
and Mr.. William Short Then John Kirk
hoff, of Jonesville. an innocent young horse
trader. was in Police Court yesterday and
identified Baney the man who was doing
the horse and buggy trading at that little
town. He also said Short and Mrs. Baney
were there with Baney, the star" The
three are now in the county Jail, waiting fol-
grand jury action.
With the property recovered from Baney'
various storage places the detective depart
emnt has turned in $l.224.50 worth of stolen
property in the last few days.