The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-11-21
HENS GALORE
Sensational Charge Made by
Angry Better Half
WORKED THREE COUNTIES
Paying Visits TO Every Hen
Roost Along Their Route.

John Whitney, Of Mcpherson county,
was arrested in Wichita yesterday by
Sheriff J. L seitz of Mcpherson and
Deputy Sheriff sy Duncan of this city.
upon the chare Of abducting the two
year-oId child Of a man named Nealy
and then clipping with the latter's wife.
Incidently the officers learned that the
woman, Whitney and Nealy were badly
wanted on the charge of making inroads
into the barnyards of, the farmers in that
section Of the state and stealing the
chickens. When questioned the woman
admitted that they were the parties
wanted and that since the first Of the
year they had stolen more than 500 dozen
chickens or moro than 5000 in
all. Because of the woman's condition
she was not arrested, but Whitney was
taken back to answer the kidnapping
charge last night. The arrest was
brought about in an almost purely acci-
dental manner. Yesterday morning the
woman called upon county commissioner
Tor the poor. John Goodwfne, and giving
her name as Mrs. Whitney stated that
she was in extreme need Of the county's
assistance. She explained that she had
just come to the city with her child and
husband and that the latter was unable
to procure employment.
The commissioner believed her story
and gave her some groceries and stated
that he would call later and see just
what was needed to relieve their condi-
ton The sheriffs Of Mcpherson and
Dickinson counties were comforting with
Syl Duncan as to their probable chances
Of locating Whitney, when Mr.. GoOdwine
dition Of his late caller.
The names being Similar Messrs. Seitz
and Duncan thought that they would in
vestigate and see if Whitney was not the
man wanted on the kidnapping charge.
Their suspicious proved to be true.
The woman then demanded to know
who was responsible for the arrest and
added: If it's Nealy, I'll get even with
him. I'll tell something that will send
him to the pen for the next few years"
She then told the story Of the chicken
stealing as follows:
During this year we, that is whitney
myself and Nealy, have Travelled through
Mcpherson. Simmer Sedgwick. Harvey
and Dickinson. counties in a wagon and
In all these counties we have stolen over
5000 chickens. Our only shelter from the
rain and cold was a tent.
"Nealy is the father of this child and I
am its mother. At night when everybody
was asleep, we would manage to get into
the barnyards and steal all the chickens
we could get hold of without being
caught. frequently we had narrow es-
capes, but so far we have never been
caught in the act Of stealing the fowls
We always without any trouble succeed
ed in getting rid Of the chickens in the
next town and that night we would do
our best to steal in the town we had
sold the chickens in -
Whitney ard the woman deserted
Nealy at Abilene and with the child they
made their way to Wichita. At McPher-
son they came nearly. being caught in the
act of stealing chickens and Sheriff Seitz
stated yesterday that in order to escape
Whitney and the woman were obliged to
leave the wagon behind.
The woman said that she would stay
with Whitney in his present trouble and
viii not return to Nealy. As soon as the
kidnapping charge Is disposed Of the
trio viii at once be arrested upon the
charge Of stealing chickens The farmers
in these counties for months have suf-
fered heavily from the loss Of chickens
by thieves but were never able to detect
the guilty parties.