Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-07-28
HORSE THIEF CAUGHT
Sheriff CraIIe OverhauIs Rig
Taken From Moline
Wednesday.
CAPTURE MADE NEAR QUINCY
Prisoner Valves Preliminary Hear
ing and is Held in $1,000
Bonds.

The man who stole the horse and
Irig last Wednesday from Hiersemann
d Co., the Moline liverymen, is behind
the bars iii the Rock Island county
Jail and the chain of evidence against
him is conclusive. He. gives his name
as John brennan, but there are rea-
sons for believing that he has been
sailing under other cognomens in
the recent past.
The capture was made Saturday ev-
ening by Constable James Bruffy and
Ech Flesner, of Golden, about twenty
five miles this side of Quincy. Sheriff
Cralle, who was hot on the trail and
who was directing the pursuit, arriv-
ed in the town within an hour of the
time of the capture and took charge
of his man.
Cards Did the worE.
The rig was rented from the Moline
liverymen Wednesday morning with
the understanding that it was to be
kept all day. When it was not re-
turned the following morning the
sheriff was notified. This was about
10 o'clock. During the afternoon
cards bearing the description of the
rig and the thief were gotten out and
circulated widely. At 10 o'clock Sat
urday morning Sheriff Cralle receiv-
ed Il telegram from y. Kipling, the
marshal at Colchester, ILL.,. stating
that the rig had passed through that
place few hours earlier. Instruc-
tions were wired back to use the tele-
phone freely and follow it up, while
the sheriff boarded the next train
south.
Coincidence.
On the way from Galesburg Sheriff
Cralle met Sheriff John Roth. of
Adams county, in whose bailiwick
the thief was at that time. The
train was stopped at each station
long enough. to ascertain if anything
had been heard of the rig. When
Golden was reached about 1880 in the
evening it was learned that the man
had been taken about an hour before
and was in Jail there. while the tired
horse had been taken care of.
! The prisoner was left there till
yesterday morning, when Sheriff
Cralle brought him to this city. The
reward of $50 allowed by the county
for the capture of horsethief was
left with Sheriff Roth to he divided
between Bruffy and Flesner. The rig
will be shipped home. the S25 reward
for its return having been sent to
Golden by the owners.
A Smooth Individual.
brennan is about forty-eight years
of age and he is evidently smooth
one. There was little found on his
person that can be used to trace up
his past. for he had taken pains to
tear off the addresses from all cards
and written names that were found
in his pockets. He refuses absolutely
20 discuss his past or his crime, and
during the time he was in the hands
of the sheriff he spoke but twice, and
it was then to make use of coarse
profanity.
From some of his papers it seems
that he recently operated under the
name of \. w. Borest, as a chiropo-
dist at Paducah, Ky, and he has Il
number of hotel checks from the
Richmond house at that place. He
has a ticket over the high bridge at
Dubuque and a number of written
names appear in various ways.
Among them are those of George
Bruins, 7. j. Williams, Leo Fenger,
Robert HUT and Charles Ellis. He
had $16.3O in cash.
Held in $4,000 Bonds.
At hearing before Magistrate
johnson this morning brennan waiv-
ed a preliminary examination and
was bound over to the grand jury in
the sum of $4,000.
This is the fourth instance in
which Sheriff Cralle has been success
full in tracing down horse thieves.
The only criminal of this class who
has gone UNPRECEDENTED during his
term of Office has been the party who
made away with the rig of Murrin
Brothers, of this city. some months
lago, and this case is still being work
ed