The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1904-12-02

house short distance so as not to
appear to stop, for fear the man at
the gin house might see them stop,
(the moon was shining as bright as
day) Mr.. Thomas went to the house,
knocked lightly on the door and
called Mr.. Gregory. Mr.. Gregory
answered, Mr.. Thomas then told him
about the man aud team at the gin
house. Just then Mr.. Thomas looked
towards the gin house and saw the
man turning the wagon round and
starting down the road in the direc-
tion of Mr.. Fant's house. Mr..
Thomas called to Mr.. Sartor to turn
round quick and come back, then
Mr.. Thomas got in the buggy and
they went in pursuit of the fleeing
man, wagon and team, following
them to the hill just this side Of Mr..
Fant's house, when the man in the
wagon jumped out and ran across the
field, going west. Mr.. Thomas
jumped out Of the buggy and caught
the mules. In the mean time Mr..
Gregory and Mr.. Joe Wright had
caught their horses and came up to
where Mr.. Thomas and Sartor were.
They did not pursue the man any
further but turned around and drove
back to Mr.. Gregory's gin house, un-
loaded the cotton seed, about twenty
bushels, put the mules in the stable
and that morning after breakfast
drove the team to Union, and after
consulting his lawyer, Mr.. J. A.
Sawyer, Mr.. Gregory placed the
mules in Crawford and Acocks stable
and posted advertisements. Neither
Mr.. Gregory or anyone Of whom he
inquired knew to whom the mules or
wagon belonged. In the afternoon
Of the same day Mr.. Starks Johns
who lives about a mile this side of
Santee came to Union looking for q |
lost mule and with the intention of |
advertising for a lost mule, he was |
told of the mules that Mr.. Gregory
had put in the stable here, and upon
going to the stable he recognized one
of the mules as his, and took it back
home with him. He did not know
to whom the other mule or wagon
belonged. Late Saturday afternoon
Mr.. w. T. Jones of Santuc. came to
the city and claimed the wagon. He
said the tire ran of one wheel and
had been left on the side of the road
about half way between Union and
Santuc, and the breast pole had been
taken off and carried to his house.
The thief had used ropes in the place
OF breast pole and breast chains.
Mr.. w. T. Jones came back to Union
Monday and claimed the other mule.
The gears belonged to Mr.. ]. G. Sar-
tor and were taken from his gear
house. This was bold, resourceful
and energetic thief. He got one
mule at one place, wagon at another
and the other mule at another, and
gears at another. He must have be-
gun early in the night and hustled
lively, for the wagon and team when
made up represented considerable
distance and much travel. After
getting the mules a mile or more
apart, the gears about the same dis
tance and the wagon at least four
miles away then he had to drive
nearly to Santuc before taking q right
hand road that lead to Mr.. Davis
Gregory's ginhouse. In all he must
have travelled at least 10 miles, and
then be detected and frightened away
was hard luck. 1t is very probable
that after putting into the wagon
about as many bushels of cotton seed
as would ordinarily belong to two
bales Of cotton, he intended to put
two bales of cotton on top OF the
seed, as there were two bales headed
up, come to towE, sell cotton and
seed, leave wagon and team and go
away on the 9 o'clock train. There
are some suspicious among the peo-
pie OF the neighborhood who the thief
is, but as yet no certain clue and
perhaps never will be.