The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1906-06-27
STOLE
CARTER'S
TEAM

contain now the fact that we have
with us one of the most youthful
horse thieves in all history-a boy
not more than seven years Of age. He
is Elijah Hull, son Of John Hull,
but his daring decd does not com
form TO the sacred significance of his
Christian name.
"Iige," as he is familiarly called
is a well known character around
town, though merely boy. No
one ever accused him of being
bright enough to plaN and execute
such outlawry. His Brother, Frank,
( two years older, was the one Of the
well known pair, who was ever taken
to be the boy adapted to the ac-
complishmert of something out of
the ordinary. though he did nothing
to warrant the assertion that he
might some day play The role Of a
modern Jesse James. And it is
shockingly surprising that his
younger brother beat him TO it, exc
scuting a comp in waywardness. of
which the older brother may we'll he
envious. And yet in this we wouli
not be unfair. and must Insist that
Frank has not done anything as yet
that brings him into Lige's category,
nor is there reason to suspect he will.
& I.ige deliberately linhitched Hor-
rison Carriers two horse team-in the
lot in the rear Of Lowndes' store on
Tuesday afternoon shortly after
three o'clock, climbed into the
buggy. and unobscryed. drove off
just how he reached the gypsy camp
] ON the Philippi rCal two nilcs ont,
nnmindfui Of the danger from the
street cars. precipices and the like,
only he himself knows. There n
black horse caught his fancy ard he
bantered the gtpsies ,foF. a trade of
the white horse of tie stolen team
for a black horse to match the one
he had. The gypsies we're suspic-
iols and told him to come back next
morning and they would give s5
cents to boot. Then they turned his
buggy and team around for him anti
started him back toward the city,
but he had no notion Of returning
so soon. Instead he strack the
Buckhanncn pike and wended his
way toward the Barbour county line.
He passed s. W. Gordon's place at
about I o'clock and got into Craig
moor about . O'clock But before
arriving there he. tried TO accomp-
lish a swap at the gypsy camp al. the
mouth of Brushy fork. 1t Craig
moor. near the residence of John
Patton he attempted to retrace his
steps, but in an attempt to turn he
almost upset the buggy. As a last
. resort he backed the buggy into a
ditch, and unlocked the horses and
tie1 them to a fence and then start
cd back to the city afoot, but was
overtaken by three men coming
from Barbour county in a wagon
and was picked up BY them.
About $3.50 o'clock in the after
noon, Mrs. Carter. who had driven
the tom in from her home on
Davisson's Run Tuesday morning,
went to the Lown1es lot to start
home and was horrifed to find the
team missing. Inquiry developed in
the information that mere boy had
driven ii away. The officers we're
notified as was also Mr.. Carter. who
is a juror at circuit court. and the
telephone wires were busily com
missioned. At last about s o'clock
Justice Harry Gordon was inform
ed over the telephone by his father,
s. W. Gordon. residing near Senter
Branch. that the boy passed there
with the team at about Z o'clock
Then Justice Gordon and Mr. Cars
ter in buggy left in hot pursuit Of
the youthful thief, as he is charged,
and met him with the three Barbour
county men near Quiet Dell.
Justice Gordon took possession OF
the boy. He at first denied stout
IL that he had stolen the horses and
accused his brother, Frank, but
finally said he took the horses. He
contended that he did not steal them,
but merely took them for a drive.
He created considerable excitement
by his screams Of murder but the
denizens did not try to lynch the
Justice.
They proceeded to CraigmooT, re
covered the horses and all arrived in
the city fifteen minutes before mid
night. The boy was placed in jail
iSnwait a hearing on a felony war
sworn out by Mr.. Carter before