The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1906-12-19
THOMAS MAKES A CONFESSION.
He Tells the Story of How Horses and
Harness We're Taken.
GClarion Republican. I

[Clarion Republican,
Rumor after rumor was in circulation
last week concerning supposed confess
sion that Charles o. Thomas, the con-
victed horse-thief, had made. We were
unable TO get to soc Thomas before leav-
ing, so Monday morning the Republican
representative boarded the train and rode
10 Summerville with Thomas. He told
us his story as follows:
Thomas was released from the Western
Penitentisry last August. He had pre-
viously met Eugene Tallman, of Erie
county, who was serving a sentence for
stealing chickens, in the hospital. Charley
was and is yet suffering from rheumatism.
Tallman invited him to come to his farm
and spend the winter. After wandering
around Thomas went to Tallman's and
while there became badly crippled. Tall
man and two others came down into Clar-
ion county and stopped with a we'll
known character near Tylersburg during
the week of September 3. This Clarion
county man seems to have been the per-
son to tip the other fellows off as to good
places to hit and how to get there. The
intention was to enter the jewelry store of
Edward Guth and they came to Clarion
for that purpose on Saturday, September
s, but after looking over the premises de-
cided that they would have to enter Mr..
Guth's residence and gave the job up and
instead cleaned off the clothes line of
some ladies' wearing apparel. Having
been disappointed in their first job they
looked around for some other place
They had been disposng of harness and
like goods to joint in Cleveland and that
caused their thoughts to turn to harness
shop and they decided upon Iseman Bros.
They had two-horse canopy topped two
seated wagon and drove up behind the
shop and got what they wanted and
skipped. Thomas would not say which
way or where they were going or did go
as he claims he was not with the party
but at Tallman's home. But it is reason
able to suppose that they went down the
lower river hill and across to Clarion
junction and then followed the railroad
until they met the Leeper road and then
went to the friends house, near Tylers-
burg. They evidently were there or near
Clarion for that same week they visited
the Clarion Fair. This Clarion county
man had spotted the Shots team and took
Tallmsn and his two companions around
and showed them the team. 1t seemed to
satisfy them for they returned home on
Tuesday of the following week and began
to make their plans for tie horses. On
their road home they stopped at Leeper
and helped themselves to some blankets
and toilet articles at DR.. Phillips store,
which Thomas says were found in the
possession of Mrs. Tallman at Frances
Corners, Erie county.
Sometime during the week Tallman
brought Thomas down to Tylersburg or
to Clarington and Thomas went across to
Brookville from Clarington with the mail
man. What he did at Brookville he does
not say but he did make Dubois a visit.
Tsllman evidently was in the vicinity of
Tylersburg all that week and on Sunday
two others came down from Erie county
and remained in hiding until Monday,
Septem ber "a, when about $3.50 the Shots
team of grays were taken. Thomas left
Brookville Monday with the Clarington
mail man and came to Clarington and
had the mail man drive him over in the
vicinity of Tylersburg. Thomas got to
the place of meeting about 10:30 and
found man waiting there with Tall
mans sorrel PAGER, but Tallman and the
other man had taken the team and left.
Thomas and his friend were to follow
and in case of pursuit to drive fast and
give the alarm. The route followed was
through Lickingville to Tionesta, Pleas
antville, Titusville, Hydetown, by way Of
Little Cooley to Cambridge and Edinboro
lard home to Frances Corners, where
they arrived about $3.50 Tuesday morn
ing, making the 81 miles in about II
he left his friend out of the rig and this
fellow was to follow by easy stages on the
trolley and thus keep tab if there was
any body on the trail. There seemed 10
be nothing "doing' along that line, so
after putting up the team, Mr.. and Mrs.
Tallmsn drove to Erie right after dinner
and the following morning were met by
one of the other fellows, with a load of
apples, all for the purpose of finding if
there was any news. They returned
home and Tallman bad decided to keep
the horses on the farm for his own use,
but for the present it was decided to put
them out in pasture, so one was left at
the Talman farm and the other taken
about 25 miles and put out in pasture
lot. When the raid came, of the Erie
county officers, in search of butter and
cheese, Thomas says Mrs. Tallman took
him to the barn and hid him and then
took the other horse and went of. The
horses were recovered just as Thomas
says. After being taken into custody and
taken to the Erie county Jail the goods
and horses were found and turned over
to the owners.
Tallman is at present in the Erie coun-
ty Jail and has been playing insane for
the purpose of getting off free. Thomas
was brought here and tried and upon Mrs.
Tallman's evidence was convicted. Just
who the two companions OF Tallman were
in the harness steal Thomas will not say,
but one was junk dealer from Erie who
travels over the country and with the
aid of the Clarion county man spots the