Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-12-19
WHOLESALE
THEFT or ROBES

/ tore Justice ~ the Peace oe iesby
charged with the larceny Of a valuable
tobe. blankets and other articles In
default of three hundred dollars bail
he was committed to Jail
The hearing on the whole was most
I sensational On the floor in the just.
ices office lay small wagon load of
loot. conspicuous among which was
/ Charley Bevefs valuable coon skin
/ robe. dangling from the surface Of
which were some fifteen healthy. look
I ing coon tails. each representing
separate pelt. which some time or 9TH
/ er had fallen as a trophy before the
unerring aim of MIR. BeNcr's gun In
a group around the stolen articles sat
| half dozen well.known men from the
country, who had been called in rs
/ witnesses
The information, lodged by Charles
Beyer. of West Hemlock township, set
/ forth that ION the night of December
18th, at the barn of william Fenstcr-
macher in Valley township. Robert
| Mccormick did steal. take and carry
away, a coon skin robe and blanket
| at the value OF $40 and upward, prop.
erty of Charles Boyer; also halter
and whip of the value Of Sl.25, prop
erty of Daniel b Billmeyer; also a blank
ct and pair of arctics valued at 81 30
propertv Of Howard Vognetz y
In the office of Justice Oglesby,
while waiting for the arrival OF the
defendant, who had been placed in jail
when arrested, the witnesses assembl'
ed good-naturedly discussed the stirr'
ing incidents of the night before. in
volving the discovery of the theft and
the capture and detention of McCorm-
ick
Briefly told, the facts are as FOL
lows: On Friday afternoon there was
a public sale at the farm or William
Fenstermacher in Valley township
Following custom in the evening
party was held. Among those attend
ing were a number of young men, who
had driven to the place with their
buggies. Among the latter was Charles
Beyer, who during the evening walk
ed over to the oak tree hotel, leaving
his horse and carriage at Fenstermach'
ers. Some time later William Britain
of Derry township, came along Rob
ert Mccormick, who attended the sale
and had tarried at the party. was just
ready to leave. Mr.. Britain asked to
ride along and Mccormick assented.
The night being cold and Mr.. Brit
tain being without gloves he wrapped
his hands in the lap cover. he found
this to consist of several thicknesses.
In order to find the best protection for
his hands he placed them between the
two blankets and to his surprise came
in contact with one of the coon tails
on Mr.. Beyers robe, which was snug
ly sandw iched between the blankets.
This robe, with its dozen or so OF
dangling coon tails, is famous over q
wide section. Mr.. Britain at once
became suspicious that something was
wrong. Stopping at the oak tree ho-
tel and running across Mr.. Boyer he
communicated his suspicious to him.
The latter slipped.out Fto' the buRt
and made quiet investigation. He
felt convinced that the coon skin robe
was no other than his own.
Charles Boyer is man of powerful
physique and is just as brave as he is
strong and good natured When he
suggested, therefore, that to clear mp
the mystery they would go back to
William Fenstermacher's and see
whether his robe was where he left it,
opposition was unavsiling and the re-
suit was that in few minutes Robert
Mccormick accompanied by Charles
Boyer and William Britain was o.
his way back to the Fenstermacher
farm. Arriving at the premises Mr..
Boyer foundshis worst suspicious crl E
firmed. His valuable robo was miss
ing. This set others investigating and
they found that divers articlesT Is
above enumerated in the information
had been transferred from their own
vehicles into that driven by the de-
fendant.
Mr.. Boyer took Mccormick into Gus.
tody and held him while Howard
Vognetz, one of the victims OF the rob-
beIy, drove down to Mausdale and
called Chief of Police Mincemoyer up
by telephone. At the chiefs sugges-
tion Mr.. Vognetz drove into Danville
and took the officer out to Fenster-
macher's farm, " here Met oImick was
delivered over into his custody.
BY this time it was near the hour of
midnight. Arriving at Danville Nc
Cormick was placed in Jail and the
loot was unloaded to be used as evid-
ence.
At the hearing Mccormick pleaded
mot guilty." Charles Boyer, William
Britain. Daniel Billmeyer and How
ard vognetz, all testified in accord
ance with the facts as set forth above,
each in turn selecting from the pile
on the floor and identifying the goods
stolen from him. At the hearing it