Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-10-03
Taken by Horse Thief and Car
ried to This City and Then
to Swanton Junction.
WAS LEFT IN ROAD THERE.
Made His Way to House md Ills
Mother NotiAed---The Horse Was
stolen from Amos skecls mt
Skecls Corners--Rir round
but Thief Missing.

St. Adams, Sept. 29-Mystcrious case
of kidnapping and horse stealing has
kept the whole county between Swan
ton and Burlington in turmoil for the
past SO hours. The boy kidnapped, Os
car Weyman Lezotte, aged s years OF
Wnooski. was returned to his people to-
day and the stolen horse and buggy were
also found and returned to their rightful
owner.
The story starts on Saturday morning
when Amos Skeols, a prosperous farmer
Of Skeels corners, n hamlet u few miles
north of here. went out to his barn to
care for his stock and found his favorltc
driving mare and rubber tired buggy
missing. Mr.. Skcels at once notified the
shcriff's office and Sheriff Holmes
after calling up and informing all the
officers within radius az 80 miles,
Immediately instructed a ruut for the
thief and the rig. Similar wagon
tracks to those made by Mr.. Skells's
buggy, were found Saturday morning
in the sand on Johnny Cake ITill and
it was thought from this that the
thief had driven south This supposi-
tion was strengthened by report re
ccived by Sheriff Holmes t.7t a stran-
ger driving rig answcrirE the given
description. had been sco0 on Elm
street in Essex Junction at about t.3o
o'clock Saturday moruiue. Sho"itf
Holmes and Mr.. Skeols followed up
these clues all day SATURDAY but were
unable to locate tho thicf Of whom
all trace was lost after lca ,lnr Essex.
The finding of little Oscar Lozottc at
Swanton Junction supplied the missing
link. Tho hoy says he was PLAYING around
the street near his home Pa Winooski,
soon after dinner on Satu- ny. when a
young man driving by. asked him If ho
didn't want n ride The boy was willing
and says he got In and the pair drove to
burlington. where the boy members be
ing on George street. Afte- short stay
there. they drove back through Ninooski.
where the boy tried to get cut but the
man wouldn't let him and drove on to
Essex Junction, going from there
to Mallctts Bay. then through
Georgia to st. Alhars Bay to
Swanton Junction reaching there about
six o'clock, Just after dar'. The horse
thief here put the boy o-. of the car
riase and drove off north. Tho boy was
cold and hungry and went 20 the nearest
mouse, mat oil EDWARD 44tTO, ana lplu
Of his adventures. He was taken in,
warmed fed and put 20 bed and his
mother Mrs Martin L'2ot'e Of Winooski,
was called up on the rhone and notified
of his whereabouts Ms. Lezotte came
to the city this morNi-E on the news
paper train and was overjoyed a again
seeing her boy whom she took back
home on the evening train.
Nothing more was soOn of the thief
but the horse, unhitched. was found
in the sand pit. near John bridge, the
poor brute being almost dead from
exhaustion and exposure. The buggy
stood beside the road. Deputy Sheriff
c. II. jacques tracked the thief by
foot prints for some distance from
the sand pit
An arrest made Yesterday of a Ger
man sailor. known To- have been in
the vicinity when ne horse was
stolen, availed nothins as the boy
failed to identify him. Tho officers
| have good reasons for believing that
they know VINO the guilty party is
deputies are securing the northern
, part OF the county and expect to have
the culprlt before many hours
| No one is able to give any inteli-
gent reasons for the actions of this
thief, either in Kidnapping the little
boy from Winoosk or stealing Mr..
| Skoelss rig.