The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1907-09-30
WIN0OSKI BOY
WAS KIDNAPPED
Taken by Horse Thief and Carried to
Burlington and Then to Swan
to Junction.

st. Albans, Sept. 3d. Mysterious case
OF kidnapping and horse stealing has
kept the whole county between Swanton
and Burlington in a turmoil for the past
&c hours. The boy kidnapped, Oscar
Weyman Lezotte, aged years, Of WI
nooski, was returned to his people yes
terday, and the stolen horse aud buggy
were also found and returned to their
rightful owner.
The story starts on Saturday morning,
when Amos Skeels, prosperous former
OF Skeel's Corners, hamlet few miles
north Of here, went to his barn to care
for his stock and found his favorite driv-
ing mare and rubber tired buggy miss.
ing. Mr. Skees at once notified the
sheritlss Office, and Sheriff Holmes, after
calling UP and informing all the officers
within q radius Of 30 miles, Immediately
instituted a hunt for the thief and the
rig. Similar wagon tracks to those made
by Mr.. Skeers buggy were found Sat
urday morning in the sand on Johnny
Cake Hill, and it was thought from this
that the thief had driven south This
supposition was strengthened by a re.
port received by Sheriff Holmes that a
stranger driving a rig answering the
given description, had been seen on Elm
street in Essex Junction at about 4;30
o'clock Saturday morning. Sheriff
Holmes and Mr. Skeels followed up these
clues all day Saturday, but were unable
70 locate The thief, Of whom all trace
was lost after leaving Essex
The finding Of little Oscar Lezotte
AT swanton Junction supplied the miss
ing link The boy says he was playing
around the street near his home in WI
noosh, soon after dinner on Saturday,
when young man driving by, asked
him II he didn't want a ride The boy
was willing and suys he got in and the
pair drove To Burlington, where the boy
remembers eing on Grove street. After
short stay there, they drove back
through Winooski where the boy tried
to get ont, but the man wouldn't let him
and drove on 10 Essex Junction, going
from there 10 Mallett's Bay, then
through Georgia to St Albans Bay to
Swanton Junction, reaching there about
six o'clock, Just after dark The horse
thief put tho boy out Of the carriage
and drove or north. The boy was cold
and hungry and went TO the nearest
house. that of Edward Tatro, and told
Of his adventures. He was taken in,
warmed fed, and put to bed, and his
mother, Mrs Martin Lezotte Of Winoo-
ski, was called up on the telephone and
notified Of his whereabouts. Mrs. Le-
zotte came to this city yesterday morn.
ing on the newspaper train, aud was
overioyed at again seeing her boy, whom
she took hack home on the eveaing
train.
Nothing more was seen Of the thief
but the horse. unhitohed was found in
the sand pit, near John bridge, the poor
brute being almost dead from exnaus
tion and exposure. The buggy stood be.
side the road Deputy Sheriff q II
Jacques tracked the thief by footprints
for some distance from the sand pitt
An arrest made Saturday Of a Ger
man sailor. known to have been in The
vicinity when the horse was stolen
ayailed nothing, as the boy failed Ia
identify him The officers have good
reasons for believing that they know
who the guilty party Is. and Sheriff
! Holmes and q score OF deputies are seOur.
ing the northern part Of the country and
expect 70 have the culpnt before many
| hours.
No ono IS able TO give any intelligent
reasons for the actions OF this thief
either IN kidnapping the little boy from
! Winoosld OF stealing Mr. 5kecPs rig.