The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1907-09-19
HORSE TRADER IS
SMOOTH DECE|VER
RENTS RIG FOR FIVE DAYS AND
FAILS TO RETURN.
COVERED HIS TRACKS WELL.
Sold Outfit For One Dollar And Blind
Horse.-Has Completely Disap-
peared And Left No
Clue.

lection of sequential circumstances
which resulted in charging r. Hayes
with horse stealing, has been turned
over to Constable Geo. Andrews and
he has finally obtained a partial Clue
as to the truth of the situation. Harye
England is the plaintiff and claims
that Hayes has stolen from him
horse and buggy valued at about SIS.
The story % the theft, as given by
Mr.. England, is rather peculiar All
it is doubtful il the real f4c;s in tle
case win eve; he etermi1ed
On the 3rd day Of this noah a
man by the name Of f. Hayes came
to the England livery barn ala ielte
q horse and buggy. ent .rilg Tito a
written contract TO seturu the r'g in
four days. He was to pay the livery
charges when he returned, which he
mas never done. Last Monday Mr.. En-
gland preferred charges against the
man in Justice Baconls court for keep
ing the horse out longer than the con-
tracted time aad Constable Andrews
was given warrant for his arrest
for larceny of a horse and buggy. No
trace of the man or rig was seen un-
til Friday afternoon, when John Crisp
en-, of Lacey, drove down High Ave.
AS he passed by the Bal iauf dry
goods store, Andrews noticed Mr.. B1-
gland walk up TO the buggy and at
once recognized II as corresponding
to the description of the stolen rig.
Mr.. Crispen is too well-known and
respected to have ever been suspt
cioned as being connected with any
crooked business and he was only
asked to come before Squire Bacon
to tell where he got the horse and
buggy which he was driving. Mr..
Crispe1's story formed a reasonable
sequence to that of Mr.. Eagland's
and he was allowed to return to La
cey upon his promise to turn the horse
and buggy over to the livery BARI to-
day. Since then further particulars
nave developed, however, it Is proba-
BILE that he will be allowed to keep
possession of the property In quss-
ton until the case has been looked
into more fully.
Mr.. Crispen has had the horse since
the evening of the Ord of Sept ,mber,
which is the day it was rented from
the England livery barn, and says
that ne traded a blind hor.-e and
dollar to boot Tor the whole outfit to
man giving the name of Hayes. He
first saw Hayes about the first OF the
month when he came by his place
~, nm fnI IN, kr,xr
He told Crispen that ne WAS rag
dealer and had a large load OIL such
goods which he wanted to haul through
the country Mr. C~ispea had 40
horses to sell, blu. showed the man
his blind horse, Which he would be
glad to trade for some genie mare
that his wife could safely drive. The
next time inst Hayes made his appear
ance was on the evening when he
made the trade. He at first aated
So in cash, but finally cut MS price
low enough so as to make the deal
and emphasized the fact that he want
to do the right thing. He gave lxr.
Crispen the privilege, of trying the
mare until the next week, saying that
il it was not satisfactory he could re-
turn it to h. home three blocks east
of the square in this city. The whole
outfit is not very valuable piece OF
property ana would probably not sell
for more than twenty-five or thirty
dollars.
The most peculia fact in the case
developed later when it was learned
that about three weeks ago Mr. Girls
pens son, Ed, hal been talking win
Mr.. England In regard to making just
sucn a trade and he would probably
have done IL had not Hayes appeared
with the very animal he wanted and
was ready TO close the deal on rea-
sonable terms. The wording o. the
contract which Hayes made With the
livery barn is also rather unusual ami
1t was written on the back of an old
envelope. Mr.. England's name is not
mentioned in the agreement and the
meaning is so obscure that II would
be difficult to tell by the contract
whether England rented the horse TO
Hayes or vice versa. 1t is doubtful
IL the suspected man will ever pc
found, as 1t is rumorei that mis- home
Is in Keokuk and he has probably
left this part of the country for good.