The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1908-01-23
TWO ALLEGED SMOKE
HOUSE THIEVES ARRESTED
John Collins and Bill 2urneii in
Jail Charged With Robbery.
STOLEN MEAT FOUND ON PREMISES
Il Was Fully Identified as Having
Been Taken From Mrs. Brown
ing's Smoke iGuSe Last Thurs
day Night One Ham Kissing.

Nancy }. Whetseli. on Oak street, was
entered and three hams, the property
Of her daughter Mrs. Browning. which
were in course Of curing, were taken
therefrom and carried away.
The following morning the theft was
discovered and suspicion for the crime
was directed toward John Collins and
"Bilp' PurneL, the latter residing on
Water street, in the rear and adjoining
Mrs. Whetsell's property, with an alley
intervening, with whom Collins, since
the house in which he presumably lived
burned last Tuesday night, has been
staying. As soon as the State S officers
were made acquainted with the facts
concerning the theft a search warrant
was issued by Justice Teats directing
that Purnell's house be searched for the
hams. Constable Maffett, accompanied
by Ches, Browning, went to Purnell's
house and after considerable work To-
Gated TWO Of the hams in closet be
meath stairway leading to the second
floor Of the house. The meat was en-
cased in a burlap sack upon which was
piled considerable quantity of coal,
which leads one to believe that the par
ties expected visit from the officers.
After the meat had been recovered
the alleged thieves, Collins and Purnell,
were taken into custody, and given
preliminary hearing before Justice
Teats. Both men were vehement in
their statements, saying they were un-
aware that the meat was in the house
and how it got there was a mystery to
them. What became of the third ham
is the only mystery, so the State officers
claim, IN connection with the case,
and an effort has been made to locate
it. From one Of the hams several
pieces had been cut, which no doubt
furnished breakfast for those who had
the meat in charge.
Justice Teats after hearing the evil
dence in the case, remanded both par
ties to Jail in default Of $500 bail, to
await the action Of the June grand jury.
Since Collins and Punel have been
in jail both have made statements in
which each has endeavored to put the
crime upon the other. Purnell SAYS
that Collins, the night before the fire
occurred which burned the house above
referred to, came to this house and said
that he intended to burn Hamill (mean-
ing Mr.. G. S. Hamill who owned the
burned building and who had issued
landlords writ against his houseeold
effects out Of everything On the
other hand Collins srenuously denies.
He declares that Purnell stole he hams;
that he also stole meat from the cellar
of Charles B. Crops residence and
chickens from several parties living in
Oakland.
Whether or not any dependence is to
be placed in the statements of either of
of the men is an open question. Neither
have sterling characters, and it is the
general belief that Oakland and the
community is better off with both of
them in jail, where they will probably
remain until they are tried at the June
Term of the Circuit Court.
Since the incarceration of Collins he
has been very i'll and has required the
attention nearly every day of the county
physician. His ailment is an affection
of the kidneys which may terminate
fatally within short time.
Superstition and distrust, with which
all societies known as secret orders
were at one time viewed by large
number of people, was, happily long
ago dispelled, and today the lodge stands
as one of the champions of the home
and family. Wherever society has
reached a high state of development,
secret and fraternal orders have their
greatest stronghold.
Rev. E. Manages, of st. Mark Ev.
Lutheran church, was called to Acct
dent Monday afternoon to officiate on
Tuesday morning at the funeral of
Christian Klotz, a well known and
highly respected resident of that section
of Garrett county, notice of whose
death appears elsewhere in this paper
today. Mr.. Manages returned to Oak
land Tuesday afternoon.
James r. Randall, vino died on Tues
day at Augusta, Ga, in his SEVENTEEN
year, sprang into fame through a single |
lyric, Maryland, My Maryland, which |
he produced in the stress of excitement |
caused by reading about the Baltimore
riot of April 1861, when Massachusetts
regiment on its way to Washington was
attacked by an anti-Union mob" says
the New York Tribune. at is curious
coincidence that Dixie" was written
in New York by professional negro
minstrel. my Old Kentucky Home"
by Pennsylvania, and Maryland, My
Maryland, the South's best war song,
by native of Maryland, a state which