Connecticut western news., 1908-12-24


 neither Wilbur nor any witnesses refer ring to him had been examined, he wished to say tbat hedid not believe Wilbur was a party to the Dean theft inasmuch as he did not come to the Wagner home until two or three days after the horse was stolen and that he came directly from farm where he had been employed for eight months. Wilbur is Wagner's brother-in law having married Wagner sister.
 Albert Bailey, in the employ of Fitch Willard, near Huntsville, told of going to the barn about five o'clock Friday morning Dec. 11th, in company with MT. Millard's two boys, to feed and milk the COWS. The smaller boy, Harold Willard, ran ahead came hurrying back to his brother and Bailey, much fright ened because he found the barn door unlocked. He was afraid to enter lest he encounter a ghost. When Bailey and the other brother entered the barn they found man lying on the hay and a horse, attached to road cart, stand ing on the barn floor. The man proved to be Wagner who told Bailey that he had been attending dance at the home of family named Potter, residing near Butchers bridge. He remarked that he had been drunk. When he left the barn and drove away, he said he was going to the Hiram Woodin place on Canaan mountain.
 Leonard Willard, 13, a d Harold Willard, II, were sworn and their testi- mony was corroborative of that of Bailey.
 The testimony to thls point showed that Wagner, in less than three weeks after he was released from the Wethers- field prison after serving three-years' sentence for stealing horse belonging to MT. Coy. of Colebrook, had anot her horse ill his possession, without having had funds with which to buy one. An other point shown was that he did not speak the truth when he said be had hot been ill the town of Canaan in three years. s.-
 When Wilbur was sworn he said that Wagner came home drunk with a horse one night and said he stole it. The next morning he denied it. Wilbur was dis charged from custody as there was no evidence against him.
 Wagner was put on the stand in his own behalf and made so many conflict ing statements that every man in the we'll filled court room became convinced of his guilt. In face of evidence of three witnesses, he denied having slept in the Willard barn. He claimed to have started from Sharon at six o'clock on the night preceding the Dean theft and said that he rode two nights and one day, trading horses at various times and places with men whose names he neither knew nor asked. He said ne had never seen any of the men before. During his testimony he protested his innocence but during intermission he told officers Horn beck and Roth that he would plead guilty were it not for the fact that it might give rise to the suspicion that his father was connected with the affair whereas he had nothing to do with it.
 Justice Blodgett found probable cause and in default of $700 bond Wagner was taken to Litchfield by constable Roth and will be tried at the February term of the Superior Court. During the journey he told MT. Roth that he knows where MT. Deans horse is but tbat he will die before he will tell as it might implicate others and that he is no "sucker." At times he appeared proud of being crimial and boasts of having stolen his first horse when he was only 16 years old
 Wilbur expresses great disgust with Wagner and remarks that "he seems to like it down there in Wethersfeld.
 On Monday of the present week de- putty sheriff Horubeck went to Wagners home and attached the two horses which were ill his possession at the time of his them to Falls Village where they will be held, awaiting developments ill the case. It is. of course, presumed they were stolen and the officers hope to To- cate the owners.
 Wagner is also suspected of having committed or, at least, having been inn plicated in, the theft of horse near Hillsdale, N. Y. on the night of Decem- har Ol Hlu Sy1f forC I1asrrr o1 lowed.
 At last reports, MT. Deans horse had not been located and there were no clues to it's whereabouts.
 Will Made 40 Years Ago
 There will of John L. Burgett late of Great Harrington was filed for probate