The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-06-10
HORSE THIEF GAVE
OFFICER ALL DAY
CHASE /
Robert Kirkwood Of South
Londonderry Arrested
STOLE HORSE FROM PASTURE
Drove to BennInston and Attempted
to Dispose Of Animal to Relatives
Here

Deputy Sheriff J. w. Melendy OF
South Londonderry arrived here late
yesterday afternoon on the trail OF a
horse thief The deputy had already
communicated with Sheriff Fred God
frey and the local officers were on the
lookout The thief had already been
tracked as far as South SALISBURY
and little difficulty was experienced
In keeping the trail to this village.
Deputy Melendy and the owner Of
the stolen horse, Lee s. Haven OF
South Londonderry were not long In
finding the missing property. The an
imal Is big gray mare, weighing all
of 1900 pounds and could be easily To-
Gated. Hardly had the two reached
town when they discovered the horse
hitched up with another to a dump
cart and standing In the yard OF the
Putnam grist mill Inquiry OF the
owner of the other horse and cart
showed that the thief. Robert Kirk
wood. was attempting to dispose Of
the stolen animal to relatives here
and that 1t had been hitched to the
cart for the purpose Of trial before
sale.
The horse was at once taken to Tay
lor's livery stable for safe keeping
and the officer soon had young Kirk
wood In custody. He is native Of
Bennington. q years OF age. but has
lived the larger portion OF his life in
Londonderry. He has always borne
a good reputation and the relatives
here who are respectable members Of
the community had not the least idea
that the horse had been stolen.
Young Kirkwood formerly owned
the horse but disposed Of It about a
year ago.
The present owner OF the horse pur
chased the animal about six weeks
ago. Before making the purchase he
consulted the previous owner, young
Kirkwood. who gave the animal an
excellent recommendation and advis-
ed him to buy.
Tuesday evening after his days
work Mr.. Haven turned his horses
out to grass together. As he did not
wish that they should eat a large
amount OF green fodder he went out
during the night to take them In.
The large white mare was gone. II
was impossible to find where the an.
imal had gotten out OF the pasture
without assistance and he at once
came to the conclusion that 1t was a
case of theft. He at once telephoned
to Deputy Melendy and search was
instituted.
Investigation showed that when the
horse was lead out of the pasture q
section of stone wall was taken down
and then carefully replaced so that
the break could hardly be detected
From the break In the stone wall the
horse was tracked to Kirkwood's
house. Kirkwood, his buggy and har
ness were missing and the pursuers
were then confident that they were
on the right trail.
From South Londonderry Kirk
wood was tracked over the mountain
to Manchester and then on to Shafts
bury where Deputy Melendy tele
phoned to COL Harmon at the Soldiers
Home and to Sheriff Fred Godfrey. II
was about five o'clock in the after
noon when the horse was found.
Kirkwood was taken last night b,
Deputy Melendy to Manchester ant
then to South Londonderry and Il
the Windham county jail at Newfane
Mr.. Haven returned with the three
horses used In the chase and thi!
noon returned and took back the stol
en- animal.