Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-18

ties r. H. Wright and Claud Mathew
son. Gilroy, who is now in the county
Jail admitted having stolen thirteen
head of horses five sets of harness, a
victoria and a single buggy, worth a
total of something over $4,000. His dep
relations began August 3 and ended
September 25, and cover the state Of
California from Stockton to Los An
geles.
1t was only after several hours
sweating that Gilroy confessed all his
crimes, but once his reserve was broken
the details of his Illicit operations were
related with a singular frankness and
mildness of manner and speech scarcely
if ever seen before in criminal.
Sheriff Hammel and Deputies Wright
and Mathewson declare Gilroy to be
one of the most remarkable thieves
they have ever come in contact with, a
man dangerous to have at large.
Gilroy was arrested in Oakland Sat
urday morning just as he stepped up
to cash a sight draft on NJ. d. Good
body of San Diego. The arrest was
made by Deputy Sheriff Mathewson in
the First National bank, Oakland, and
it came after weeks of constant search
for the man who has spread terror
among ranchers and owners of live
stock and has puzzled the police of the
entire state.
Methods Are BusinessIlke
The absolute calmness and business
like precision with which Gilroy carried
on his operations is a revelation to the
officers. He declared yesterday that he
could walk into any corral at any hour
of the night and steal as many horses
as he pleased, for, he explained, ne
understands horses so well that they
never give him the slightest trouble
once he gets near them.
Gilroy's method was to drive through
a certain territory, look over the places
where first class stock was kept, take
careful observation of the stock and
their condition and make copious notes
of all circumstances. Later he would
return and take whatever stock he de-
sired, driving them to some locality not
far removed. Later he would either
sell the horses or put them to work at
$50 a team a month. His principal
cache for the stolen horses was on the
ranch Of Mrs. Mary Gillis, three miles
from Stockton. Here he pastured at
one time nine head of stolen stock. He
even sold Mrs. Gillis one fine team of
horses, receiving for them $3.50 cash.
According to the confession, Gilroy' S
first theft was committed August 3,
when he stole two fine carriage horses,
a victoria and a set of harness valued
at $1,000. belonging to Mrs. 7. G. Phelps,
a resident of San Carlos, San Mateo
county This place is located near Red
wood City. After Mrs. Phelps animals
disappeared a search was made for
them, but they were not found until a
few days ago, when discovered here in
Los Angeles.
From Redwood City Gilroy went di-
rectly to Oakland. Here he remained
a few days, finally putting the stolen
horses in a livery stable there. Sep
tember 20 Gilroy visited the ranch of A.
J. Arnaudon in the Livermore valley.
Here he stole two horses worth about
$40O.
Valley Looked Easy
As the Livermore valley looked par
ticularly easy for horse thieves, Gilroy
saws he decided to stay in that neigh
borhood. His next raid was on Edward
Gums ranch, near Altamont. Two
horses worth $500 were stolen from the
Gum ranch. At another place, the To-
cation in the LiVermore valley of which
is not known now, Gilroy stole two
more horses which he sold to man in
Stockton.
In order that he might carry on his
operations with more speed, Gilroy
stole a light horse and a single buggy,
with which he made trips all over the
northern part of California, seeking
places to steal horses.
He hired a pasture of Mrs. Mary Gil
lis. who has a farm three miles from
Stockton, and made this his headquar-
ters for a time. For the pasture he
paid Mrs. Gillis, who was absolutely
innocent of Gilroy's nefarious deeds,
$50 a month. Later he sold her team
for $3.50.
After working out the Livermore
valley territory for the time being,
Gilroy decided to drive all his ill
gotten possessions to Sacramento. Fear
that he would be captured decided him
to ship his animals to Los Angeles.
He hired a car and shipped seven head
of horses, three sets of harness, the
victoria and the buggy to Los Angeles.
Arriving here. Gilroy rented a corral
and a stable from the Wieland Brew
cry company, located at 914 Date street.
No sooner had he arrived here than
he began seeking ways and means of
getting revenue from his stolen steeds.
He made a contract with the Barber
Asphalt company to furnish it with
two teams, for which he received $50
a month. Later he sold the single
buggy and horse at public auction.
About the only bad luck which at
tended Gilroy was when one horse
died in Oakland.
cupidity Is Downfall
After getting affairs we'll settled in
Los Angeles, Gilroy allowed his
cupidity to get the better of him and
thereby caused his own downfall. He
made an excursion to Lordsburg, Co
vina and Lincoln Park, seeking horses
and mules. Notes on this trip found in
his effects are something like this
Lordsburg-Two horses; excellent
condition.
Covina-Four mules; easy and
sure sellers.
Lincoln Park-Four mules; first
class shape.
Gllroy went to Covina, visited the
ranch of the Mountain View Land and
Investment company, a Los Angeles
owned concern picked out four mules
and promptly proceeded TO annex
them as his own. He brought them
direct back to Los Angeles and placed
them in the Date street corral.
BY this time the entire state had
been placarded with notices of the
theft OF horses, and rewards of from
$50 to 5000 were being offered for the
arrest of the thief The Los Angeles
sheriff's office was asked to make in
vestigation, especially with reference
to the missing mules. 1t was due to
the excellent detective work of Depu-
ties Wright and Mathewson that the
mules were traced to Los Angeles
After stealing the mules Gilroy pur-
chased a wagon from the Hawley-
King company, paying a deposit Of