The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1910-01-21
MATTHEWS HORSE
THIEF is LOCATED
Now Serving Three Years in
Massachusetts, Prison.
ADLAI J. ROY MADE CONFESSION.
Told Detective Hc Took Animal TO New
York City and Sold It-Man Formerly
Employed as Attendant at Brattle.
boro Retreat-Long Career.

: The mystery surrounding the theft OF a
hoire from the barn OF H. l.. Matthews OF
! Chesterfield. \. H., Aug. 20, 1900, has been
cleared this week. On Wednesday Mr..
Matthews, who lives on the New Hamp-
shire side OF the river just below the sus.
pension bridge, received a telephone mes.
sage from Mai. Mckay of NORTHAMPTON, a
member Of the Massachusetts state police,
saying that Adiai !, Roy, recently sen.
fenced TO three years in the Massachusetts,
state prison for ,reaking and entering a
house at Mt. Tom, had confessed To steal
ing the animal. Roy told the detective
that the rig had been driven 10 New York
city where the horse was sold but that
,the carriage was still stored in that city.
c. J. Matthews will accompany the Massa-
chusetts officers TO New York next week
TO take possession OF the vehicle. and, IL
possible. locate the stolen animal
Roy was in talkative mood when Maj.
Mckay recently visited the prison and ad-
mitted that he had stolen three horses
one from Herbert w. Wright OF East
hampton, Mass, about a year and half
ago. one from Henry A. Clapp Of West
hampton few weeks later, and one from
Mr.. Matthews.
An indictment was found against Roy
for stealing the Clapp horse but this
charge was not pressed because of his con-
viction under another charge. Yet strong
er evidence had been secured in support
of the suspicion that he had stolen horse
in Chesterfield. n H.. but it could prob
the Wright horse. The stealing Of the
Clapp horse was followed by sensational
developments. as Chief Buckner of East
hampton learned of circumstances that re-
suited in spreading a net for Roy in the
vicinity OF Huntington. and he escaped
only by driving over a police officer who
attempted to arrest him. He finally eluded
his pursuers by leaving the carriage and
whipping up the horse. which presently
'ame to grief in a garden and was taken
back 10 its owner.
Roys name was originally James King,
md he was sent to Fasthampton in 1887,
when a boy of l3. and found home in the
amily OF l.. $. Clark Here he remained
i've years: in the summer of 1892 he dis
ppeared suddenly and with him went at
he same time Mr. Clark's team. The
cam was traced to Guilford by Detective
Benson Aunyan and Nathan d. Allen,
equity warden in state prison. who was
hen taller in the Greenfield Jail.
The detectives learned that boy an
wering the doscriution of King had driv-
n the team to Guilford but there was no
race OF him and from that time to early
ill OF lHHN ne passed cOmDlptely OUT OF
xistence. Two years ago last fall King, or
10y. appeared at the office of the Con-
ecticut Valley Lumber company and was
nployed for a time, later finding work as
y ordinary farm hand in Easthampton.
is stay in Easthampton meant the dis
Dpearance of two teams besides the one
hich as a boy Of is he drove to Guilford.
King is natural linguist, talking fluent
in German, French, italian, and Span
h. and being able to read Latin and
reek. The education that he received in
was decidedly limited. From
e time he reached Guilford in 1892 to the
j of 1908 there is not trace of the Grim
al Where he lived or what he was do
. no one knows. The detectives believe
spent much time in prison and that he
quired knowledge of the languages from
isoners who taught him their own
ngue, During the past two years Roy
IS employed in a marble quarry in East
,rset. VT, and had worked in a lumber
mp in Shrewsbury, VT was a black
ith at Rutland. and was employed as
attendant at the Brattleboro Retreat.
New London, Conn, he worked in a
ehouse. and was stationary fireman in
rsey City, n. j.