St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1910-02-19
CHICKEN THIEVES
ARE RUN DOWN

1
ton have been bothered by chicken
thieves. They have not known, when
they lay down at night, whether OF
they would awake in the morning and
find their chicken coop empty. These
| thieves were no respecteors of persons.
The Sheriff and the Mayor were as
likely to be robbed as the humblest
citizen who depended upon the chick
ems to help support the family, or the
person who stocked the yard with
fancy fiocks with the love of breed
er for fine points and markings. Eff
forts of the town officials to spot the
thieves seemed fruitless. and many
who were especially attached to their
fine breeds sat up nights with gun in
hand determined to protect them.
Night after night squads of citizens
kept watch until early morning, only
to find that robbery had occurred in
another part of the town. 1t was
then determined to branch out in
other directions and determine where
the chickens were being disposed of
and trace back to the source of sup
ply.
Wallace Poole, F. F. blanche, John
Cotton, Arnold Dulion, Anatole Beau
coudray and Ed Jones were among
the most persevering. They tramped
the woods night and day, ever doing
without meals in their earnest efforts
to find some trace of the stolen chick
ems or some fence where they were
held to be disposed of. Finally Wal
lace Pools and F. F. blanche discov-
cred that chickens and geese had been
sold to the New Abita Hotel. With
the aid Of the manager, Mr.. Souchon,
information was obtained that led
to the discovery Of the parties who
had sold them. Following this clue.
a sally was made on the place Of Phro-
ny Willis and her man, colored, living
a short distance from the Military
Road. Phrony had flown, but her man
was there, Hawkins who ''didn' know
nothin'' whether she raised chickens
bought chickens, or how she got chick
ems, although he had known her for
fifteen years. The chickens were
gathered up and taken to Covington,
where some of them have already been
identified, and Hawkins was locked
up. Phrony was finally captured, and
While she at first refused to talk, she
was finally persuaded to loosen her
tongue, which resulted in the arrest
of Ed Moore; of Covington, and Re-
becca Williams, of Abita Springs.
Moore it is said, brought the chickens
there in sack during the night and
Phony disposed Of them. The other
negroes are believed to ,be implicated,
and all are locked up.
Sunday Mr.. Adams discovered a
sack containing nine dead chickens in
IN old house near the Durel Sanitari-
UNI. Their necks had been wrung,
and one chicken which had been iden-
titled rs his by Mr.. Marsolau Daigle.
and which he proposed to further
identify by missing toes on one foot
and leg that had been broken, on
boing turned over was found to have
both legs cut off. The sack had been
taken to the town hall in Covington,
and various parties identified their
chickens. The Mayor has a large
number Of live chickens in his yard
awaiting owners. Those who have
identified their chickens thus far are
Mrs. Moran 2; Mrs. Robt. Dutsch, a
out of % stolen; Marsolan Daigle, /;
Joseph Barrere, 4; Mr.. Peters, 5;
Mrs. Schonberg, /.
A trunk full of very fine women's
clothing was also found on the prem
Uses.
The Mayor speaks in very compli-
mentary language of those citizens
who have worked so hard to aid him
in ferriting out the thieves. There
are parties in Covington not so dark
of color who are under suspicion of
being the prime movers in the thiev-
cry, and it is expected that evidence
will shortly be forthcoming that will
cause their arrest.
District Attorney Morgan can be
depended upon to put the finishing
touches to the radiance of this gang
of thieves.