The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1911-02-09
ALLEGED THIEVES
1. GIVEN HEARING
Ferris. Reid on Flax Stealing Charge
v Case Against Walter Durkin Dis
!. Missed-1ucker Gross Examined
Severeiy-Ali Of Dee Lace Here.

All OF Des Laos were here Tuesday,
that is very nearly everybody from
that country, were summoned to ap-
pear in this city to testify in the pre-
liminary hearings, in two cases,
wherein three Des Laos farmers,
Walter Durkin, Ernest Ferris and
James Tucker were charged with
stealing wheat and fax from a num-
Der of the farmers of that vicinity.
The only ones left at Des Laos to
guard the little city that day were
Postmaster VIM. Field, Tom Bradley
and a bull dog.
The hearing was held before Judge
Murray. States Attorney Nash pros
ecuted and Ferris was defended by
MCGEE, while Coyle defended Tucker.
The charges against Durkin we're
dismissed by the Judge, - there
was no proof to show that he was
implicated in the thsfts.
Ferris was held to the district court
charged with stealing fax, but the
charge of stealing wheat was DISMISS
ed.
The charge OF stealing fax, filed
aga nst Tucker, was dismissed, but
the state pushed the charge Of steal.
ing wheat.
Neary dozen, Des Laos farmers
have lost their wheat, flax and oats =.
Among the losers are VIM. Hussy,
who is shy 200 bushels Of Wheat and
flax; H. w. Gunter, 200 bushels OF
wheat and some oats; James Richard-
l; son, SO bushels OF flax; Tom Wh1tts,
$50 bushels oats; VIM. Carpenter
some wheat and VIM. Maupin, 100
bushels of wheat. No doubt there
are others who have had grain stolen.
but just how much, it will be hard to
say. It is possible that series OF
thefts occurred all the way from Mi
not southwest to the hills,
James Richardson missed about SO
bushels of fax, which by means OF q
considerable quantity of green seeds,
in it, made it easy to identify. Rich
ardson tracked the sleigh which had
carried off his fax to the Ferris farm
southwest of Des Laos. The sleigh
had no reach, but was held with a
chain and the marks Of the chain
could be seen plainly in the snow
When Richardson arrived at the Ferris
farm, he saw the same sleigh that
had carried of his fax. Looking in
the granary he saw his so bushels
of fax.
He called Ferris out anu asked
him where he had gotten the fax I.
The ma nsaid he had a little fax in
granary, but the fifty bushels were
not his and he did not know how It
got there, though evidently someone
had used his sleigh in haullns - TO
his place. He pointed over to his
neighbor,s place and said possibly
they know how the fax got there He
helped Richardson load the fax into
the sled that brot 1t to his place,
and went home with Richardson and
helped unload it.
The state showed that Ferris and
Tucker had sold about 500 bushels
of wheat in Minot, to the various mills
and elevators. Tucker sold some
wheat at the Minot Flour mill. and
VIM. Dunnell testified that the dock
age was but one pound. The wheat
which Tucker sold to the elevator at
Des Lacs. and which he admits was
raised on his own farm, was doched
from three to four pounds.
The hearing proved rather inter
esting. z... H.. "
Tucker was held to the district court
at the conclusion Of the hearing We'd
nesday morning, and his bonds plac-
ed at $500. Ferris bonds were placed
at a like amount, and al neither coula
furnish bonds, they were remanded
to the custody Of the sheriff, and are
now in the county jail. Tucker faces
the charge Of stealing wheat from Mr..
Demery. It was shown that Tucker
sold some wheat in Minot the next day
or 50 after Demery missed 800
bushels. Demery had cleaned his
wheat, and the wheat that Tucker sold
in this city was locked but one
pound. II was shown that his own
wheat sold at Dies Laos was doched
from three 10 four pounds. It aa5o
looked strange to the Dee Laos poo-
Pile that Tucker should drive such .
distance 20 sell his wheat whsa thees
was IN elevator olossr q hand.
AZ ~ time To alleged thieves vsre