Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1911-06-29
GET RUNAWAY THIEF.
Sheriff. ROwell, Deputy Sheriff. Ennis,
and Frank COnViS in Chase
THIEF MEMBER OF MINISTRIES
Had Stolen Suit Case Full of Clothes from Pal
But Didn't Get Away With II

The central part of Gratiot county
was alive with searching parties for
a thief who had stolen a suitcase full
of clothes Wednesday Of last week.
Finally, after many hours chase,
Sheriff Rowell, Deputy-Sheriff Ennis,
and Frank Convis, with the aid OF
Glen Ballard Of the NJ A. c. football
squad and other University long dis
tance men, together with a posse Of
farmers, managed to run the man
down and capture him without a
struggle.
The story is one Of the kind that
is expected from the hard life of a
travelling tent aggregation. WILDER
Collins, a negro, and another man,
whose name could not be learned,
had formed a friendship and were
partners in their work Both were
stake drivers with the All-white Min
strels which visited this part of the
country recently. Wednesday the
show was at Ithaca and while there
the prisoner made off with a suitcase
filed with his pals clothes and left
it at the store of Brown and Davis
with word that he would call for it
in short time. The next day the
company journied to Shepherd for
a performance and then came back
to Ithaca on its way to another stop
on the Ann Arbor. The man left the
train to call for the grip, but his
his partner had been suspicious and
shadowed him. When he saw him
get the plunder he made an imme-
diate complaint to the sheriff and a
search was started at once. Sheriff
Rowell and Frank Convis went out in
automobiles and circled sections of
the county but no sight was caught
of the man for some time. Finally
he was seen with the grip and ordered
TO stop. He dropped his luggage
and sped away like a deer. The Of
ficer sent couple of bullets over his
head but the runner paid no atten-
ton TO them. He was a speedy man
and easily outdistanced the majesties
Of the law, who have been out Of
training for the long distances for
some time, and the services of some
varsity men were called upon Glen
Ballard of the NJ A. c. football squad
entered the event and bounded the
fugitive. Farmers III Arcadia, Newark
and Emerson townships were inform
ed over the telephone of the chase
and stationed themselves in windmills,
in barn cupolas, in ambushes and all
over, with the hope of catching sight
OF the runner. He dropped into the
farm house of w. A. Thomas Of
Emerson township, passed the time
of day, got drink OF water and
passed on. A few minutes later,
telephone call informed Mr. Thomas
that there was a fugitive in the town
ship.
The home stretch was begun when
Frank Convis and Deputy-Sheriff En-
mis- circled a section in a machine and
Ennis left the machine and walked,
Convis continuing his way in the ma
chine. As he did so the man raised
his head over a fence to watch the
departing car and the Deputy nabbed
him. He was taken TO Ithaca and
brought before Justice Gidley. He
plead guilty and was sentenced to a
one hundred dollar fine or sixty days
in the Detroit House of Correction
for larceny. He was unable to pro-
duce the wherewithal to procure his
release and Friday morning the
Sheriff took him to Detroit for his
summers vacation. Sheriff Rowell
conceded the prisoner better sprinter
than himself, hence took no chances
and used the shackles on his man.