The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-09-25
HORSE Thief
Sheriff Lorey Captured Thief with
Four Stolen Horses, a BUGGY,
Harness, Saddle, Etc.


and who had in his possession when
arrested four head of stolen horses,
a buggy and other plunder.
Last Friday morning deputy sher-
iff Bob Craig received word that a
team had been stolen from farm in
Fremont county, near Shenandoah,
and it was thought the thief was in
this section of the country some
High Point at the time on business
and Craig called him over the phone
to have him watch out for the thief.
Mrs. Joe Mullin, of east of Leon,
heard the conversation over the
phone and notified sheriff Lorey
that a man and horses answering the
description were camped near their
farm. Sheriff Lorey started at once
in search of the fellow and found
him camped on an unused road near
the Mullin farm and placed him un-
der arrest and brought him to Leon
and put him in Jail. When arrested
he had spotted roam team which
was stolen in Fremon county, and a
team of bay mares which it was af-
forwards learned he had stolen near
North Bend, Neb. He also had a
buggy, two sets of harness, saddle,
and lot of small junk, all evidently
stolen.
Sheriff Con Ryan, of Fremont
county was notified of the capture
and came to Leon Friday evening and
identified the roam team,as one stol-
en- from R. G. Kent near Shenan-
doah. Sheriff Henry Terrill, of Mt.
Ayr, also came to Leon and he iden-
titled the buggy and one set of har-
ness as ones stolen from Charles
Moon, a young farmer living near
Kellerton. Mr. Moon came to Leon
Saturday morning and readily iden-
titled his buggy and harness which
were stolen from his barn nearly a
month ago.
Sheriff Condin, of Dodge county,
Nebraska, arrived in Leon Sunday
evening in company with two men
named Daugherty and Stanley who
had each had team stolen on the
night of Sept. 18th, and Daughcrty
easily identified the bay team, a set
of harness and fly nets as his, picking
the team, harness and nets out at
Marshall's livery barn from among
his teams, and harness. Sheriff Con-
din recognized the prisoner as a man
he had in Jail at Fremont, Neb., hav-
ing arrested, him as suspicious
character and at that time he had "a
team of standard bred sorrel mares
which he was trying to sell for 500.
After holding the fellow for several
days, and being unable to locate the
owner of the horses he released the
fellow who left with the team and
buggy and went to North Bend,
Neb., where he turned the team and
buggy loose and stole team of bay
pony mares from Daugherty, and
short distance further along stole a
team from Stanley. 1t seems that
after his experience with the sorrels
he did not want good horses as they
were too hard to dispose of, as in
Stanley's barn there were several
good teams when he stole the ponies.
He then came back east and crossed
the river at Blair, Neb., and sold
the Stanley team to a farmer near
Silver City, Iowa. When confronted
by sheriff Condin the prisoner at first
pretended not to know him, but fin
ally confessed to stealing all the
horses and told where the saddle
was stolen from a man named Green
and identified his saddle.
When arrested the thief had in his
pocket $22.95 in cash, several new
pocket combs, a few celluloid rings,
a razor, several pocket knives, but
no weapons. He gave his name as
Tom Walker, of Coffeyville, Kansas,
but when under arrest at Fremont
said his name was Webster. After
S~s 81 I,1
gave the name of Martin.
The owner of the sorrel team
which he turned loose in Nebraska,
was also located, being H. A. Hoh-
stadt, of Memphis, Mo-, and they
were stolen the night of August 18th.
The thief rode one and lead the 9TH
er mare to Kellerton where he stole
the buggy and harness, and the next
that is known of him is when he was
arrested at Fremont, Neb.
The thief is evidently profess
sional and an artist at covering up
his tracks, as he started at Memphis,
Mo-, came up through Iowa, then
into Nebraska, and back half way
across Iowa before being captured.
He was taken to Fremont county
Monday and placed in Jail to await
trial ID
There was reward of $25 offered
for the team stolen near Shenan-
doah, which was paid to sheriff
Lorey, and there was also reward
of $25 for the arrest and conviction
of the thief, which he will receive
after the fellow is convicted. There
was reward of $3.50 offered by the
Nebraska farmers for the arrest and
conviction of the thief, but no re-
ward for the horses. Sheriff Lorey
will not receive this reward, as he
turned the thief over to the Fremont
county sheriff, as he was the first
officer here to claim the man. The
thief is young man of about % or.
80 years of age, rather slight build
and was wearing a beard of several
weeks growth at the time he was
arrested From the way his record
has been established it is thought
that many more stolen horses will be
traced to him.
Baptist Church.