The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1915-06-18
THREE ARRESTED FOR
CHICKEN STEALING
GEO. NEELY, WIFE AND SON lMPLI-
GATED IN THE TROUBLE
Geo. Nicely, Sr., Plead Guilty and Got
Thirty Days; Others Have
Hearing Saturday

Geo. Nicely, Sr., and his son, George
Nicely, Jr., are in Jail at Flint as re-
suit of the theft of seven chickens
from the hen house of Elias Martin, the
theft having taken place last Friday
night. Mr.. Martin has been losing his
fowls all spring, his flock having been
depleted from sixty at the beginning of
the season to about 33 at the present
time. Other people living in the neigh
borhood have also complained of losing
chickens, George Munsell having lost
about thirty and Frank SHOEMAKER
about half his flock. Mr.. Martins last
loss took place as above mentioned,
while the family were at the brick
church in Montrose in attendance upon
an entertainment. 1t so chanced that
on this occasion the thieves took a
couple of fowls that had been raised as
pets by the children of the family and
could, therefore, be easily identified.
Having strong suspicion as to where
the fowls had been disposed of, Mrs.
Martin, on Monday morning, tele-
phoned Fred Sturdivant and inquired if
he still had the fowls he had bought on
Saturday, and on receiving an affirma-
tive answer, came to town where she
at once positively identified the pet
chickens above mentioned. On return
ing home Mrs. Martin and her hus-
band went to the Nicely home and tried
to induce Mrs. Nicely to acknowledge
the matter and return the property, but
the latter stoutly maintained that they
had not stolen any chickens and abso-
lutely refused to make any amends.
When Deputy Sheriff Powers was
called upon, who in turn called Sheriff
Green, and the latter and Deputy Ches-
nut at once came to Clio, getting here
about eight o'clock, whence they went
to Mr.. Martins home, then to the
Nicely home. where young Nicely and
his mother were taken in custody, the
father being absent. The former were
brought to Clio and arranged before
Justice Sargent, where they entered
plea of not guilty. Because of the
fact that several small children re-
quired required her care, Mrs. Nicely
was allowed to return home. but the
boy, who is about sixteen years of age,
was taken to Flint, on the way to which
place he confessed to the officers that
he and his father had committed the
crime.
After placing the boy in Jail, the Off
GERS at once returned to the Nicely
home, where they arrested the father,
who, on being arraigned before Justice
Sargent, plead guilty and was given a
sentence of thirty days in Jail. The
boy, it is said, confessed to numerous
other thefts of chickens, aside from
those taken from Mr.. Martin on the oc-
casion in question, in all of which he
implicated his father.
Mrs. Rose Nicely has steadily main
tanned that she had no hand in the
thievery and her hearing and that of
her son will be held before Justice Sar-
gent next Saturday at two o'clock.
AS a matter of course, people who
commit crimes must be punished, and
yet we cannot help entertaining feel
ing of pity for them. Pity because
they have not learned the fundamental
truth that Honesty is the best pol
icy. under all circumstances, and pity
because we cannot know how much
environment may have had to do with
the shaping of their destiny. Oh, that
society could be gifted with the wisdom
to make its discipline reformative anc
constructive rather than merely puma
tive.