The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1915-06-25
MAN "SWlPES" TEAM,
! THEN IS CAPTURED
Edward Williams Takes .Merch-
ants Horses, But Won't Dis
euss Act with Police.


Edward Williams was arrested yes
terday afternoon, charged with having
stolen wagon and team belonging to
the firm of Moore & Stehr Of this city.
Williams was captured by all auto
mobile posse after a chase of several
miles down the Rock Levee road and
when finally overtaken was in posses
sion of the missing property.
John Macke, the driver of the de-
livery team had returned from trip
at about O'Clock yesterday afternoon
and after hitc,,ing the team in front
Of the store, went inside and began
waiting on some-customers.
After he had attended to the needs
of the customers, he began to prepare
some packages of groceries for del.v-
cry along his route, and while thus en-
gagged lady came in the store AMI
told him that she had met anotha:
man driving the team.
He walked to the door and discover
ed that his horses had been unhitcned
and driven away. Mr.. Moore was out
in the city at the time, and Macke
thought that he had sent someone to
get the team. Sometime later when
Mr. Moore returned, he was asked who
sent for the wagon, and he replied thai
he had sent no one.
An alarm was sent out over town,
and a short time later Policeman John
Grocc, in Haarig, learned through H.
quiry that Oliver Crump had met j
man with the Moore & Stehr rig driv-
ing rapidly south on the Rock Levcf
road. He communicated with Chief
Hutson who instructed him to go at
once in pursuit.
Before starting he called up the
owners and informed them that thu
party had been seen with their con-
veyance, and that he was driving to-
ward Hely's rock crusher when last
seen. The officer secured the service
of Jacob LacroiX and his automobile
and started in pursuit of the fugitive
A short distance south of the rock
crusher they came up with two other
pursuing automobiles, one of which
was occupied by William Moore and
the other by Al Dittlinger They drove
to the drainage camp. several miles
further on, and there learned that no
one answering the description of the
party sought had passed that way.
They came back toward town, in
tending to follow the dirt roads lead
ing off from the rock levee. Groce and
Lacroix followed the old Benton and
Jackson dirt road north for some dis
tance, but could see no fresh wagon
tracks, and so finally returned to the
rock road and drove back toward town.
When they reached the college farm
they came up to Moore and Dittlinger
who had captured their man and were
starting back to the city with him.
Williams had evidently attempted to
escape pursuit by driving across the
college farm and through the swamp,
but encountered so much mud and wa
ter that his road became impossible
and he was compelled to return to the
rock levee. lie was captured just as
he was in the act of driving up on the
rock road. He was conveyed back to
the city under close guard, and turned
over to the authorities.
A complaint was filed against him
before Judge ~Willer, charging him
with having stolen the property.
When Moore and Dittlinger started
in pursuit, they learned that he had
driven down Spanish street past the
college towards the Frisco shops. They
followed him through Smelterville and
out to the rock road where they were
Joined short time later by Groce and
Lacrcix.
Chief Hutson in the meantime tele-
phoned Deputy Sheriff Halleck Wilson
of Illmo to be on the lookout.
Williams is we'll known in this city
and has lived here for number of
years, He has been employed as a
grocery clerk in various stores and
was at one time a motorman for the
local street car company. He has al
ways borne a good reputation. He
refused to talk when questioned by
Chief Hutson last evening, saying that
he would tell his story this morning.
Martin L. Graves, Jane Kinder and