New Ulm review., 1915-06-23
THIEF CAPTURED
IN EXCITING CHASE
MAN WHO STOLE EMPLOYERS
TEAM WAS CAUGHT LAST
FRIDAY.
SOLD ANE, HORSE AND zHAEi
REACHED BUTTERFIELD
WHEN TAKEN.

Caught after an exciting chase over
several counties and lasting over three
days, Clarence Barnhart, the ninetea
year old boy who departed with hIs
employers best team Wednesday, WE
apprehended at Butterfeld and wx
taken to st. Peter by Sheriff Olson anf
Sheriff Julius last Saturday morning
He had disposed of one of the horses tn
Charles Schwieger of Comfrey for ninety
dollars.
Last Wednesday morning Jacob Ia
Fountain, farmer of Belgrade, left
home with his sister Miss Jennie for
Mankato, leaving his farmland Clarence
Barnhart to plow corn. The. boy, Mhe
has been in the employ of Mr.. -LA
Fountain for about two months, took
advantage of the absence of his employer
and on the plea that he had broken
the cultivator and needed some repairs
hltched up a pair of bays belonging 10
LaFountain and appropriating some
wearing apparaf,l undertook to make hjjk
getaway.
When Mr.. LaFountain returned fren
Mankato late in the day and discovefea
that his hired man and best team haa
disappeared together he at once .netifeS
Sheriff Olson at St. Peter. The sherH
at once got busy and sent out warnings
thruout the surrounding country te
stop the horse fancier; the sheriff thee
attempted to follow the trial in a ecr
but as the thief had already gottenas
good start, the trial was lost in the
vicinity of New ulm. The last feunn
that could be found was that he had
passed thru Confrey during the after
noon and. had been seen by laborers
working on the Comfrey bridge. After
ne was captured it developed that he
had actually driven thru New Ulm tbe
same afternoon.
Friday morning he succeeded in selling
one OF the horses to Charles Schwiegf4
OF Comirey. The horse and a set of
double harness was sold for the sum az
$50. Almost as soon as Barnhart haS
left town Marshal Carl Miller received
card from Sheriff Olson describing the
property and the boy He at once
realized that thief had slipped thru
his fingers and started in pursuit. HI
tralled the culprit to Butterfeld wher
ne found him and brought him bacl
to Comfrey and lodged him in the village
lookup. He then notified Sheriff Olsar
and the next morning the Nic6Na
sheriff and Sheriff Julius took him to
st. Peter to await trial.
Barnhart, talked freely to his capton-
His history accounts for his had
break. His home, he declared, (, wass.1
Springfield, ILL.,, and he ran away fou
years ago because his sister wished. .tc
have him placed in reform sdhoas
His mother died when he was quite
young and nothing seems to be knoxp
OF his father. Since he ran away frun
home, he has simply drifted from point
to point, working at times and trampiinr
when the spirit moved him. He his,
been in jail once and served fiye-day
sentence for fighting.
He gave as bis reason for comm;ttsm
the theft that he was not satisfied with
the wages he was getting and thot h
ought to be getting more. He vU
receiving twenty dollars month a,iS
board at the LaFountain farm and. i
said to have been fairly steady nrrar.
He has been planning his setsaxxy
for some time and told the sheriff III
ne had made careful study of the ru.,zs
OF the surrounding counties to u;
familiar with the roads to know exactf,
where ne was going. he had taken.1
raincoat and hat belonging to Ar.
LaFountain and several Other .thinue
are reported missing from the faru-
house. Barnhart declares that he "a
not take anything else, however.
Barnhart did not find the way vi
crime beset with roses. He :aaysstit
he had nothing to eat from the: :tiiue,le
left the farm till after lie had saade4l,e
sale to Schwieser Friday mGoir.Idiur. Goi.di sHe
was forced to sleep in the qp,nf 6da,s
day night and suffered .censtle.ihllk IN
from tn the cold and wet. Thasday = iett
ct Comtrey he slept jnl m ,ssprtyIhnk
car. He had left withn1t q .ssut "a
was unable to procure food .srxiodsine.
When arrested ct Buft16 la; Yaes6fH
had al hut sastsw d6llls 4lft1tlss duly
be had received for tie iEsss r.
money was returned TO The Comau