Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1916-12-07
THIEVES CAUSE TROUBLE.

The Register doesn't often have to re-
cord as many robberes and similar ras-
calities as we note this week. An evil
spirit seems to have gotten loose that i'm
pels men to steal that which belongs to
others. The story of Claude Kelican reads
like romance. Kelican is from Fred
erick county, Va, and having good reason
for concealing his own name and for
making himself scarce in his own neigh
borhood, he came TO this section the past
summer. He took the name of Walter
Winfield, harmless youth from Gore,
Va, I'd lived for time in the vicinity
of Sharpsburg, where he worked for
farmers and others. In September he
came to Shepherdstown and hired to VIM.
T. McQuilkin, making ar especially good
hand during apple-picking time. Last
week he went over TO Sharpsburg, where
he showed himself TO be bad actor. He
passed bogus check on ]. w. Ward.
Then he hired horse and buggy from
Liveryman Snavely to come to Shep-
herdstown, but he never brought it back.
Later Mr.. Snavely recovered the team on
the Winchester pike, where Kelican had
abandoned it, but the ran was not ap-
pretended.
Mr.. McQuilkin was very much pleased
with Kelican's work-he knew him by
the name OF Winfield, however-and had
employed him for next year. He says
that he was an unusually good hand, a
stout, muscular fellow of some IS years
of age, who wasn't afraid of hard work.
Mr.. McQuilkin knew nothing to his dis
credit until week or two ago, when he
found that few dollars in money had
been stolen from drawer in the house,
and he suspicioned the hired man.
Last Sunday Mr.. McQuilkin meant to
dress himself in his best, and he called for
new suit of clothes that he had recently
purchased. II was not to be found, and
after thorough search had been made
in vain he came to the conclusion that
Kelican, alias Winfield, had stolen The
clothing also. Monday Mr.. McQuilkin
came to town and swore out warrant
for Kelican's arrest, and with Constable
Shipley started on search for the fellow.
They tried to find him in Martinsburg,
but he was not there. They then started
for Winchester, with the hope that they
might learn of his whereabouts, as ne
was originally from that section. BY a
singular stroke OF luck as they were driv-
ing along the pike about five miles south
of Winchester they saw their man Sitting
on fence whiting stick. They stop
ped the car and Constable Shipley had the
handouts on the fellow before he knew
what was up. They took him back to
Martinsburg and lodged him in jail where
they tried their best to get him 10 confess.
but he denied everything, nor would-he
tell where that new suit was. Mr.. Nc
Quilkin was still hankering for that suit,
and so he and Constable Shipley set out
for Winchester TO try to find it. They
went to several places where Kelican had
been, but nobody seemed to know any
thing of it. They visited the home OF
his parents, at Gore, and learned that he
had been there and had the suit in his
possession. In Virginia they found out
a good deal about Kelican. They also
learned what his real name was and how
he had stolen the name of Winfield.
He has been in the Virginia penitentiary
three times, it is said, and escaped from
there some time ago with an unexpired
sentence OF sixteen months yet to serve.
He is said TO be rather desperate fellow
and is expert at picking locks. Armed
with full information as to his character
and his misdeeds, Mr.. McQuilkin and
Constable Shipley returned to Martins
burg Monday night, and again interviewed
the prisoner. They pressed him pretty
hard, and he finally told them the truth.
He admitted that he had stolen the suit,
and said he had expressed it TO station
on the Cumberland Valley Railroad under
an assumed name. He also confessed to
having stolen the money from Mr.. Nc
Ouilkin. A reward of fifty dollars was
on his head as an escaped convict.
Tuesday morning Mr.. McQuilkin and
Constable Shlpley went up to Martins
burg for their prisoner, with the intention
of bringing him TO Shepherdstown for a
hearing on the charge Of theft from Mr..
McOuilkin's house They were good
deal surprised, not to say exasperated,
TO find that the man had been kidnapped.
| A Martinsburg magistrate had turned him
over to the sheriff OF Frederick county,
Va, and that astute individual had taken
him to Winchester, probably with the
view of collecting the $50 reward that
was offered for his capture. Constable
Shipley was very indignant at the turn
of events, for he had made the arrest and
he and Mr.. McQuilkin had gone to a great
deal of trouble and expense in working
up the case. They think that they got a
raw deal both from The Martinsburg mag
istrate and the Virginia sheriff.
Mr.. McQuilkin got the suit OF clothes,
anyhow.
John T. Shipley, formerly OF Shep-
herdstown, who farms place between
Sharpsburg and Keedysville, had an inter
esting adventure last Saturday night,
when he landed two chicken thieves
behind the bars and at the same time
saved his hen coop from another raid.
| Mr.. Shipley has been considerably peeved
at the way his flock OF chickens has d.
| unfinished this fall. A fine LOT of hens and