Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-09-03
HORSE Thief
C0NFESSES TO Theft
OF CRAWFORD HORSE
Identified by Hallowell
Stable Keeper as Man
Who Failed to Return
Horse to Hallowell
Stable Last Year
Was Traced to Waldo
County by Sheriff
HarWOOd

When Herbert Stone admitted TO
Judge Lancaster Saturday morning that
he was the man who on Aug. "a stole the
horse which made its disappearance from
the premises of Osgood Crawford, he also
made the interesting admission that ms
real name is Fred Smith-an admission
involving the confession that horse THEW
ing is not to him a new experience.
smith. whose home is in Farmingdale.
was in 1905 given a long State prison SEN
tence tor stealing horse from west
Gardner man. He was put on parole out
was suspected of later thefts ana Wnen
ordered to report to the authorities 1ali-
ed to put in an appearance. "A reward
was offered for his arrest. Smith was
committed to the county jail saturday
afternoon to await the disposal OF MS
case BY the superior court. being unaoie
10 furnish the required bail of $500.
lust about a year ago man presented
himself at Niles livery stable in Hallo-
we'll. told a tale Of woe regarding
stranded automobile party of ladies, and
thereby induced the stable keeper,
Charles Doe, to entrust him with horse
of such value that the proprietors seldom
let it, Some time later the horse was
found near Rockland in an exhausted
condition Mr.. Doe was in court Saturday
morning and positively identified the re-
snondent as the man who took the horse.
Smith stoutly denied being guilty OF this
theft, however.
Two weeks ago pair Of horses was
stolen from a man named Bailey resid-
ing in Raidolph The horses were traced
through Togus and were found hitched
in the woods near Somerville. At that
time sherlf z. D. HARDWOOD learned that
a man he suspected Of the theft had
called at Cassius York's store in windsor.
This man had bought lunch at the
store and when the horses were found
there were seen close by what were ident-
fled as remnants of this lunch.
Sheriff Harwood obtained at the
time description of the man from Mr..
York, and on seeing Smith after his
arrest was so strongly impressed witS
the closeness with which the descrlp-
ton fitted the prisoner that he decided
to investigate. Smith, on being ques-
toned by the sheriff. admitted that he
was at York's store about two weeks
Randolph horses.
1t was a week ago Saturday that
Mr.. Crawford notified Sheriff Har-
wood that his horse had been stolen
the night before. Sheriff Harwood no.
tilted the Waldo county officials, and
all the time bore in mind the fact that
the stolen horses of this section had
way of following the same general
direction. From an East Vassalboro
man named Barker he secured the in
formation that a person driving a rig
similar to that which was missed-the
read cart and rope harness stolen from
Eaglow Weeks-had required of him
the way to Rockland and Belfast.
Sheriff Harwood communicated this in
formation to the Waldo county sheriff
and as a result a deputy found both
the thief and horse. in the town Of
Montville. Sheriff HARDWOOD went to
Belfast. where Smith was being held
prisoner.
Smith. who is Is years Of age, told
Judge Lancaster that he came to Au-
gusta from Bangor to enlist and that
he was told that he would have to 20
back to Bangor to do so. Having no
funds, he said that he thought Of the
horse which he noticed on his way to
this city; that he led the horse away
by means Of a string which he had
picked up and that about a half-mile
further along the road he found the
cart. He said that he fashioned a har-
ness out of rope. with this rig drove
to Montville. and put the horse in the
barn at the farm where he was work.
ing. He had planned to return the
horse TO its owner when he received
fis pay. which would amount to SIG or
sl7. he said
The name Herbert Stone" is not
Smiths only alias. He has also used
the name Sawyer"