Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1921-02-02
Trail Led to Milwaukee
and Return; Bonds
of $1,000.

Clyde Bailie, No. Lancaster farmer,
was arrested Saturday evening last
by Sheriff Holmes for the theft of
four cattle from JOS. Mccoy on Tues
day night, Jan 18th. He was released
the same evening under bonds OF
81 900 to await trial at the now pend
ing term of circuit court in February.
JOS. Mccoy discovered his loss on
the farm II mile east OF the canning
factory, on Wednesday,. He was not
entirely sure and went again the next
day After checking up he found that
a roam steer, white-faced heifer, q
year-old springer and 3-year-old hei-
fer were missing from the premises.
They had been herded in the feed lot
with 81 other cattle bought month
before from F'lavian Cherrier of
Bloomington. (Cherrier's mark is a
piece cut out of the left ear. He had
marked all his cattle i'll this manner.
This mark and the fact that one crit
ter was roam steer Of striking APP
pearance furnished the clues that lead
successfully to the recovery of the
hides and the apprehension of the man
charged with the cattle theft)
Mccoy went to the depot where he
found that the shipping association
had billed out carload of cattle on
Wednesday, He then called on l.. H.
Stephens, the manager, and obtained
the consignors' names. He then
telephoned the Milwaukee commits
sion firm, Holmes & Robinson, talk
ing to Mr.. Robinson Mr.. Robinson
got i'll touch with the PlankingtOn
Packing Co., and when Mr.. Mccoy
phoned there the manager agreed to
check up ON recent consignments and
if possible save the hides of the ami
mails described to him. This was on
Saturday.
On Sunday Deputy Dyer and Edgar
Croft, who knew the stock, went to
Milwaukee. They found the hides OF
the roam steer and the springer and
brought them back to Lancaster as
evidence. SO far the chain was COM
plete This was Wednesday.
On Friday MI. Dyer, who had been
making inquiries and Investigating,
went to Clyde Babies place. Battle
had consigned four cattle but shipped
six according to the information at
hand By process of elimination
among the various consignors, land
the roam steer trail,) the finger of
suspicion pointed directly at Battle.
MIR. Battle came to Lancaster without
a warrant He conferred with Mr.
Mccoy and. it is said, finally stated
that if the cattle had been shipped by
him that they had strayed into his
herd at the canning factory as he
came by about O'Clock Tuesday
night. Jan. 18th He paid Mccoy $3.50
as compensation for his stock and for
the trouble and expense in tracing the
missing critters.
No further action was taken until
Saturday but talk ran rife in the city
and over the surrounding country.
Farmers on the street expressed them
selves strongly that further action be
taken. The arrest was made after
supper Saturday night.
Mr.. Babies stories are more or
less incoherent He gives marked
evidence of eccentricity and char
table view of the case is that he Is
mentally deranged He is the father
of seven small children the eldest of
whom is said to be ten years old. He
is rated as well-to-do and owns his
own place. He is we'll connected and
his father uncles. father-in- law and
other relatives in the county are
rated as honest and respectable folk.
1t is said that on Saturday night
Battle virtually admitted that he took
the stock. He seemed agitated and
under doubt as to what to do The
entire facts surrounding this part OF
the case will doubtless be divulged at
the trial
What actually happened on the
night the cattle disappeared might be
matter of deduction and hypothesis.
The cattle were taken from the Mccoy
feed lot on the night of January 18th.
II this man came to Lancaster on the
road from the water works, he went
II mile east at the canning factory
and driving out the four head, merged
them with his consignment. Bailie
it is said, shipped six head taking two
head home with him.
North Lancaster and Little Grant
farmers have been wrought up for the
mast two years over cattle thefts. Is
aac Garthwaite lost four steers year
or so ago and searched for them vain
ly. Jos. Wright lost several head, 1t
is said. 1t is also said that Fred Co
vier lost cattle. Other farmers nave
sustained losses during this time.
This situation made the farmers in
sistent for a rigid prosecution OF the
case.
The ferreting out and tracing OF the
hides that brought the case so swiftly
and surely to a climax. SOUNDS almost
like a wierd detective story. That
missing cattle could be traced step by
step, from the farm to the depot, then
the commission firm and on into the
packing house where the hides were
recovered. seems almost incredible
but facts are facts and the verify OF
the foregoing is without question.
The owner, Mccoy, displayed con-
siderable hustle and acumen seeming
ly knowing just what to do and then
doing it. A man less familiar with
the cattle shipping and slaughtering
business would doubtless have been at