Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1931-12-24
ADREAN BREAKS UP
A CHICKEN THIEF RING

A big chicken thief ring which
has been operating in Morgan and
Muskingum counties. and perhaps
other counties in this section of the
state for several weeks past, was
broken up Wednesday, when two
suspects confessed to the stealing
of chickens and turkeys. They are
Grover Coins, 25, Glouster, and OF
to Maybe, %, Philo Rt. 2, both of
whom are in the Muskingum coun-
ty jail. The third party, Enoch
Stires, 45, of South GAINESVILLE, has
also confessed. All are colored.
They operated out of GAINESVILLE.
For some time officers have been
on the search for thieves who have
been stealing chickens and turkeys,
and Sheriff Adrean has been going
practically night and day for more
than week, trying to round up the
guilty parties. Monday week ago,
he saw three men here at the Twin
City garage, whom he suspected,
but had no evidence, so no arrest
was made. However he took the
license number of their machine.
which was 1921 Dodge touring
car, and the license plates were
bought in Muskingum county. He
followed them out of town, being
headed for Marietta. Other parties
reported that they had seen this
machine in different places, and
upon this clew officers were work
ing. Wednesday, Detective Stotts
of GAINESVILLE, picked up Coins and
Maybe, holding them as suspects,
at the GAINESVILLE police station. He
called Sheriff Adrean who went to
GAINESVILLE. Coins denied everything
when the detective questioned him.
denying that he had been at certain
places named at certain times, etc.
When Sheriff Adrean first question
ed him, he put up similar story.
but the sheriff stuck with him, and
let it be known that he was thor
oughly familiar with their move
ments so that he finally confessed
to having stolen a few chickens in
Muskingum county; and then the
SAAANSAh1 - iihdils soOI I1iin " lliclfhC o.
signed confession. Maybe was then
questioned by Stotts, but he told
nothing that might implicate him.
The sheriff went after him in much
the same fashion that he did Coins,
and after SO long a time, he finally
opened up and confessed-at least
IN part. In his confession he said
that they took 81 chickens of Mary
Hambel, near Bishopville; II tur-
keys from Mahlon Parsons who lives
on the A. r. Davis place near Ros-
seau; Sc Barred Rocks from L. c.
Smith, who resides on the Balm
place, near Pennsville, and three
turkeys from the Adam Smith
place, near Otho.
1t is stated that the turkeys they
had stolen in Musisingum county
were sold at the M. & NJ. Produce
Co., Malta, and the turkeys and
chickens stolen from this county
were taken to Newark and sold
there
With this gang rounded up, it is
believed that one of the worst
chicken thief rings in this section
OF the state has been broken up.
From many places in the county
has come the report of chickens
and turkeys being stolen, and in
last weeks paper Sheriff Adrean
over his own signature had a notice
warning the people to be on the
lookout for three men in an old
Dodge touring car, with Mus
kingum county license plates, whom
he suspected as chicken and turkey
thieves, and the arrest of the par
ties named proved that the sheriff
was then on the right track.