Year: 1876

ADVENTURES OF THREE TRAMPS.
An Old Farmer and his Wife Gagged and


Ill Treated.-Twenty Tubs Of Butter and


aHorse md Wagon stolen..Recovery Of


the Property.


Jared Wells and his wife, old people,
live on farm three miles from Port
Hickson, Pa, on the main road. Their
son, John Wells, lives mile further on.
During the day three men, decently
dressed, stopped at the farm aud asked
for something to eat. Mrs. Wells gave
them a good dinner. The men were
good takers, and as they ate obtained
of the old lady the information that she
and her husband lived alone; that they
made and shipped quite an amount Of
butter from their farm, and that there
was then forty tubs in the cellar to be
sent away next day. The men went on
their way after finishing their meal.
About ten o'clock at night old Mr.. Wells
was awakened by loud knock at the
front door. he got up and asked: GO Who
is there7" Some one replied: "John. /"
The old farmer, supposing twas his son,
who was on his way home from the VII
lage, opensd the door. Three men
Instantly rushed into the room, and
he was knocked down, bound and
gagged before he could say word. Mrs.
Wells was also secured in the same
manner.


The men then ransacked the house
from garret to cellar. From the latter
place Mr.. and Mrs. Wells conld hear
them rolling tubs of butter up the steps
outside. When they had secured what
plunder they could the men shut and
locked the door of the house and left
without saying word to the helpless
old couple. Shortly afterward wagon
drove up to the door. Into this the
farmer and his wife could hear them
loading the butter, and in few minutes
it rumbled off down the road. About
ten o'clock next morning John Wells,
the son, drove up to the old peoples
house to load up the butter that was
ready for shipment. He was compelled
to burst open the door to gel, in the
house, where he found his father and
mother lying on the floor as they had
been left by the thieves. He removed
their bonds and gags as soon as posi-
BILE, but they wero so III from their long
suffering that it was some time before
they could give any explanation OF their
condition. It was then discovered that
the thieves had secured $75 in money,
and had taken the twenty tubs of but
ter. They had driven away with these
in one-horse wagon. While these dis
coveries were being made, Walter Jack
son, farmer, living a mile and half
back in the hills, drove up and said that
his barn had been entered the night be
fore and robbed of valuable young
horse, together with harness and light
spring wagon. It was plain that the
horse thieves were the same that had
committed the robbery at Wells. Par
ties were sent as soon as possible to look
for traces of the thieves in all direc-
tions.


About noon they got track of the
men in the road leading from the mine
road to Millerville. They were followed
to that place, five miles distant, and al
most the first object seen on entering
the village was Jackson's horse and
wagon standing in front of tavern.
The butter had been removed from the
wagon. The constable entered the
tavern, where he learned from the land
lord that the horse and wagon had been
left tied in front of the house early in
the forenoon by three men, who entered
the barroom, took drink and walked
out, since which time they had not put
in an appearance. They were strangers,
but their movements had created no
suspicion. Soon afterward Wells learn
ed that a groceryman had that morning
purchased a number of tubs of butter.
These proved to be the twenty tubs
stolen from the old farmer. The store
keeper said that a man had driven up
to his store about eight o'clock in the
morning with the butter. He said that
he lived back of the mine road, and that
he had made trade with old Mr.. Wells
of some farm implements for the butter.
He wanted to sell it, and Crozier bought
the lot, paying the stranger, who gave
his name as Williams, nearly $500 in
cash. Crozier had also agreed to return
the tubs as soon as empty to Mr.. Wells
He had not the slightest suspicion that
the butter had been stolen, the mans
manner was 80 assuring and his state
ments SO circumstantial. The parties
had evidently been smart enough not to
offer the horse. and wagon for sale any
where. No trace of them has been
found since they left the tavern.