Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 February 1911 — ALLEGED CHICKEN THIEVES BOUND OVER TO COURT. [ARTICLE]

ALLEGED CHICKEN THIEVES BOUND OVER TO COURT.

Bert Lewis Identifies Day and Hubhard as Men He Saw With. Fowls At J. D. Miller Farm. William Day and Joe Hubbard, of near Lee, were remanded to jail in Rensselaer Wednesday afternoon by Squire S. C. litoin,- after a preliminary hearing had bhen conducted in the justice’s court. Bail was fixed at S3OO in each case and they were unable to furnish it. Day and HubbaYd are charged with stealing chickens, a practice that has been common in the neighborhood of Lee and McCoysburg. The prosecut-. ing witness was Bert Lewis, a young man who claims to have been coming by the J. D. Miller farm residence at 11 o’clock op the night of Feb, 14th, and to have seen one man standing by a one-horse wagon near the side of the road arid two others coming from the chicken house with their hands full of chickens. Lewis identified Day as the man by the wagon and Hubbard as one of the men that was coming with the chickens, lie stated that Day ducked down into the ditch and the men squatted down when Ah®y saw him coming. But it was moonlight and he got a good look at them. He said there was a chicken coop, partly filled with chickens, on the wagon. He did not know the third man, but the affidavit which he made charged John Doe with being the third party. When the marshal of Monon went after Day his brother Oren was at the house, but the marshal did not take him. Oren Day is now said to have gone “south”—in other words, to have made a hasty getaway.' Oren Day Is also said to have paid a visit to Monon recently to have a bunch of shot picked out of his back and these shot are thought to have been accumlated in a retreat from a hen roost. Jim Haines, whose reputation is far from savory, and who acquired his chief local notoriety when he fired at a game warden in making a getaway several mpnths ago, was greatly interested in the case of Day and Hubbard. He came to town Wednesday and tried to get into communication with the men at the jail, but was denied the privilege. He visited the court of Squire Irwin and found out when the hearing would take place and was on hand when the case was ealled. He seemed to have a deep heart interest in the proceedings.

The three women who came to Rensselaer on the milk train Wednesday morning remained until the trial was on and went to Lee on the evening train. They are the wives of William and Oren Day and Joe Hubbard. After reaching Rensselaer the women went to Hasty Bros.’ grocery store, near tne depot, and asked for revolver cartridges. They also went to the store rooms across the track, but found them unoccupied. The belief seems to exist at Le? that a bad gang has been rounded up, but they admit that a conviction may ha difficult. Lots of poultry has been shipped out from Monon, Wolcott and other places by strangers and the impression seems to be that a gang of thieves is doing the business. It may prove hard to show the connection of this gang with the shipments. The positive identification of the men, however, by Bert Lewis will probably go a long way toward conviction. J. D. Miller and wife testified that there were about 18 chickens missing from their place the morning after Lewis saw thieves at the house. William Rayher left this morning overland for his farm near Forest, Clinton county, and Mrs. Rayher left this afternoon on the 1:58 train for Monticello, where she will remain over night with her daughter, Mrs. Will Roth, and go the next day to Forest. Mr. Rayher took a team and a coop of chickens and a few other things with him. Their daughter Viola will remain here at the Milliron restaurant for the present. Their son Glenn will return to S. Dak., where he will work on a farm for Mason kenton. Bill Rayher was one pf the most popular hustlers that Renssdlaer has ever known. For eight years he was the deliveryman at Bger's grocery and his prompt add obliging manner and his sunny disposition made him a general favorite. All who are acquainted with him and his family will wish them the best of fortune on (heir farm home. Bill has a farm of 51 acres for which he was recently offered $125 per acre. He will erect a new house on the farm and otherwise improve the place and make a home with the expectation of occupying it permanently. For this week, nice juicy lemons, lc each, or 12c a dozen. JOHN EGER.