Jasper County Democrat, Volume 10, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 August 1907 — RIG WAS STOLEN. [ARTICLE]

RIG WAS STOLEN.

But Thief Soon Comes to Greif In Rensselaer. \ * —————— HAD SOLD THE OUTFIT FOR (S4B To T. J. Mallat of Fair Oaks Who Recovered HU Money After Thief a Arrest.—Taken to Illinois for Trial.

Tom Mallatt of Fair Oaks, bought a fine horse and buggy Wednesday of a strange man jyho said he had grown tired of driving and wonld sell at a sacrifice." Bdt he will beware of strangers and cheap rigs in the future. He bargained to pay this fellow for his horse and stanhope, when be stopped at Fair Oaks and wanted to sell the outfit. But not having that amount of ready cash with him, the two drove the rig on to Rensselaer where Tom got the money snd paid it over to the stranger, who told a plausible tale of why be'wanted to sell. And, iu the meantime — Sheriff O’Connor reoeived word from the sheriff of Kankakee county, 111., to be on the watch for a stolen rig that was headed this way. A search of the livery and feed barns disclosed a rig at the Kresler hitch barn answering the description of the stolen outfit, which was the one Mr. Mallatt had purchased of the stranger. Further inquiry revealed that the stranger was still about town, and at Goff’s restaurant a man was pointed out by Mr. Maliatt as the party he had bought the horse from. He proved to be a Mr. Hinkie, traveling representative of the Driefus Packing Co., of Lafayette, and who was soon identified by parties here who knew him, and released. Further search resulted in finding the right man at Wood & Kresler’s barber shop, where he was getting a shave. He admitted having sold the rig but claimed it was his own, and that be had owned it for four years. He gave the name of Harry E. Gordon and said the rig was bought in Pontiac, Mich., that his home was in Ohio, and denied having ever being in Kapkakee. On demand being made for Mr. Mallatt’ss4B he turned it over without protest and accompanied the Kankakee officers, —who reached town via auto from Kentland .about 7 p. m., —back to Illinois without requisition, and was taken back Thursday morning. Gordon is about 37 years of age and weighs aboat 280 pounds. He still maintained his innocenße when he left with the officers, bnt William and Myron McGruder, the Kankakee liverymen, who allege they own the rig and who with Monroe Baker, also of Kankakee, arrived here soon after the arrest in an automobile, having been on the trail of the rig, identi fied it as their property and stated that Gordon had hired it at their barn Tuesday afternoon for a short drive in the country. Failing to return at nignt and finding he bad not been at the place be stated he was going, search was began with the above results. Gordon carried a suit case and stated that ke was on his way to his home in Ohio, having come from Pontiac, Mioh.