Jasper County Democrat, Volume 15, Number 66, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 November 1912 — Lone Woman Has Visit From Chicken Thieves. [ARTICLE]

Lone Woman Has Visit From Chicken Thieves.

Thieves made a raid on the poultry yard of S. W. Williams on the H. F. King farm west of town Saturday night. Mr. Wiliams had gone to help his father butcher and the two boys had gone to stay with their uncle all night, and Mrs. Williams and her two little child ecu, aged 3 and 7. weie at home alone. About ten o'clock she heard a noise outside and going to the window saw the young chickens ramming about the yard. She went back to bed again and was startled by the noise, and when she raised the window she saw what appeared to be three men or boys behind the chicken house. She could not tell which in the dim light. She was terribly frightened by that time and would not let the dog out of the house, her only guard. Thinking that the noise in the house would frighten the thieves away she went back to bed again. But they had not left, and soon began catching the chickens once more. This time she lit a lantern, went to an out house and got a gun, loaded it and turned out the dog and went after the thieve. The dog put the thieves over the fence into Lawler’s pasture, and in a little while a rig drove out of the yard and went west. The Williams’ had 360 young chickens and 87 old hens earlier ini the fall, and Sunday 66 was all the poultry on the place , that could be found. The boys had been trapping and had their furs in the well house and these were also taken. Although Mrs. Williams kept watch with a loaded gun until daylight, nothing more was heard. She was so frightened as to almost cause a nervous collapse, and Is still feeling far from well. Mr. Williams is trying to find out who the thieves were and the matter has been put In the hands of the authorities. If a clue can be obtained he will make it hot for them, and if caught trespassing on the place again they will get something else besides poultry and funs.