Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 August 1917 — YOUNG HORSETHIEF IN JAIL [ARTICLE]

YOUNG HORSETHIEF IN JAIL

Frank Ward Had All-Night Drive With Alex Quinn’s Horse. An iron grey gelding, a driving horse weighing about 950 pounds, hitched to a top buggy, was stolen from the hitch-rack near King’s blacksmith shop some time between 10 and 11 o’clock Saturday night. The horse and outfit belonged to Alex Quinn, who resides on the former A. K. Yeoman farm a few miles southeast of Rensselaer, which he purchased a couple of years ago. Monday afternoon the horse was located at the home of Ed Goetz, nine miles northeast of Rensselaer, where it had been since Sunday morning; The horse was first discovered at about 5:30 Sunday morning by Louis Muster and family and Elmer Daniels, -who were passing in an early morning auto drive to Lake Maxinkuckee At that time the horse was standing alone in the road, still hitched to the buggy. They told Mr. Goetz of the horse and he went and got it. The horse bore every indication of having been driven very hard and had also been beaten severely. Monday evening it was so lame and footsore that it was impossible to move the animal from the Goetz farm. - ; Earlier in the morning Mr. Muster and party had passed Frank Ward, 1 0-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Glen Ward, who live on Elm street. They boy was alone and w'as walking toward town, and was then near Groom’s bridge. After discovering the horse and later learning of the same having been stolen, the circumstances were such as to cast suspicion on Young Ward. Monday afternoon he was arrested by Sheriff McColly and taken to the jail after being identified by members of the Muster party. Throughout Monday evening the boy steadfastly maintained his innocence, but Tuesday morning he confessed taking the horse. In his confession Ward implicated two other boys. Teddy Martin and a son of Riley Miller, both about his age, but when the Martin boy was taken before him yesterday he said it was not him but another boy, whose name he did not give. An investigation leads the officers to think no one was with him when he took the horse, although there were rumors about town yesterday thp.t he was seen driving the stolen t , rig through town Saturday night and was then accompanied by two other boys. The Ward boy has been implicated in other thefts lately, it is said, having taken two auto tires from Babcock & Hopkins only a week ago and trying to sell them to a junk buyer. It is also reported that about two months ago he took two tires from Ed Randle ahd tried to sell them to H. L. Milner. It is probable that the boy will be taken before Judge Hanley some time today or tomorrow and it is also quite probable that he will be sent to the Indiana Boys’ school at Plainfield.