Rensselaer Republican, Volume 17, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 December 1884 — A Horse Thief Captured. [ARTICLE]

A Horse Thief Captured.

On Saturday evening last, Sheriff Yeoman received information, by postal card and telegram, that a horse had been* stolen the night before, from Greenberry Sayers, living two miles north of Fowler, in Benton county". A reward of SSO was offered, $25 for the reooyery of the horse and $25 for the capture of the thief. Upon ghowing the card, upon which the stolen horse was discribed, to the Doputy Sheriff, John L. Gant, who went to Remington Saturday, he stated that while on the road to the above toiyn, he had met the thief, riding the stolen horse, and coming towards Rensselaer, to which place he enquired the way. The man was without an overcoat and the weather was raining hard at the time, which facts, together with the statement made to Mr. Gant that he was a stranger in the county, excited the former’s . suspicions at the time ofthe mee ting, and upon learning of the theft he was convinced that he was the man wanted. Upon inquiry being made, it was found that such a man as Gant met had been in Rensselaer for several hours Saturday, and had finally gone northward. Mr. Gant was started upon his track, and without much difficulty, overtook him Sunday, in the village of Wheatfield, this county, where he was trying to sell the horse. Both thief and horse were brought at once to Rensselaer. The thief gave his name as Charles ftluchler, said that he was from Aurora, Illinois.

He made no attempt to deny the stealing. Said that he went into the barii to sleep, but not being able to lull his senses into slumber, owing to the coldness of the night and the noise made by the horses, he sulddenly concluded he would steal one of the latter, and resume his journey, a plan which was no sooner conceived than executed. Mr. Sayers was notified of the arrest of the thief and recovery of the horse and came and took the animal Monday, handing Sheriff Yeoman the amount of the rewards offered. Mnehler will be held in this county until the January term of the circuit court, wh en, if he does not plead guilty, which is probable, he will be tried. He is about 24 years old, not greatly gifted, intellectually, and evidently only an amatuer, as a horse thief, whatever may be by record in regard to other moral di relections.