Rensselaer Republican, Volume 22, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 July 1890 — SHE LOVES EXCITEMENT. [ARTICLE]

SHE LOVES EXCITEMENT.

For That Season a Girl Makes a Practice of Stealing Horses. At Parkersburg, W. Va., recently occurred the trial of a 17-year-old girl named Etta Robinson, whose life for the' past six months has been full of sensations, The charge against her was horse-stealing, and the circumstances of the crime are very romantic. Six months ago she was visiting her brother, a farm hand of Thomas Handley, the latter being a wealthy realestate owner. One morning Etta was missing and so was a fine horse. After a search of some days the horse was found in the girl’s possession. While her captors were debating what to do with her Etta dashed into the Ohio river, still on horseback, and endeavored to swim across. She was again captured and placed in jail, but broke out and returned to her brother. Mr. Handley took pityjon her youth and refused to prosecute, A short time after another horse was missing, which was tracked to the Kenawha river and later found on the other side in possession of Etta. A second time her youth protected her from prosecution. Six weeks later she stole a horse from Lewis Lesley, was pursued across the Ohio, captured and brought back to the Putnam county jail, where she was confined several weeks, when, gaining the confidence of the jailer, she escaped, stole his horse and fled. She was again captured with the horse in her possession. The young adventuress only steals from motives of excitement. Her youth, beauty and general excellence in many ways have created a sympathy in her favor, and some of the most prominent citizens of Putnam county are interesting themselves in securing her release. # . r '