Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 78, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 June 1909 — GYPSIES ARRESTED AT MONTICELLO AND DELPHI. [ARTICLE]

GYPSIES ARRESTED AT MONTICELLO AND DELPHI.

. One of the Women Fortune Tellers Relieved a Yeoman Merchant; of S4O and Is Arrested. A part of the same tribe of gypsies that were ordered to leave town here have been causing all kinds of trouble, at Delphi and Monticello and at both places arrests followed. The Monticello Journal of Tuesday has the following account of their doings: Talk about excitement, Monticello hasn’t had as much to the minute since Old Settlers’ Day as transpired here yesterday, betwixt the reported “hold up” In the morning and the gypsy eruption in the afternoon. Shortly after noon, the caravan consisting of seven wagons, many horses and plenty of dogs, came in from the south under the whip on a dead run, and turning west at Ohio street angled through town, going west on Broadway. They were followed by several Carroll county farmers from the neighborhood of Yeoman. A part of the farmer posse kept on after the nomads and the others stopped in town to give a history of the trouble and to hunt the peace officers. It was soon learned that one of the women had touched J. B. Hurtt for S4O, and he was after them for redress. The woman had gone into the store, as'they do in all other establishments, and making herself familiar with Jim, insisted on telling .his fortune, tapping him on the shoulder, on the chest, arms and over his pocket book, finally offering to put a lucky cross on that important article, she got hold of it but he did not see her take any money from it. After a few cabalistic passes and mysterious murmurs she pushed the book back in his trousers’ pocket and left the store. On examination, he found himself shy S4O. He gave the alarm and started after them but . the whole tribe was driving as fast as their horses could go and he made but little gain on the bicycle, finally Mr. Goslee happened along with an auto and took Mr. Hurtt aboard. They overtook the woman with another one, of her sex in a buggy out near the school house across from Tioga, and halted them. He demanded his money and the woman denied taking it, and getting out of the buggy began J;o tell him about not having it and begging dff , at the same time passing her hands (Jveii his clothes. Finally, she said: “You have your own money, there it is inside your shirt and trousers at the waist band.” Sure enough, he pulled out S2O. Then he demanded the rest, and she told him that he had it in his back pocket in his handkerchief. Examination proved such to be the case. That did not appease his wrath but he insisted on prosecution. So on coming here he asked that they be arrested and held until warrants could be issued in Carroll county. Deputy Marshal Luse filed individual affidavits against the entire seven outfits for over-driving and cruelty to houses. He and Marshal Dobbins, Shwiff Price and Deputy Sheriff Davisson, with several more, started out in automobiles and arrested the aggregation just as they were driving into Reynolds, having made excellent time after leaving town. They were brought back and about half the population of the town had heard of the incident, and were on the streets to see the officers and gypsies come in. They were taken to the Town Hall and the rigs drawn up in front. After much parleying the chief and principal men of the tribe agreed to plead guilty to four of the affidavits If the others be dismissed. The fines and costs amounted to SSO. In the meantime, Hurtt had gone to Delphi and secured a warrant for the woman and came bitck here, getting in at 4:00 o’clock, with Sheriff Blue. The two women concerned, with their children, were immediately loaded into the sheriff’s' auto and taken to Delphi. In the meantime the gypsies secured the services of A. K. Sills, Jr., to appear as her attorney .when trial was called. Though the tribe plead poverty they easily found money to pay Sills and their fines, and seemed to have plenty left from the looks of the rolls of bills and bunches of silver. One man .showed a certificate of deposit on a Chicago bank for $7,000. The outfit belonged to the MiUerThompson clan and were about as

dirty and ragged as you find them. There were something like forty or fifty of them, and the children, many of them, had only 6tfe thin garment to hide their nakedness. The women were not much better. They are encamped out at the Dreifus Field, awaiting the outcome of the trial at Delphi.