Horse Thief - 1876

TALTY, KELLY, MCKENZIE

Posted By: cheryl moonen (email)
Date: 8/28/2017 at 10:11:20

Saturday, August 12, 1876
Paper: Dubuque Daily Times (Dubuque, Iowa)
Page: 1

The man giving his name as Hugh Kelly, arrested in Davenport for stealing horses in Monroe County, proves to be one Talty, the boldest and most adroit horse thief central Iowa ever saw. He has stolen eleven horses from Monroe County in the last eight months. Farmer McKenzie, who owned the horses last stolen, came up to Davenport to identify them and him. McKenzie then offered to convey Talty to Monroe County free of charge, saving the county the expense of sheriff’s fees. At first the officers were inclined to accept his offer-until he happened to let slip the remark that “the same tree from which Thompson swung is there yet.” Then the officers changed their minds. But they spoke of the offer to Talty, who turned pale, and begged that he might not be “turned over to that man” for, said he “he is captain of the vigilante, and I will never reach the jail alive.”