Iowa Old Press
Eddyville Tribune, March 3, 1899
J. D. WILLHITE
Is His Name and He Languishes in the City’s Safety Deposit Box
Accused of Chicken Stealing.
The frequent and long continued reign of chicken stealing that has afflicted this community has whetted up the appetite of our chicken raisers, for a taste of the sanguinary gore of the guilty parties to such an extent, that when Saturday morning a half dozen complaints from the south part of town came in that the thieves had again been abroad in the land, they with one accord laid down their business and with our city’s efficient Secret Service, started hot on the trail of the guilty parties, which was still distinctly visible in the light snow.
The trail was taken up at the portal of W. J. Boyd’s White Plymouth Rock poultry parlor, which had been depleted of its occupant during the night, and as it was quite distinct was easily followed to the barn lot of Nixon’s livery barn, where a stranger with a covered wagon had passed the night, but had vanished with the early dawn. The track took a roundabout course and touched at the chicken houses of Geo. Johnson, Mr. Surbaugh, Mrs. Heard and others, all of whom were loosers by the transaction.
Hearing that the stranger had headed down the Ottumwa road, Marshall McClain and W. J. Boyd started in pursuit and overhauled him at the Newell place south of town. After a short search they found quite a number of chickens under some bed cloths in the wagon, some of which Will Boyd recognized as his property, not alone by their appearance but by a mark that he used for just such circumstances as the present.
The man gave his name as J. D. Willhite and claims to come from Villisca, with him is his wife and infant child. He was brought back to town and placed in jail to await his examination which occurs next Monday. His wife went to Ottumwa where she claims to have friends, and will remain until her husband’s trial.
Our local officers feel that they have one of the organized band of chicken thieves that have been operating through this section of Iowa for the past two years and are in possession of facts that may lead to the arrest and conviction of the whole gang. They are leaving no stone unturned in their efforts, and it is to be hoped that this contemptable business can be broken up as it has grown to such proportions as to seriously conflict with the poultry business of this section. That they are well organized and smooth lot of individuals is to be inferred from their bold robberies and immunity from detection, which has characterized their working in this section. They baffled all the plans of the Monroe Co. vigilance committee which had men out night after night watching suspected parties whom they followed many night in long drives but were always given the slip before morning, notwithstanding they were good shrewd men and well acquainted with the country.
[transcribed by L.Z., Oct 2019]