Caught Youthful Chicken Thieves

Great Western section Men Capture Boys who have Despoiled East End Poultry Yards

Had Stolen a Dinner Bucket

When Arrested had Stolen Bucket Well Filled with Eggs – Were Locked in Box Car

Two youth of tender age, who are suspected of having made a systematic practice of robbing poultry yards in East Fort Dodge of their store of eggs, were caught by Great Western section men on Saturday afternoon. The boys stole a dinner pail belonging to one of the section men, who saw the deed and followed the youthful sinners until they had filled the stolen pail with stolen eggs, and then bore down upon them. The youths were locked in a box car, and a policeman was summoned to take them to the city hall for punishment. On the way, the boys begged so piteously to be let off and promised so earnestly to let the eggs alone hereafter that the officer decided the scare was enough punishment, and let them go.

For several weeks past, the east end hen yards have felt the hand of the despoiler. The work was cleverly done, and despite all the vigilance done and despite all the vigilance of the irate householders who lad all sorts of traps to catch the egg thieves, not a subject was coralled (sic) until Saturday when the vigilant section men caught the two youngsters in the act.

The thieves have not been at all particular with regard to what they took. They were after eggs, and it made no difference whether they were setting eggs or fresh ones; they took them indiscriminately. It is believed Saturday will put a damper on the egg stealing industry, if not permanently, for some little time at least.

The Chickens Over The Border

Cooper Township Poultry Menace Wahkonsa township Garden Patches is Farce

Wage War on the Vegetables

Succulent Plants are not Safe From Their Ruthless Talons – The Law is Invoked

G.F. Draper and other residents of the city on the border line of Cooper and Wahkonsa townships, are in a quandary. The riddle which confronts them is this: What is it best to do, when Cooper township chickens come over and despoil Wahkonsa township garden patches? Mr. Draper came to the city hall this morning and laid the matter before Marshal Welch. Mr. Welch could do nothing, inasmuch as the offending chickens were owned outside of the city limits. The best that he could do was to advise Mr. Draper to consult a justice of the peace with a view to arbitrating the difficulty and it is probably that his advice will be followed.

The thoughts of the denizens of the suburbs turned to garden planting as the warm weather of the past few days gave warning that spring was really coming. Tender plants were set out, and were flourishing nicely when the Cooper township chickens looked across the boundaries and saw what was going on. According to Mr. Draper’s story, the chickens descended like the Assyrians, who have attained a safe niche in the world’s best literature, and by the time they were thru there wasn’t much left of the carefully nurtured Wahkonsa township gardens.

“Just as fast as the plants are set out,” said Mr. Draper “those chickens come along and scratch them up.”

It is expected that measures will be taken by the Wahkonsa township residents desirous of practicing horticulture, to keep their neighbor’s chickens at home.