Northwest Chronicle: May 14, 1890

Chicken Pot-Pie

Two Unknown Thieves Will Fare Well at Wm. Shaeffer’s Expense – They Snag the Contents of His Hen House.

Wm. Schaeffer who lives on Richard street counts thirty chickens less in his coop now than roosted there last week. About one o’clock Friday morning Mr. Schaeffer was awakened by the violent barking of his watch dog and hastily attiring himself he stepped into the yard.

His eyes rested upon two men who were making rapid tracks from his hennery. He and the dog at once pursued them, but the thieves shortly eluded them and Mr. Schaeffer returned home, picking up a half a dozen dead chickens on the way. Each was bleeding about the head and an investigation showed that the thieves had employed a cunning scheme to affect the robbery. They approached the roost and seizing a chicken by the neck would drive the blade of a penknife through the head. The dead chicken was then tossed into this bag.

Out of three dozen hens Mr. Schaeffer had six live ones and the half dozen dead ones left by the thieves. The success in this case will doubtless spur the perpetrators to further effort and the public is advised to look after its heneries (sic).

Tags: 1890, Schaeffer