William McKee's Horse is Stolen

From The Pantagraph (Bloomington, Illinois), April 17, 1873, Thursday, Page 2 --

----We have a novel case of horse-thieving.  A man named Wm. Barret stole a horse below Forest City, Mason county, rode him up toward Green Valley, stopped at a stable where he was well acquainted with the stock, swapped for the best horse in the lot, road on into Dillon and doubled his stock by stealing another from Wm. McKee, and thence pushed on to Mackinaw.  There he traded again.  By this time men were in pursuit, and one man got into town in time to see McKee's horse ridden in by a boy.  He took possession and told the boy that he had his horse.  The boy told him that his father had traded for it, and that he could show him the man, and the horse that he had let the fellow have.  Search was made and the horse found, but the man had smelt a mice and "broke for tall timber."  One man too McKee's horse and rode to Delavan, another pursued the thief to Hopedale, where he had just taken the cars south.  The lightning went ahead of Constable Cobean, who met the gentleman in the cars at Delevan, and took him into custody.  He gave his name as Hudson.  He is now in jail in Pekin awaiting trial.

Wow.  I am not used to the use of catchwords in news stories.  I am guessing that means the story is mostly for amusement?  I am guessing "cars" means railway cars.  I am guessing "lightning" means telegraph.  I am guessing "smelt a mice" is what we mean when we say "smelled a rat."

One thing I am not guessing -- William McKee (1810-1873) was my 3xg-grandfather on my mother's maternal side.

Copyright © 2021 by Kevin W. Walker