Butts County GaArchives News.....Hog Thieves December 1897 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Don Bankston http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00024.html#0005864 November 6, 2006, 8:22 pm Jackson Argus – Butts County December 1897 Mr. J. S. McDaniel, who lives near town, had killed four fine hogs and packed them neatly away in his smoke house, and on Wednesday night some party or parties broke open the house between eleven and twelve o’clock and took three of the hogs away. On Thursday morning Sheriff Beauchamp arrested John Carr, Heard Sims and Robert Sims, all highly colored, on suspicion, and while they may not be the burglars, it is believed that they know something that is worth knowing at least. The search is going steadily on and some meat will soon turn up. Jackson Argus – Butts County Week of December 17, 1897 ……………………………………………………. Meat Theives – Are Run Down by Sheriff Beauchamp Last week notice was made of the theft that Mr. Jim McDaniel, who had killed hogs only a few days before, had lost all the meat from his smokehouse. The matter was reported to Sheriff Beauchamp, who immediately set to work to find the rogues. Going down to McDaniel’s, the sheriff soon satisfied himself that he had found the track of a wagon that carried the meat away. The left hind wheel of the wagon did not tract with the front wheel. The next step was to find a wagon that would make a like track. This was found on Mr. I. Slaughter’s farm. The sheriff told Amos Roberts, col. to hitch the two mules to the wagon and drive with him down to McDaniels. When they got there the mules were unhitched, and, as it happened, there was a peculiarity about each mule’s foot that fit the tracks exactly when the wagon was pulled along by hand in the old tracks, and they matched precisely. What do you think of that, Amos!! Dat’s de strangest thing I ebber seed. What you gwine do bout dat, boss !! Oh, I am not going to do anything. Well, boss, I clare fo God I didn’t know dat man kill hogs. The team was returned and Sheriff Beauchamp then hurried over to George Greer’s, another of Mr. Slaughter’s Negro tenants, and George told altogether a different story to that of Amos, about what they had done the night of the stealing. On the strength of the circumstances, the sheriff told McDaniel that his course was to swear out warrants against these two Negroes. This was done, and Amos was arrested and locked up on Saturday. On Monday George Greer was arrested, and as the sheriff was bringing him to jail, he learned that on Sunday a dog had been seen coming out of a pine thicket on Mrs. Merideth’s place with apiece of meat. This was about half a mile north of Slaughter’s tenant houses. He immediately turned his steps in that direction, and after considerable searching, found the meat. It was in a large hamper basket, and the basket was sunk in the ground and well covered with pine straw. It was a big pile of port, four or five loads for a stout man. When confronted with the meat George said he had nothing to say about it. When he was brought to jail Amos said: Is dat you, George? What de name o’ God dey got you for? Dey say I stole meat, but I’s just as innersent as an angel Bless God, two of us in here for stealin meat and narry one of us don’t know nuthin bout it! But I been saying to myself all day dat Mr. Beauchamp gwine have you in here to night. I jes felt like it. But Amos could not hold out and when Mr. Slaughter went around to see him Tuesday morning he made a confession in which he acknowledged that he and George were the thieves and that they alone did it. McDaniel recovered nearly all of his meat, but may have trouble in keeping it as it is thought that on account of the way it was packed away much of it will sour. This is one of the neatest captures we have heard of in a long time and proves Sheriff Beauchamp to be one of the smoothest officers in the state. Jackson Argus – Butts County December 24, 1897 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/butts/newspapers/hogthiev1939gnw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 4.4 Kb