The Local Harness Heist
A string of barn burglaries in Walla Walla leads police to suspect a prolific thief is targeting local agricultural equipment.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The theft of several sets of harness from Walla Walla barns was reported to the police today. Two sets were stolen from the residence of Oscar Drumheller on Craig street and James Graham, of Miller-Wheeler company reported the loss of a brand new driving harness valued at $30. Braden Brothers, extensive farmers west of the city, lost a valuable set of work harness last week and the police are inclined to believe the Braden thief is responsible for last night's work.
“The police are inclined to believe the Braden thief is responsible for last night's work.”
Before the rise of the automobile, the theft of leather harness was a significant economic blow to farmers and business owners. This report captures the vulnerability of rural property and the early efforts of Walla Walla law enforcement to track serial property crimes.
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