A Horse and Buggy Heist
A visitor from Ellensburg hires a rig for a local trip but drives it all the way to Hanford.
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.
Arthur Schuster, a stranger in Kennewick, hired a buggy and team of the Valley Barn last Wednesday to take a short drive in the country. The rig was recovered in Hanford Thursday and Schuster is evidently still traveling. The stranger said he wished to drive seven miles down the valley to collect some wages from the man on whose farm he had been employed. At noon Thursday when the man had not yet returned, E. Ferrell notified Sheriff Duffy who immediately got busy on the telephone. He learned from F. L. Bash at Hanford that Schuster, who had relatives in that community, had been seen there earlier in the day. Sheriff Duffy, Deputy Baxter and Mr. Ferrell hurried to Hanford but no trace of the man could be found, but the team was located in the irrigation company's barn. It was learned that Schuster lived in Ellensburg.
“Arthur Schuster, a stranger in Kennewick, hired a buggy and team of the Valley Barn last Wednesday to take a short drive in the country.”
The 'stolen vehicle' report is a timeless small-town news staple, though the vehicle has transitioned from a horse and buggy to a modern car. It serves as a reminder of how quickly law enforcement networks (via telephone) could track a suspect even in 1915.
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