Surnames: Kahler, Siegrist, Welsch, Wicker

----Source: The Abbotsford Tribune-Phonograph, Volume 48, Number 8, Wednesday, February 20, 2008, page 2

News from 25 Feb. 1885

Word was brought in Friday that sneak thieves had been at work about the premises of Henry Welsch who burned out last week. Henry had been missing articles, of more or less value for some time past, and rather suspected one Wm. Kahler, living about half a mile west, and on this Friday morning, a search warrant and warrant of arrest was placed in the hands of deputy sheriff Henry Siegrist. As a result Wm. Kahler was arraigned before Justice Wicker the next morning but before any action was taken he settled with Mr. Welsch by paying the sum of one hundred dollars and costs, amounting in all to one hundred and twenty dollars. Some exceptions might be taken to this manner of settling criminal cases, but in this instance it was the best thing that could have been done. The prisoner acknowledge that he has stolen a number of articles form Mr. Welsch, besides a number of bushels of oats, so the sum of one hundred dollars would no more than cover the loss to Mr. W. by his depredations. And, besides, Kahler has a large family, and if he had been sent to board a while, at the expense of the county, his family would have come upon the county for support. In this instance the affair costs the county nothing, and the payment of the money has a more salutary effect upon the man than a year in the county jail or State prison would have.