Dogs Trained To Steal

Columbus, O., Nov. 10.- In the county jail her are Wilson Hoffman and his wife, charged vith being the instigators of a peculiar crime. The Hofïmans own two houm'.s whose cupidity has developed out of all proportion to their moráis. According to the well-authenticated story of their neighbors, the Hofïmans have been in the habit of going on a foraging expedition every morning in an old wagon, accompanied by the two dogs. Wheji the expedition reached a farmyard the dogs would bound over the fence, each seize a chicken, and bear it back to the wagon. This process was repeated until there was a famine of fowls in the neighborhood. As whatever the Hoffmans could get for the chickens was pure gain, they were enabled to undersell less fortúnate dealers and quickly disposed of their goods. This led to a protest, and a protest to an investigation which disclosed the fact that the dogs have been carefully trained to appropriate anything of value which they could carry off. ' One householder claims to have lost 150 chickens, and one day he watched for the foraging expedition. When one of the hounds vaulted the fence he covered the animal with a shotgun, but hearing an exclamation, turned his eyes toward the wagon and saw that he was himself covered with a gun held by Hoffman.