He Shot Down Three Squirrels

HE SHOT DOWN THREE SQUIRRELS

Olney Belknap was Caught in the Act

Arrested By Warren

Belknap Says He was Asked to Perform the Cowardly Work

Because he ruthlessly shot down three squirrels, Olney Belknap, a gardener employed by Prof. Albert H. Pattengill, was fined $5 and costs $8.45 in all, by Justice Doty Wednesday. He had the alternative of paying the fine or serving 15 days in jail. He managed to raise the money to pay the fine and was released.

Belknap's arrest was brought about through some shrewd work on the part of Chief of Police Warren. Lately the chief has noticed a number of squirrel's tails which had been shot from their bodies lying on the roadway in the vicinity of the University. He at once made up his mind that some miscreant was at work and decided on a plan to catch him. He caused it to be noised around that he would give $5 for the arrest and conviction of anyone found shooting squirrels. Yesterday a man came to him and told him that he could give him the name of a man whom he saw shooting three squirrels. This man agreed to give the fellow's name providing he received the reward Warren had offered.

"The reward is yours," said Warren, "when I arrest the fellow and he is convicted." Then the Chief's informant told how he had seen Belknap shoot down the inoffensive little animals.

Belknap at first denied that he had shot any squirrels but when confronted with the evidence that the Chief of Police had he admitted his guilt. He said that he had been asked to destroy the squirrels by persons in the neighborhood of Prof. Pattengill's home, whom Belknap says wanted the squirrels done away with because of their destructive habits.

What Belknap did with the squirrels after he shot them is not yet definitely known. He says he threw them away, but the Chief of Police thinks that he may be able to produce evidence to show that Belknap took them to his home, and that he is lying when he says he was asked by people to shoot the little animals.

There is considerable indignation against Belknap because of his cowardly act and there are some who are inclined to believe that it was lucky that he was not found in the act of shooting the squirrels by some male residents or it might have gone exceedingly hard with him.