Oregon State Penitentiary-Salem
A DYED-IN-THE-WOOL CRIMINAL
Frank Wade Must Wait Four Years Before His Next Theft.J.G. Birdsey, of Jacksonville, sheriff of Jackson county, arrived in the city yesterday evening, after having left an inveterate horse thief at the penitentiary at Salem.
The prisoner, Frank Wade, well illustrates the incorrigible character of criminals in their career, and justifies in great measure the conviction of the officer of the law that these people never reform. They are no sooner out of prison walls that they are at their old tricks again.
“Last spring,” explained Mr. Birdsey “Wade began stealing horses in our country, and after two or three operations was arrested. After he was confined he was examined for insanity, and go off on that dodge, being committed to the asylum. He lost very little time here in filing his way out, and on his way from Salem to Jefferson stole a horse, got caught, and was sent back to the asylum. The latter part of the summer he was discharged as cured and came back to Jackson county. As soon as opportunity offered he forged an order for money, which he got cashed, stole a horse and skipped.”
“Well, he took this horse and crossed over the mountains by way of Klamath and Lake counties, going through the snow, without an overcoat or blanket, over the mountains into California. Upon the conclusion of this exploit he tumbled into the hands of Deputy Sheriff Walker, of Klamath county, near Alturas. There Sheriff Childers turned him over to me at Medford. His indictment soon followed. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced by Judge Webster to four years for the forgery, and the indictment for the theft of the horse still stands against him. He confessed interesting portions of his career to me on the way down.”
Sheriff Birdsey returns home to-day after the convention.
Morning Oregonian (Portland, Oregon) Dec 7, 1889
YesterYear Once More 