Today we share the exciting conclusion to yesterday's #365daysofkegelhd from 1913 as several days after the initial theft the Freeport Daily Bulletin printed a thrilling update when the Kegel Bros took matters into their own hands!
#kegel365 #harleydavidson #kegelhd #worldsoldest
6 MOTORCYCLE MIKES NAB HIM
Youth Who Touched Joseph Kegel for Motorcycle Is Captured.
HAPPENS AT ADELINE
They Bring Him to Freeport and Turn Him Over to Sheriff.
Emery Mullen is the name of the youth who trimmed Joseph Kegel out of a valuable motorcycle Saturday afternoon. Mullen is now in the county jail awaiting a preliminary hearing. He was captured last night by a bunch of local motorcyclists.
After supper last night Joseph, Julius and Edward Kegel, Al and Dell Cole and Boyd Luebbing started out for a ride and incidentally a man hunt. They headed for Adeline, and made inquiries along the way as to whether anyone had seen the man, whose description they gave. Securing a tip from a young lad that a farm hand in that vicinity had just purchased a new machine, they felt that they had something definite to work on and kept their eyes peeled for the farm hand and the machine.
They had just left Adeline when they saw a man on a motorcycle coming toward them. Mr. Kegel recognized the man and the machine at once, and when the fellow came within hailing distance he was ordered to come along. He said he was willing, so they had no hesitation about taking him across the county line. The prisoner was made to ride in the middle of the procession on the return trip, and when the bunch reached Freeport he was turned over to Sheriff Stewart.
Blames King Alcohol.
The young man, who gave the name of Emery Mullen, and his age as 18 years, said he had been drinking alcohol, and offered this as his excuse for his escaped of Saturday. He said that his parents reside at Adeline and that he was a farm hand in employ of R.B. Hammer near Adeline.
It is said that he was asked by a motorcycle agent at Mount Morris where he bought his machine, and why he did not get it at home. He stated that he bought the machine at the factory so as to save part of the purchase price.
The Fellows are Jubilant.
Mr. Kegel and the boys who made the catch are mighty jubilant over the success of their little jaunt last night, and are talking seriously of forming an amateur detective association and of offering their services to the public whenever desired.
Mullen will spend the glorious fourth in the county jail and will likely remain there until the September term. This afternoon he was brought before Magistrate Janssen, waived examination and was placed under $500 bonds and was sent back to await the action of the grand jury. He was held on the charge of obtaining goods under false pretenses. According to Mr. Janssen Mullen has been in trouble before.