By Michael D. Martin, E.C.P.D.
Retired
About the author...Michael Martin (pictured front row, far right in the 1981 photo) is a retired veteran of 25 years on the Eden City Police Department, and has penned a number of anecdotal writings recalling his experiences.
XLV. J.C. and the Great Chicken Robbery
This had to be about 1978..I was fast asleep with
my beautiful wife about four AM...When the phone rang...Barb answered and
said its for you.....there was no love in that voice....I answered. it was
J.C. Foley...at four in the morning...He said someone had stolen some of his
prized fighting chickens...up until that time, at four in the morning, I had
not considered the value of fighting chickens...Barb was in a sniff...she
had to go to work in the morning...I was up at four in the morning talking
to some idiot about missing chickens????
Now, don't get me wrong, I liked J.C. He was
Punch Foley's Boy. My dad built Punch Foley's house. Punch Foley was one of
the old time stampeeders who ran moonshine from the mountains to the cities
and never was caught as far (as I know) Punch was a gambler and a moonshiner
and a friend I remember.....J.C....Maybe after that night...I wanted to
kill.
Was not two nights later, I got a call at
two-thirty......it was JC...he had information on his stolen
chickens....they were fighting chickens...like I gave a damn!!! and he told
me he sold some for two hundred and fifty dollars apeice to men from the Philippines...again,
like I gave a damn...they were chickens...I eat chickens!!!! Barb was
not too sure who was calling me...things got chilly...I thought of killing
JC...it won't easy to start with....we did a little work and got a few leads
and out of fear for my marriage...I followed them up and we arrested a house
painter from over on 87 south with the chickens...some of them were
dead...we rescued a few chickens.....I felt like a freakin hero!!!
chickens??? but at least we had a case of....do you believe
this........chicken theft. The chief of detectives of the Eden
City Police Department was prosecuting a case of "chicken theft". trying
to save his marriage...I am embarrassed even today to admit this...