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STOLEN CANNON RECOVERED!!!

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SquirrelsaurusR

45 Cal.
Joined
Mar 20, 2004
Messages
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Got this in an email today:

Dear Friends,

PLEASE PASS ON THE GOOD NEWS

This afternoon (April 8) I received some very good news. EXODUS HAS BEEN
FOUND!!!! I received a call from the Delaware, Ohio County Sheriff's
Department about 2:30 pm today informing me that they had found Exodus (a
full scale replica 12 lb Mt. Howitzer which had been stolen on or around
March 26).

According to the Sheriff's Deputy, it had been stolen by a high school boy
and his Dad. The Sheriff's Dept. got wind of who had taken Exodus when the
boy was bragging around the school about what had happened when they fired
it. (From the looks of Exodus, I am sure that they over loaded it and that
it is a good thing that it has an 2.25 inch bore rather than the full 4.62
inch bore The extra cast iron may very well have saved their lives.)
Apparently, the firing of Exodus scared they thieves enough that they tried
to sell it to another person. The Sheriff's Department was already closing
in on the thieves and when confronted the thieves told them where to find
Exodus.

Upon securing Exodus, the Sheriff's Department contacted me and asked if I
wanted to come and get Exodus. I left work immediately, picked up my
trailer, and went to bring Exodus home.

I have been told that the thieves videotaped their firing of Exodus and I
will be very interested to see the video, if it does exist. But based on
the looks and conditions of Exodus, I would guess that when they fired it
they barrel blew off of the carriage and the carriage rotated around the
axle.

When I saw Exodus, its barrel was laying upside down with one trunnion
wedged under the one cap square and the other trunnion laying on the side of
the carriage with the other cap square dangling from its keeper chain. The
force also broke four repaired spokes on one wheel and damaged at least two
more spokes. There is also damage to the trail and to the axle. There may
be more damage but this is all the damage that a quick visual inspection has
found. I am sure that I will find more damage as I start to make repairs.

Finally, I would like to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to all
of you in Delaware County and the reenacting community at large who helped
spread the word about the theft of Exodus and who expressed their concern
over the theft and offered their support. I knew that those of us who
reenact in a given region are a close family, I now know that that family
extends throughout the United States.

God Bless America and all those who continue to wear the blue and the grey.

I remain your most humbled and obedient servant,


Sgt. Rick Helwig
Gunner/Artificer
5th Ohio Light Artillery
 
I have been told that the thieves videotaped their firing of Exodus and I
will be very interested to see the video,

So would the processing attorney... :winking: :crackup:
 
I'll bet those fools loaded that thing up with some smokeless powder. They are lucky they didn't get killed or injure others.

I hate and detest theives, drug pushers, kid beaters, wife beaters and dog beaters. But I love the person who can beat the hell outa potatoes to make mashed potatoes.
 
Glad to hear you got it back. Messin with a mans shootin irons, big or small, is almost as bad as messin with his woman.
Hope you can get exodus back on her wheels and makin smoke soon-Flint50 :thumbsup:
 
I'd sue their thieving butts all the way back to the stone-age. ::

or better, make them cannon fodder!
 
I think as part of their punishment, the judge should make them repair it (under supervision), since they like "hands on" so much...
 
Bad idea musketman, they should PAY for all repairs, even some upgrades to exodus, but they have proven they have no clue about cannons and should be usd for targets only.
 
Terrific that you got Exodus back, Rick! I note that it was stolen by "a high school kid AND HIS DAD! God Bless America! What kind of parents do we have out there today? :nono: :shake:

Capt. William
 
... What kind of parents do we have out there today? :nono: :shake:

Capt. William

The acorn does not fall far from the tree. I guess that all of us would consider a proper father and son activity of building something together then enjoying it. Seems they just decided to steal it and enjoy it. You'd think that after saving all that time and money not having to build or buy it that they could of at least of read about how to load it. grrrrr....
 
You'd think that after saving all that time and money not having to build or buy it that they could of at least of read about how to load it. grrrrr....

They did... :rolleyes:

12 lb Mt. Howitzer means 12 pounds of powder, right? :crackup:
 
Glad you got it back...if they had been injured, I bet their suit against you would have been interesting! And, I have no doubt they'd find an attorney to file it, and a judge to hear it...Hank
 
Definitely get iit magnafluxed so you or someone else doesn't get hurt in subsequent firings. Keep detailed photos and time logs of repair time.

Use them in filing a CIVIL SUIT after the Criminal suit is settled.
 
Pass along my wishes for a clean bill of soundness and speedy repairs. I'd say 2 pounds of rocksalt and carpet-tacks ahead of six ounces of powder from 60 feet applied to their bare backsides would be a fitting punishment.

Let Exodus get a lick in. :redthumb:
 
Rock salt and carpet tacks? Why didn't I think of that. Always used rock salt and bacon makes for a good smell and starts the day off right.
Glad to see you got her back.
Fox :thumbsup:
 
This just in from Sgt. Rick Helwig, EXODUS being returned... :D

ExodusRecovered1.jpg


They sure put a hurnin' on it... :cry:
 
Glad to hear you got it back. Messin with a mans shootin irons, big or small, is almost as bad as messin with his woman.
Hope you can get exodus back on her wheels and makin smoke soon-Flint50 :thumbsup:

Mess with my ex all you want, just don't touch my shooting irons! :nono: :nono: :shake: :shake: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

I hope the sum-b's are paying for the restoration of his field piece! :eek:
 
Well, you know what they say... "The family that preys together stays together".
By the way, who are "they"? :curse:
 
That video tape is excellent evidence against that father-son team. Father goes to prison and the son to the Youth Correction System. Dirt is dirt.

Glad to hear the cannon is back. :thumbsup:
 
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