Thieves Cop to Historic Crimes

The Justice Department announced yesterday that it had won guilty pleas from two thieves who broke into a series of historical sites and museums in Texas and stole artifacts.

The break-ins took place in mid-April, starting at the Hallie Stillwell Museum in Brewster County, Texas, where Kirby Loren Amlee and Joey Kenneth Priddy nabbed a .38 caliber revolver with holster, an 1895 Winchester 30.06 rifle, a double barrel shotgun, two bandoliers, a box of .38 caliber ammunition, numerous Indian arrowheads, a knife with bone handle in a sheath, a tomahawk, a small wooden butter mold and money from the donation box.

The next day the thieves hit the Fort Davis Historical Site, stealing another set of historic weapons and more donated cash. Finally, five days later, Amlee and Priddy hit the Lajitas International Airport, where they took a 42" plasma TV, two boxes of medals and -- by this time apparently their life of crime had turned into something of a sleep-deprived headache -- packages of No-Doze and Tylenol.

Special agents from the National Park Service led the investigation that nailed the thieves. The historic weapons have been recovered.