Historians know that a hermit named "Old Shep" lived in a West Seneca shack in the early

20th century, carting a wagon with a grindstone from home to home, making his living

sharpening knives and scissors.

They also know "Old Shep" had a Colt .40-caliber revolver that dated from the 1860s.

What they don't know is whether Old Shep and his gun were part of the old Jesse James Gang.

Monday, West Seneca police announced they had cracked a fascinating antique-gun theft that

dated back to the mysterious hermit who lived in a cave near Cazenovia Creek as well as the

shack almost a century ago.

Old Shep's percussion revolver was stolen from the West Seneca Historical Society Museum

last fall and later recovered in a Town of Greece pawnshop.

That led to the arrest Friday of Michael A. Ortiz, 38, of Medina, on a warrant charging him

with grand larceny.

Making the case even more fascinating, Old Shep was reputed to be the last surviving member

of the Jesse James Gang.

"This is one of the most colorful figures from this town's history," West Seneca Police

Capt. Larry Fallon said. "It's always that intriguing thing: Did this guy really ride with

Jesse James? Was this gun used by the Jesse James Gang?"

Roger N. Harris, curator of the West Seneca Historical Society Museum, knows all about

Old Shep.

"I think he's a great part of Americana," Harris said. "The guy actually lived here, and he

actually lived in a cabin. We know he burned up in his cabin in 1933. We know he was taken to

Mercy Hospital. We know he was buried in St. Matthew's Cemetery. That's all fact."

Listen to Curator Roger N. Harris tell the tale of "Old Shep:"

How about the tie to the notorious Jesse James Gang?

"That could be some hopeful thinking," Harris said. "It

comes from only one source, so there's no way to substantiate

it."

Legend has it that Old Shep — dubbed the "Hermit of Leydecker Road" — lived alone in a cave

along Cazenovia Creek for many years before building a shack and living a lifestyle similar to that of a modern survivalist.

He was a small man, with a heavy beard and seedy clothing, a curious figure whom children apparently liked, as he went on

his daily rounds.

"He used to make his living pulling a wagon with a grindstone, going from house to house to sharpen knives and scissors," Harris said. "You can

understand that, because every woman living on a farm or in a rural area was a seamstress."

After Old Shep died 77 years ago, the West Seneca Historical Society Museum gained ownership of the revolver and displayed it in an exhibit on his life. In October, society members discovered that the gun, with an estimated value of $3,000 to $5,000, plus a pocket watch, had been stolen.

West Seneca Detective Dan Crowe took over the investigation and used telephone records to determine that someone from Medina had called the museum. Orleans County sheriff's officials told Crowe that the telephone subscriber had a lengthy record of antiques thefts, police said.

After subpoenaing the man's phone records, Crowe found calls to other historical museums,

including one in Penn Yan, where several antique swords had been stolen. The detective also

found calls to a pawnshop in Greece, Monroe County.

That pawnshop led to the recovery of the gun, and Crowe's tip allowed Penn Yan police to

recover their stolen swords, according to police.

West Seneca police obtained an arrest warrant in January, but Ortiz, they said, refused to

surrender.

State Police Investigator Peter McCormack, meanwhile, helped launch a search in the Finger

Lakes area for Ortiz. During that search, Ortiz's brother Roy, 35, was arrested at the Greece

pawnshop on charges stemming from a museum burglary in Caledonia, police said.

Friday, troopers arrested Michael Ortiz in Orleans County on a warrant charging him with

grand larceny, according to police reports. Authorities said the investigation also has helped

clear thefts from museums in Warsaw and Caledonia.

The police investigation into the theft of the ancient gun involved old-fashioned digging

plus some modern police techniques, including a license-plate reader used by Warsaw police.

"The legend is that the handgun was used in the Jesse James Gang, and now it's recovered

with the use of modern police tools," Fallon said. "That's ironic."