The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1851-06-12

HoRsE STEALING AND kILLING.-An ar
tice in the New York Courier and Enquirer
makes the following statements
'sThere still exist and thrive IN this city the
remnant Of a body Of men who figured largely,
Till within few months s,nce as horse steal
ers and killers. anu who-nothing having lately
been heard of them--are commonly supposed to
be extinct Their business il to dive stray or
unmatched Cattle 10 vacant lots of ground in the
Northern and Eastern parts Of the city, and there
watch an opportuni y, when the policemen on du-
~ Is out of sight or hearing, to tell the animals
dead, strip Oft their hides which are disposed of
by contract 10 some tanner-and cart off the flesh
u the vicinity of some butchers shamble.
Six months ago, the depreda,ions Of these men
had extended far that it was calcuat ted that no
less than five hundred horses were ciandestinely
disposed OF each month. The energetic meas
ures then taken caused number Of these snatch
ers 10 be beaten back into New Jersey, and a
good portion Of the remainder to pursue some
more honest or less vile occupation. But it would
seen: that those in the traffic are s'mastcrs
Of the trade,'' and more desperate and high
haoded ~, their measures than in its palmiest
days, and have so organized themselves, and can
80 concert their schemes, as to make preliminary
measures for their conviction futile, and the tax
ing them IN the acl next to impossible.
RapldIty Of operation in this business is the
first condition of success. In dangerous localities
children are found to be Of service, and troops Of
these are brought up TO skin and to lie Iffound
near carcase, they are seldom suspected and
they are adopts in evasve answers. They are
usually dressed in squalid clothes, and keep on
Their conn,enance studied absence ef all marks
OF intelligence. One Iawless operator lately Of
sered TO bet with one Of our civic functionari, J.
that lad ne had with him. mere child, would
skin a horse in fifteen minutes. The dead carcase
was then before them, and though the bet was
not accepted. the thing was done Tie history
OF some Of these children would read like ro-
nance. We need not remind our readers that a
city ordinance is in existence which makes IT De-
nal to retain dead animals within the city limits
and that proper means are provided for their re-.
unyai.
SINGULAR CIRcUMsrANcE.-Th trial of
james +. Graham, for the supposed murder Of a
named Low, came of at Marshal, Illinois,
not long since. The crime with which Graham
xas charged, it is said, thought to have been
cernuicd on the 10th Of November, lS39--rnore
than eleven years agc-near Livingston, Illinois.
Low "A laborer OF The Cumberland road ut
that place, and having drawn his pay, was TO have
!eN on the day above named, for his home in
Darke county, Indiana; but it was afterwards as
sertained that lie had not gone there. Graham
and another man named Bavis, having been seen
with Low on the previous evening. and some
ed, AFTER Low was missed, were suspected with
numbering k:ni. 'Bavis was arrested. tried, and
acquitted Graham escaped to Ohio, where, in
February last, he was arrested and brought bacl.
to Marshal, by men vino claimed and received the
reward Of $500 offered by the Governor of ILL
nois, for his arrest. But upon his trial, it was
clearly proven that Low was still living, and Mr..
tirnhsm was honorably discharged. But hardly
had the Judge pronounced the decision Of the
H..
Of another man whose name is unknown, also
SAID To have been committed near Livingston
The case was examined before magistrate Ind
Mr. o. acquitted upon the last charge.
surcrpE-srr. Henry Lake, oged about 81
years shsa himself through the heart with shot
gun Yesterday morning, az his store in the village
oG Geddrss Mr.. l.. got up about fonr o'clock,
aud went ic has store with his gan. From the po-
s'rion in which he was found, he probably sa,
down upon The floor, and holding the muzzle oil
his gun against his breast with his left hand, push
ed the trigger by means II an iron rod with his
other hand. I he entire load Of the gun entered
the breast, and penetrated to the bacs-bone. Tie
was discovered BY man in his employ, who
heard tina explosion. Mr.. Lake was in the city
on Thursday transactng business. and appeared
rs we'll rs usual. He was an old resident o
Geddes, and leaves q wife and family, and a
large circle Of friends to mourn his loss.
Coroner March held an inquest yesterday inor-
ming aud the Jury returned verdict that ihe de-
csased shot himself while laboring under, mental
dssanscmeai.-[A Albany Eve. jour. Of Saturday
TRArE or THE LAKEs.--The Ciacinna.
Gaze'te says, thai the Lake trade Of Ohio is car
risd on from twelve difiereat ports, aud amounts
h the aggregate account 10 forty millions Of dol
lars This on only two hundred miles Of Lake
Erie alone. But Lake Erie has seven hundred
miles Of coast, and its commerce on the Ameri-
can side alone, Amounts % more than one hundred
millions Of doliassl Bot the coasts Of Lake Erie
are only about tenth part Of the entire coasts Of
the Great Lakes :. ~
We leave the reader 10 imagine what the CON-
merCe Of these inland will be when the shores
Of Lake Superior and Huron shall be as densely
inhabited NJ the Ohio side Of Lake Erie is now
The day not far distant when the value Of the
,pa,percerf the Lakes will amount to more than
= thousand u.iIlions Of dollars