The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1865-02-14

mauds That evening (now in Davie county, |
discovered that the Marylander had, by constant
working, succeeded in slipping the cuff. We then
guarded him until We stopped for the night. The
prisoners and were put up stairs to sleep Being
very tired and sleepy, and my negro boy having
haG good nights rest, | chained the Marylander,
who had slipped his cuff, to the other and retired.
In the night the boy called to and told me he
was trying to get loose and getting up examined
the lock and found that he had succeeded in tear
ing off the entire side of it. Having procured
another lock [ fastened Linn again aud watched
them until morning.
We prepared again to start, and when we went
out to saddle our horses left some of the crowd
(who unfortunately were unarmed) with the pris-
oners and went into the house to pay off the bill,
when heard the alarm that one of the men was
gone Gardner had slipped on his horse, (the
identical mare Hickel wanted to sell me, and
lashing her with his spurs had gotten two hundred
aud fifty yards before started. He seeing that
was gaining on him, and the road having a sud-
den bend, when he got out of my sight jumped
off, and when got to the bend met the mare
coming with all power back [ run about one
hundred yards and there lay the saddle, but
could not tell which side Of the road be had gone,
for the chnquepin bushes were about eight feet
high, and | could not see nor hear him. l then
told Councilman that as I did not consider him as
guilty as Gardner | would release him, hoping this
would prove beneficial to him, and that he yet
might be respectable man.
Councilman said that when he went to the sta
BILE to take out the gray mare guilty conscience
made him weep and his feelings were past express
sion. That his parents who lived within four
miles of Washington City had done their duty by
him, for he had every benefit of schooling, money,
&c. He was about seventeen years of age, dark
skinned and dark hair. Gardner red headed
and fair skin, six feet high and about twenty years
old
Now for Hickell. They both told me Hickel said
he would rather have the bay mare | was then
riding than any nag he had in n g.; that
they went to the stable to get her but that mule
in her stable instead of her, and asked where
she was as they had examined all the stables on
that side of the barn. She was in her own stable
but will let no stranger come up to her without
snoring, especially at night. There is no doubt
of the guilt of Hickc and that this bay
for him if they had gotten her. For when came
back into 1redell County met cavalryman,
known by Capt Potts, who told US that he hao
met one of my crowd on Monday morning stating
that was after the thiefs and that the gray mare
was lame and likely to break down and that he
to pick her up for me. My first impression
that it my son, but inquiry, | found it
to be Hickell. He was riding small chestnut
sorrel mare-had on an English blanket, would
hair, heavy beard and eyebrows and extremely long
ashes with down look and in conversation uses
the expression II guess as how" He was waiting
for them to bring the horses, but they slipped
through his fingers and had gotten ahead of him.
have no doubt he is a regular horse thief, for
Gardner confessed that the gray mare did not be-
long to Hickell, but that he wanted to sell to
me, and then the owner would come and claim
her Iasked him why they bore'down so hard on
me; his answer was, that had good stock, that
they knew how to get it, and that was able to
afford it, Poor consolation. My gray mare was
lame when stolen and in foal, and from the condi-
ton in which | found her she must have lost the
colt the second night. She is badly injured.
This detail is of protracted length but could not
be otherwise in order to bring to light the whole
circumstance. [ trust it will not worry your good
readers. Yours, JOHN NJ POTTS.
Steel Creek, Mecklen burg Co., N. c.
Salisbury Waterman is requested to copv