National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1869-08-13
An Incident ia the Edrty History
Of Chester.

( together, named Mann and Ide.
One day as they were at work,
Mr.. lde said to his neighbOr that
winter was coming on,and he had no
meat for his family, and he did not
know how he was to get any unless
he stole it. To this Mr.. Mann made
no reply, whereupon Ide renewed
his statement, and proposed to Mr..
Mann that they should steal COW
from the neighboring settlement,
near Rockingham line in the south
part of the town.
Mr.. Mann, astonished at the prop
OSltlOn, and confirmed in his previ-
Gus suspicious that lde was not an
honest man, avoided giving him a
direct answer, but said he would
think the matter over, and tell him
in IA day or two.
Meeting him few days after, he
asked if he was in earnest. lde re
piled that he was. Mr. Mann replied
that he did not think such a tranSac,
tiOn exactly right, but he did not
know but he would take hold of il,
and asked few more days time to
think upon it.
In due time Mr.. Mann told his
neigbbor that if he was stillin favor
of stealing a COW he would assist in
the matter and accept the proposal
before made by lde to share equal
| ly in the beef,
Ija ,u-nol , nnur onl So .liI NJ.
Mann. These were allowed to range
together, through the woods, and
the heavy cow-bell that each wore
announced their whereabouts if
they were not about at milking time.
One evening just as Mr.. Ide had
finished milking his COW, Mr.. Mann
stepped over to his house and said
to him that he would go that very
night if he desired, and steal, and
help butcher the COW. Ide readily
asSented to the proposition.
With rope, butcher knives and
leather apron in hand, the two men
started as soon as it was thought
! the people of the settlement would
all be sound asleep.
For time after their arrival at
the settlement, they were unable to
find any cattle. They had evident
ly strayed off, for in those days
barn yards and cattle pens were not
common, and cattle were allowed to
= to range at large in the wilderness
that skirted the settlement.
AT last they discovered solitary
COW which they readily captured
and led off.
AS they were leading it off to.
wards their homes, ide remarked
that she was the best COW to lead he
ever saw except his own. He re-
marked, too, that if she only had a
: white face, and three white spots on
: her shoulder, he couldn't tell hel
from his own cow Just before reach
: ing home, they turned from the
D road, through dense thicket, into
Il IA small clearing, and thereby star
e light, they butchcred and cut up tn,
\, COW. To guard against the the theft
: they took the precaution to bury al
the blood, oflaI, and even the hide
in hole, which lde had previousl,
= prepared. just before daylight
" they finished their work ana carrie'
home their beet, half to th,
= house of Mr.. Mann, and the othc
to Nj. ldcs.
- When milking time arrived TIN
=, next morning. Mr.. lde's COW did no
=" appear, nor could the jingle of he
bell be heard. Mr.. Mann'S COW
!, came up, and as it was unusual to
= the two cows to be separated ,Searcl
- was made for the missing one, bu
!. she could not be for N. Night came
>, and was followed by morning, bu
the cow could not be heard Ct.
- Before commencing the secon
:. days search Mr.. Mann asked hi
~ ncighbor if it were not possible tina
- they had made mistake and kille
.s the wrong COW, that by chanc
~ might have wandered to tn
~ ncighborine settlement whore the
- found her. Idc replied that coul
:, not be, for three reasons, ,hiS COW ha
-, a bell, IL white face aud three whit
49, spots on her off shoulder, but tn
-. COW they killed had none of thcs'
a Mr.. Mann suggested the posSibilit
- that his COW might have caught h,
+ bell strap on Il hook or stub an
". " torn it of, and in the burnt pie,
~ might have blackcncd her face an
shoulder as TO makc her appear as
,,o perfectly black COW. These sugges
10 ions followed by one that they :
-, and dig up and examine the hid
IA struck Mr.. Idle with such force thi
1 he repaired To the spot with shor
~, in hand and on examination
~ broad daylight, found surely enoul
m m''n he had butchcr,d his own COW.
,n was greatly pcrplcxed and wonders
W. why things had taken such an II
MI favorable turn with him. He |
nr viewed the circumstances Of y
" Manns hesitation when he il
made the proposition of the u
,s. scncc of all the tile in the sctt
ne mcnt OF the strangcness OF !
lly cows leaving Mr. Manns and VA
,tr dcring oil alone to the other scttl
~. mcnt of her losing of her bell viii
or. was suspended 10y a strong str
,ir. round her neck of her getting
badly crooked IN the places ~ le
me the hair was white, but none whe
Ihc the hair was originally black, al
in of Mr.. Mnnii's readiness to fetu
O.. ! A 4 a..