The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1879-05-22
KITING THROUGH KANSAS.


An Exciting Chass Over tAs Crest Wheat
Commonwoalth-AD eeestive's Day and
Night Pursuit Of Two HsrsetAieveA
From the psnv9 Tribune
Joe Arnold arrived last night on the
Kansas Pacific from Wallace, Kansas,
where he personally abandoned the pur-
suit which began in Denver last Wednes-
day morning. Tuesday at noon, the
double carriage and span Of dne horses
was hired in Denver, and Wednesday
morning Arnold started after them. He
first went to Deer Trail on the Kansas Pa
ci6c. Here he began his inquiries as to
whether the men had passed through the
town. He was met everywhere with a
negative answer. Happening to examine
the tracks on the highway, however, he
discovered a wheel track and horses foot
prints, which we're plainly those of a city
rig. Hastily starting Brown and Finley
on the trail on horseback, he took the train
for River Bend. Here he found that the
thieves were still ahead of him. 1t vas
impossible to obtain horse for love or
money, the thieves having passed within
two miles Of the place. At Wallace, Kan
sas. Arneld found himself still behind
and hurried on to Cheyenne Wells. He
was confident that tine horsethieves were
making for the railroad, and he knew that
they could not stick to the prairies As there
was no water. Meanwhile Finley and
Brown riding hard passed the thieves, and
on discovering this some miles below
Aroya, rode back to Aroya and proceeded
to wait for them in the dark. on the side
of the trail. About IL O'Clock tine thieves
drove up. The men in ambush observed
that they had two horses hitched with
ropes and blind brides to the rear Of
the carriage. As the carriage came
up to them Finley and Brown fired
into 1t. There was q panic I'm.
mediately. The carriage plunged of
the trail. and toward hill in the dis
lance. While ascending this hill the car
rage upset and the thieves, cutting loose
the horses, mounted them bareback anG
plunged off into the wilderness of prairie
wrapt in darkness beyond. The two pur
suers chased them holly until they LOST
sight and track of them. Then they re.
turned to the upset carriage. This they
found completely filled with eatables. can.
ned goods. fruit. tobacco, apple-butter con-
densed milk and Injuries of every kind
besides a beer keg, partially filed with
water. In large valise they found sew
eral complete sets of gentleman fine cloth.
ing; there were also in the valise sets Of
gentlemen's jewelry, shirt studs. precious
stones, sleeve buttons, collars, fancy neck.
scarfs, and everything the most luxurious
male taste could desire in dress. Finley
and Brown finding further pursuit useless
took the carriage and its jaded horses back
to civilization. They kept Arnold inform.
ed of their movements and success. and
the latter, who was at Wallace. still filled
with the idea that the luxurious travellers
with the flesh pots and fine linen Of Egypt
would finally take to the railroad, went tc
Cheyenne Wells, feeling certain that he
would there place himself in the front Of
the thieves. His great hope was in watch
ing the water stations.
Arriving at Cheyenne Wells, which con
sists of only few buildings, Joe discover.
ed that he was at last in advance Of the
horse-thieves. Taking his feld-glass, hs
repaired to protected knoll some distance
from the trail. and Commanding a genera
view of the prairie. Joe felt sure that thu
riders now utterly deprived of water facili-
ties, would be compelled to Iun into Chey
enne Wells. His theory was correct. Be
fore his arrival he had telegraphed TO Lew
McLane, ranchero and personal friend
to get him two horses against his arrival
He gave the impression that Dave Cool
was with him, and the way thai
Lew bumped himself in front of thos,
horses was caution. He had two
old plugs himself whose met.le was al
worn out in the cavalry service; these HI
IL - -o.l-or -, % al Co ba x.l,a n.
a man TO a ranch twenty miles distant il
search Of better stock. The man however
returned without the nags, saying that the
ranch was all locked up and the cattle
scattered on the prairie. w hen Joe ar
rived therefore he had no choice but u
take the two plugs from Lew McLane. He
mounted Lew and Bill Cramer On these,
and ordered them into ambush TO wait foi
the thieves whom he could easily descry
FROM his elevated perch on the clump
There was no water 10 be obtained OH the
prairie within fifty miles, and he was GER
tain that the riders would sooner or later
put in an appearance. Sure enough II was
not long before he perceived two men rid.
ing slowly and bareback toward the sta.
ton. Joe got completely out of sight and
watched the fellows until they rode unto a
gulch, which the detective perceived 10 be
DOGGY and treacherous by the way in
wallowed abvut in it. Here was the grand
opportunity. He signalled McLane and
Cramer, and in an instant these horsemen
were out on the prairie riding hard at the
horse thieves. The latter got out Of their
predicament marvelously quick, and leap.
ed their half wild horses into the open
prairie Then for twelve miles one Of the
10 man q lot IN behold took nIace. in the
nn,sn;t NJ The two horse thieves nv Nc.
.ane and Cramer The animals Iidden
nv The thieves we're very speedy. but The
horse. Of the nnr,ncrs had not much
shirt. and after the starting spurt were
gradnalIv but regularly leff behind The
ar;na an;mais The c,orcb;no r;d.,, tbs
siern,faced pnrsners, witt, their lone
,.a,,,o' a. 81 w..tr 90 .,.a.L e 49,