Omaha daily bee., 1883-12-05
A FEARFUL FIGHT.
A Citizen Has Ia Desperate Encounter
With a Horse Thief.
a Midnight Battle in Which u Pitch
fork and Two Dogs are Used
Against an Intruder.

Mr.. William Kobe, who keeps a rest.
aurant at 1909 Douglas street, had a
desperate fight with a horse thief Mon
day night and came off first best. The
particulars, as learned from him, are the
following: About half past IL, as he was
going to bed, his wife said to him that
she thought she heard an unusual moi SO
at the barn, and told him that he had
better go out and see what the trouble
was. The barn is situated next to the
alley, in the rear of the restaurant, and
is but a short distance away. Mr.. Kobe
went out, taking with him a lighted can
die. He had locked the barn, about
two hours before, leaving the key in the
lock. He found the door unlocked and
by this suspected that something was
wrong. He opened the door and eau
tiously entered the barn. He found one
of his horses facing the door. This was
not the usual position of the animal, for
he had been left facing the other way.
Making a closer observation, Mr.. Kobe
saw a man standing between the horse
and the door and holding the animal by
a halter. The man started to run, and
as he did so Mr.. Kobe picked up n
pitchfork.
Then commenced a desperate battle.
Mr.. Kolbe knocked the man down with
the p%itchfork. The intruder jumped up
and again tried to run away. Mr.. Kobe
knocked him down again. Then the
man jumped up and came at him. Mr..
Kobe had the pitchfork in one hand and
the lighted candle in the other. The
man was cornered and growing desperate.
1t was a plain case that one or the other
had to be whipped. The man took hold
of the pitchfork with both hands, and in
the struggle to keep his weapon of de-
Tense MIR. Kobe dropped the candle, and
the two men were left in total dark
ness.
Mr.. Kobe, being hard pressed, called
for his dogs, two large animals of the bull
sort. The dogs came, and the struggle
began in earnest. They were all in the
dark-the thief, Mr.. Kelbe and his two
faithful canine allies. The fighting lasted
several minutes, the dogs keeping up a
fearful barking all the while. One of
the dogs seized the man by the hands,
and bit him so severely that he let go the
fork. By this time tho crowd ~hadfought
their way out into the yard. When the
man let go the fork the last time, Mr..
Kobe struck him again. The thief
begged, ''For Gods sake don't kill mel"
Seeing that the man was badly used
up, and thinking that he had been pun
ished enough, Mr.. Kolbe took him by
the collar, led him to the gate, and with
a parting kick told him to go. The de-
feated thief stood not upon the order of
his going, but went in the greatest hurry
that his sore condition would permit.
Thus a plucky man, with a pitchfork
and two dogs, succeeded in keeping his
horses from being stolen. Mr.. Kobe
thinks that his place has been watched
for come time by parties intent upon
DEMONSTRATING, One morning, about two
days ago, he found his back gate open.
AS he is always careful to fasten this
gate, he believes that it was opened by
some one who wanted to take the horses
out through it. Mr.. Kobe came out of
the struggle unhurt. He thinks hat he
will not soon have another midnight
visitor ut his stable.