Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-01-16
A Horse ThIef's Romance.

| Recently a TO nance was cOnsummated
away up in the Adriondscks which, in
tangled plot aud novel details, claims
fabulous Christmas tales that are Just
now being printed. The story is told
| by a man whD came 10 GloversvIlle
from Sageyille. Hamilton county. Fred
| ROderck, young man of % or rs
years, OF burly frame, but with a certain
manly charm IN his rough ways. the
son of popular old guide up at Indian
lake, has been confined in the Hamilton
county Jail at Sagevllle, for the past tour
or five months, awaiting trial on the
charge of stealing a pair OF horses from
farmer of that county. Every Sunday
afternoon the Rev. Arthur Chambers, the
pastor OF the Methodist church in the
village, in company with a dozen or If
cen members of his congregation, holds
prayer-meetIng and soag-meetlng in the
Jail.
For two years it has been the habit of
Miss Agnes Aus'in, the young and By No
means uncOmeiy daughter of the village
apothec4ry. ID join the missionary band,
and her sweet voice Is credited with hav-
ing influenced many a t)ugh-hearted prls-
Oner 10 experience conversion. The first
Sunday after ROderick's arrest she became
acquainted with him during the meeting
noticed without exciting remark tha, she
was oftener IN q side corridor dong Indi-
viGual work with Prisoner X )derick, as
the chaplain snd his band ihDIg't, than
at her customary post in the choir labor
iny for the general salvation. After
month or 50, by permission of the Sheriff,
she made SPECIAL and irregular weekday
visits with the prisoner, assuring the itil
attendants that ner heather was fast fall
ing under the influence. Finally she be-
gan 70 neglect her Sunday work, bur her
weekday visits became more frequent
This led to some little whispering am1Dg1
her deserted cO-w0rkers, but no geneia al |
susp.c .ciOn was aroused.
~ome five or six weeks ago Roierick |
confessed CONVICTION at a Sunday meeting |
giving at the same time hearty praise and |
credit to the evsugehzng efforts of Miss |
Austin. But this only bred envS in the 1
several breasts of her deserted co-workers,
and tongue after tongue began to wag
until at every firesIde in the community it
was the chief topic discussed With the
post-ofice loafers Aggie Austln's name
was IN an OpprObrious sense connected /
with that of Fred. X lderIck and all slris
of reckless talk was INDUCED in. Mr.
Austin valnly forbade his daughter from
continuing her visits 10 the all The
fltner then called on the sheriff, AMI in
this way was more successful, for the
visits were at once interdicted.
Two weeks ago Agnes disappeared from
IS u
whereabouts until last Friday, when a
constable came riding into SIgeville with
4 gnes behind him. She was taken before
the magistrate and sent to jail on the
charge of stealing one of the very horses
for the theft of which her lover was suf-
feriug confinement. The constable said
that she stole the horse In broad daylight, /
and when pursued made but feeble at
tempt t1 escape. Her story is that Fred
tod her to 90 TO his fathers camp and
await his arrival, which would be As soon
as an opportunity for escape presented
itself. After waiting for hun at the camp I
TOR more than a week, she says, she be-
came desperate. and, resolving to JON
MIN in the jail she ran away from tie
camp with the deliberate intention of COM
IN III z - ne e lL1- LldI WOu- pace HSr
by her l)yers side. Her stealing the same
horse that Fred had once stolen, she as
serts, was a simple accident. Miss Aus
TIN bail was fixed at $500, but she re-
fused to accept bondsmen and resume
her liberty. On Friday morning Roder-
rex sent for the sheriff and informed
aim that ne wished to wed Agnes Aus
TIN, VIII, when brought before the sheriff,
declared similar desire. The girl being
10 years old, and, therefore, of the legal
age, the sheriff deemed it his dutv u
comply with their wishes, and lhe c)m-
hitting magistrate, Jarvis, was sum
moned. AT O'Clock IN the afternoon,
IN the corridor OF the jail, with the
sheriff and two deputies as witnesses.
the felou lovers were made one. The
ID strict Attorney unpoetically declares
that this most remarkable of HYmsn's
C CONSULTATIONS will not hinder hlu. from
prosecuting the BRIDE aud groom on the
-eparate indictments. He promises, how
ever, to try and bring both cases up al
the same term of court and thus allow the
par to make their bridal journey together
10 their future mountain home ct Clinton
prison.