, 1885-09-20
ANOTHER SMITH,
Who Turns Out to be a Boss Horse
Thief.
Violent Performances of a Pre-
tended Lunatic.

Special Correspondence OF THE LEADER.
LANDER, Wyo., Sept l7.-Some three
weeks ago there appeared in the Big
Horn basin a man giving the name of
Smith. He represented himself as a
stockman from Montana in search of a
location for a ranch, his stock, consisting
OF horses and cattle, were on their way
from Montana and he had come on ahead
to secure a range on which to turn loose
for the winter. A plausible talker, he
made . good impression On the honest
s ock raiscrs Of tho basin. All at once,
however. this was changed. A cowboy
who had lately returned from Montana
happened to meet the suavc stockman
from that territory and at once denounced
him as Stud horse Smith" one of the
mos, not . Jus spoilers for horse thieves
known in the Montana region. The un-
masked rascal at once made himself scarce,
and a few days later was seen on the
Arrapahoe reservation in company with a
stranger. The night OF the day on which
he was seen, twenty head Of horses were
stolen from the Arrapahoe Indians. The
stock was driven north, some of the Ind
ians following in pursuit, but Il Q recovery
of the stolen animals is almost hope
less.
A visit to the county Jail by your CORES.
pondent yesterday morning proved alto
gether interesting and the prisoners were
being fed and the v~agaries of the lunatic
cowboy Miller, and the hypocricy Of the
cunning horse thief Smith, furnished food
for reflection. The maniac was fed first.
On the wicket Of his cell door being I'M
locked, he violently dashed upon it from
the inside and shrilly yelled for water.
On this being handed him in a fiat tin
basin, he balanced it on the counter of
his wicket, and bending his head drank
like Il dog, growing and spluttering like n
veritnble canine. Then his breakfast was
passed into him. After an elaborate pas
sage Of salutations between him and the
deputy, he snatehed the basket containing
the food and swinging it over his head,
reached in one bound the fnrthest and
darkest corner Of his cell. Here he ar
ranged his bedling in the form ola bulky
blrricade and behind it, tore his food to
pieces, talking, spluttering, growing and
rolling his eyes. Miller is never quiet,
He cxhausts himself every night rushing
from side to side Of his cell, shaking the
bars Of his door aud yelling at the top Of
his voice
The gentle horse thief Smith was then
given his breakfast. This shrewd william
Is once rlore simple" With vacant air,
and d%raNling voice he assured the scribe
that it was a sin and a shame to keep him
in Jail. The people Of Lander ought to
interfere and get him out. Looking and list
eniug, it needed toe stern facts to realize
that the speaker and the desperate
criminal, who had almost succeeded in
burning the Jail and a fellow prisoner;
whose stout arm had piled the pocket
Knife that cut through massive planks,
and who had shrewdly enlisted the fren-
zied strength Of a maniac in an almost
successful escape.
The pocket knife used in cutting through
the jail door was shown your correspond
ent. The W aud a half inch blade is Of
more than the usual temper end was worn
almost to the hah in the determined at
tempt nj escape.
Sheriff Atkins and a small posse have
just returned from a ride through the
Teton basin country. No horse thieves
were in sight Those fellows have too
perfect Il system Of grape ,inestelegraphy
TO be caught mapping.