Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1885-05-28

IDENTIFY left the spot where they broke
open the boxes by scaling low wall and
crossing the meadows, whether going to
the river or in the opposite direction
none could determine. The ladder which
they had used to ascend to the window,
and the wooden rollers on which the
silver chest had been removed, were left
behind, but they found no clew. One
gang had done the job that had perpe-
trated precisely similar burglary at the
residence of Mr.. Whitman, near Head
ingley, fifteen miles distant, two months
previously, as the same kind of rollers
had been used to remove chest from
the buffers pantry. and the door of
room had been opened by using pliers
and turning the key from the outside.
Within q month the hardware shop of
Mr.. Millicken, in Keighley, was enter
ed between eleven o'clock on Saturday
nigh and daylight the next morning and
nearly 9l,700 stolen. Scarcely had
another month passed before a robbery
of another kind occurred, which was so
novel in its method as to excite wonder
over all the country.
On Friday, once fortnight, it was
customary for a trusted clerk to carry
about &C., 500 in ,ilver from Keighley to
the Butterfeld mills at Haworth, four
miles away to pay the hands. The mon
ey was put in canvas bags and placed
under the seat of the gig, in which the
clerk drove, and it was his custom to
leave Keighley at about two o'clock in
the afternoon. After the outskirts of
Keighley are passed the road is lonely.
One afternoon when the clerk had driv-
en- about two miles of his Journey, he
saw two men ahead of him, one of them
carrying two cans, by means of a yoke,
across his shoulders. Both men were
dressed in the ordinary garb of people
in humble life in that district, wearing
over their clothes long check pinafore
reaching almost to the ground. They
occupied the middle of the road, which
is narrow; but the clerk expecting them
to move to one side, drove on. One man
moved to the side, but the man with the
cans seemed to become confused and got
before the horse, dropping his burden,
and falling to the ground with an out
cry. The clerk drew up, while the man
stopped over his fallen companion. He
appeared to be in great pain, and said
his ankle was broken. The clerk got
out of his gig to examine it, but the
man showed repugnance to him,
charging him with being the cause of the
accident and refusing to allow him to
see his ankle. He was small gray-eyed
man with dark hair and features, while
his companion was a thick-set fellow,
very fair, and with an abundance of red
hair. After some delay it was arranged
that the clerk should carry the injured
man to his abode, which, his friend said
was close to the toll gate at Hsworth.
His friend and the clerk helped him to
the side of the gig. but he declared he
couldn't get in that way, and said:
"Joe, jump in the gig and lift me
while the gentleman helps me from be-
hind"
Joe got in the gig and placed his hands
under his friends arms. When in the
act of lifting him he suddenly kicked
out behind and sent the clerk over on
his back in the road. The same instant
he sprang into the gig. His friend
seized the reins and they drove off to-
ward Haworth, leaving the clerk bewil-
dered and astonished. Too late he saw
that he was the victim of thieves. The
next day his horse and gig we're found
at hostelry in Bradford. The person
who left them there didn't answer the
description of either of the thieves.
1t may well be supposed that these re-
peated outrages and crimes aroused pub
lie indignation and stirred up the au-
thorities. Though men reputed to be
skilled in the discovery of clews were
employed, they were not able to find
the perpetrators. Something, however,
happened within short time which led
to the detection of the criminals, and
unearthed as skillful and daring gang
of outlaws as was ever or
ganized. A market gardener
named Whip went to Otley Market,
and, having taken too much, Iel asleep
in his wagon. The horse wandered,
took the wrong track across the open
moor, and found its way to within a
hundred yards of the Fallow House-in
front. Just as near as the garden rails
would permit it. Seeing the light inside
and hearing voices, perhaps the horse
began to neigh. Presently man came
from the house and found the wagon at
the gate, with the drunken gardener in
it. Failing to arouse him the man re-
turned to the house. After consul
tation two men came and the gar
dener was lifted out, carried inside and
placed upon a couch in the kitchen, and
the horse was hitched up by the gate.
Presently the man came to his senses
and gazed around in wonderment and
alarm, not knowing where he was. He
heard suppressed voices in the next |
room, and presently there was foot
step. A surprise. The kitchen door
was opened, and man, whom he imme-
diately identified as the blind tenant of
Fallow, came into the room. The gar
dener lay quiet, and pretended to be
still under the influence of liquor. Blind |
Steracker went to the door and called
"Jim." Another man came, and Ster- |
acker said in low tone:
Its Whip, the gardener; can tell
by the smallpox marks on his nose. |
When you 60 we'll put him back in the |
wagon at the gate, and you had better |
take him with you, and leave him at
some place in Obey"
Whip was greatly astonished to find
that Steracker had recovered the use of
his eyes. He was moreover resolved |
that nobody should carry him back to |
Otley. As soon as all was quiet, he |
arose from the couch, took up an over
coat which he thought to be his, and