San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-10-24

rePorUeu tniJ Ms acNsuurs -~ero- s-.-f~-
He probably wanted b see II any further
pitfalls had been prepared, and he was doubt
less gratified when he found the way to the
gray horses clear of danger.
One of the jaws of the trap when set wa
toward the house. fastened the bell string
TO this, and whenever the jaws sprang the
bell would sound an alarm before. The
| ditch digger slept in a room on the other side
kof the house, and we did not Set the trap
Until he was in bed. On the third day after
his inspection of the stables, he announced
that he must 60 to the village in the evening
to make some purchases. We set the trap
at 8 o'clock and at half-past 10 the bell
rang. We were waiting for it, and We were
| out in two or three minutes The bear trap
had its victim, and the victim was our ditch
digger. OF all the bowling, yelling, ours
ing and praying you ever heard mixed to-
gether this fellows utterances took the cake.
He WAS caught by the right leg, and such
WAS the pain that he was almost crazy. He
had unlocked one of the big padlocks on the
door, and had bunch Of about fifty keys with
| him The sudden surprise and the pain broke
him in two, and even before we got him out
| of the trap he confessed that he came to
work for us with the sole idea Of stealing the
gray horses He was sent to jail, and whom
his trial came on he went to prison for three
years. That WAS not his full punishmeut,
however, His leg was so injured in the trap
| that it had to be ampusated to save his life.
The papers gave my bear trap away, as a
matter Of course, and must now look for
some other defense. The thieves would
| hereafter keep clear of the stable door. 90
| tobcr had now come, and the long nights
were the glory of the horse thief. There
was an underground stable to the horse barn.
and the doors of this were never locked, a.
we were not afraid of our COWS being taken.
Tho only doors to the barn proper were
pair.of big doors and the stable door. The
big doors were so well fastened on the inside
that no one could open them. All attempts
had been made by the small door. / now
! figured that the next conner would enter tho
stable below and ascend to the horses above
| through one of the hay boxes running down
for the cows There was one empty stall,
and this happened to contain the largest
aperture above. Once up stairs the thief
could lead tho horses from the stable to the
main floor, and then out of the big doors.
One ascending by the hay boz would pass
under beam o!5 on the rsin floor. To this
beam fastened two POLES eight feet long in
an upright position and six feet apart. !
then sawed OF two inca plank to the right
length, bored n hole il either end, and with
the help of the hired nan and a rope and
pulley, ho:stci it IL and slipped it over the
poles. We arranged it to have a fall of
SAvcl feet, GNl increased is weight by fas-
trNiIt; q I.yc., q! -tOnc at either end. When
,!rl"c:l ~ h. tie rope and pulley We ran the
| rope tM.,;!gh n ring il the floor, attached
wire, Ali ral this wir2 to = cath. y pres
sire nf Il I'or3d On the wiTe pleased the
cI.cl AM l. the plank down with Il smash.
N-o wcra un,iSTurAcl for shout four weeks
after the sentence OF tie bear trapivictim.
Then a stranger WlD sliI h Was q drover
! from Cincinnati called one Gay To look ut some
of OR Stoc,; We wcrc stall feeding three or
four steers, AID the driver vas shown TO the
underground stable. was Watching all his
movements, and ! saw that he gave the
empty stall and the big hay box particular
attention. lie had heard OF orr adventures
| and when gave him to understand that we
feared no danger except by the small door he
had twinkle in his eyes. Hepraised the ar
rangement of the stables, and thereby made
an excuse for stepping on the edge of the
| manger and looking up the hay box. He
could see that one climbing up there would
come out on the main floor, but he could not
see what had in store for any ono who tried
it. On that night everything was in readi
ness; but it was five nights before the victim
| appeared. had a string running from tho
plank to the bell in my chamber but this
alarm was not needed 1t YES | believe, the
Sth of October The weather bad boon
threatening all day, and at dark a driZZle
set in. About o'clock in the evening some
thing disturbed the hens, and the hired man
went out to investigate the trouble
He hoard somebody calling from the
barn, and we went out to dis
cover that we had prisoner under the
plank. 1t was not the drover who called to
see the fat steers, but tough looking fellow
about p wears OF age who had got tee
pointer. He had come early, SO as to get
long start before ,layI"st.,:, and u-de:' the
idea that 10 trap wouii Ge set until our bc,G
time. The heavy weight lad come down
across his back. and ne h2d tsc.,'l 50 badly
hurt thai he could hardly move. When we
removed him VIC sent fCr q d0"oO:' aod before
10 o'clock the Thick vas told thlS b. could not
Five untiI morning He was ~ frs Very SUI
len and defiant, lat as >iea.!I came Deaycr hc
began to weaken At lLiGEk.At he .tS:cd us
to send fo!. tho sheriff, and when that G.icial
arrived the thief rIade q STARTING, confession.
He gave away the names and FSESlieNscS of s
score of agents, told the officer where to find
fifteen or twenty stolen horses, and, IN brief,
made a complete exposure Of the whole bust
ness. Our horses, had lie got them. were 30
have been sent to New York CT DoSbon. He
died about o'clock next morning. while die
tating letter to Lis mother in Chicago.
No ycir for