Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-10-22

we were not afraid OF our cows being taken. |
The only doors to the barn proper were |
pair Of big doors and the stable door. The |
big doors were so we'd 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 the |
stable below and ascend to the horses above
through one of the hay boxes running down
for the cows. There was ono empty stall,
and this happened to contain the largest
aperture above. Once up stairs the thief
could lead the horses from the stable to the
main floor, and then out of the big doSrs.
One ascending by the hay box would pass
under beam out on the main floor. To this
beam l fastened two poles eight feet long in
an upright position and sin feet apart.
then sawed of a two inch plank to the right
length, bored holo IN either end, and with
the help of the hired man and rope and
pulley, hoisted it up and slipped 1t over the
poles We arranged it to have a fall of
seven feet, and increased its weight by fas-
tening block of stone at either end When
drawn up by the rope and pulley We ran the
rope through a ring In the floor, attached a
wire, and ran this wire to a catch. A pres
sure of pound on the wire released the
catch and let the plank down with smash.
We were undisturbed for about four weeks
after the sentence of the bear trap.victim.
Then a stranger who said he was drover
from Cincinnati called one day to look at some
OF our stock We were stall feeding three or
four steers, and the drover was shown to tho
underground stable. was watching all his
movements, and | saw that ne gave the
empty stall and the big hay box particular
attention. He had heard Of our adventures,
and when | gave him TO understand that we
feared 10 danger except by the small door he
had twinkle in his eyes. Hepraised the ar
rangernent 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 one 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 the
plank to the bell in my chamber, but this
alarm was not needed. 1t was, believe, tho
Sth of October. The weather had been
threatening ali day, and at dark dri.zle
set in. About o'clock in the evening some
thing disturbed the hens and the hired man
went out to investigate the trouble.
He heard 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 rs years of age who had got the
pointer He had come early, so Us to get a
long start before daybreak, and under the
idea that no trap would be set until our bed
time. The heavy weight had come down
across his back, and he had been so badly
hurt that he could hardly move When we
removed him we sent for a doctor and before
10 o'clock the thief was told that he could not
live until morning. He was at first very sui
len and defiant, but rs death came nearer he
began TO weaken. At midnight he asked US
to send for the sheriff, and when that official
arrived the thief made startling confession.
He gave away the names and residences OF a
score of agents, told the officer where TO find
fifteen or twenty stolen horses, and, in brief,
made complete exposure of the whole bust
ness Our horses, had he got them, were to
have been sent TO New York or Boston. He
died about 5 o'clock next morning, while die
tating letter to his mother In Chicago
The confession was q windfall for the
sheriff He moved rapidly, and within a
week slmost every member OF the gang in
the state was in limbo. Arrests followed in
Ohio, Illinois and other states, and horse
thieving as business received its death blow
before Christmas. IN Cur village the hotel
keeper ard the lveryman were arrested,
tried and sent to prison, and in other towns
it came out that lawyers, doctors, and even
postmasters had been in with the gang. In
diana recovered at least seventy-five valuable
horses which had been run out OF the state,
and at least thirty men were sent TO prison
It was, as l said. the breaking up of the
whole business and it was all brought about
through the fail of plank which country
boy and farm hand had hoisted into posi-
tion.-New York Sun.