Connecticut western news., 1889-11-06
THE SPAN OF GRAYS.

THE SPAN OF GRAYS.
 The years of 1S57-8 were the palmy days of the horse thief, says writer in the Commercial Bulletin. In 1858 a general movement was made against the fraternity all over the country, breaking up and scattering organiza- tons, and the beginning of the war finished the business. Except in the far West, the horse thief now acts in- dependently and alone, and it is rare one gets safely off with his prize. During the two years have named my father had farm in Central Indi- ana. was fifteen years old, and my health was SO poor that could do no work. Between 1858 and 1857 we lost six horses by thieves, not one of which was recovered.
 One day sheriff who was on the trail of thief visited our place and gave me some pointers, and he was no sooner gone than I began to plan and scheme. We had at that time seven good horses, and among them was a span of grays which had taken a State fair premium. The sheriff said we would have to stable them in a bed room in the house to keep them, and the impending peril set my wits to work. We had good barns and the best of locks, and we also had couple of watch-dogs, but our horses had been stolen just the same.
 On the third day after the sheriffs visit . couple of strangers drove up in . buggy. One of them came in and introduced himself as the agent of the Cincinnati Lightning-Rod company, and asked the privilege of inspecting the rods, which had been put on the horse barn the year before. He said they were his company's rods, but they did not seem to be properly fixed.
 This was one day in May, and the span of grays were in the stable. The strangers seemed honest and straight, but the sheriff had warned mo to look out for all corners, and therefore had my eyes open. He not only looked at the rods, but he inspected the stables and examined the doors and locks. Several things occurred to satisfy me that he had come to spy out the situ- ation, and after the pair had driven away l began preparations for vis- itor.
 There was what might be called a vestibule to the stables. As you opened the door there was space of about nine by twelve feet before you reached the first stall. I got piece of green hickory six feet long, and shaved it down to the size of an axe-handle. One end was pushed into hole bored in girt of the stable, and by means of piece of clothesline I drew the other end back until the wood would stand no more. In front of this bow or sweep I rigged 8 cord running across the vestibule. It ran up to the partition, and then down to the end of the sweep, where I riggcd 8 catch. When the trap was set the cord was about four feet inside the door and across the way to the stalls. The cord ran across knee high, and a moderate pressure against it pulled down the catch and let the bow spring back. This bow was arranged at height of five feet from the floor, and after a few experiments was satisfied that it would work all right. From the end of the bow, as it was bent back, ran a string over the henhouse to my cham Der window, two hundred feet away. there fastened it to 8 bell, and ring of the bell would mean that the bow had been sprung. The hired man slept near by, and both of us had fire arms.
 Four nights passed without an alarm. On the fifth night it was dark and rainy, and I felt so sure that somebody would come that I did not undress. Neither did the hired man. We sat reading, when at quarter to twelve the bell suddenly rang. We seized our guns, ran down and woke father, and lighted the lantern, and in four or five minutes the three of us were at the barn. The stable door was wide open, and on the ground outside lay the body of man. He had picked the lock and entered, and had struck the cord and sprung the sweep. It had caught his throat, and he was as dead as her. ring. He was 8 man of about thirty well dressed, and had sixty dollars il his wallet. From letters found on him there was no doubt that he was one o1 IL a9enfs of sn organized gang. N(