, 1890-08-23
CHASING A THIEF.
How a Young Desperate Was
Landed Behind the Bars.
Captured Through the Efforts of
Sheriff John A. Martin.
How a Criminal Was Correctly
Routed as He Travelled.

Chas. Smith, the Saratoga horse thief
and shooter, now in the Carbon county
jail at Rawlins. is getting a heap OF ad-
vertising and will soon be known all over
the country AS a desperate rascal.
He is a pretty hard formation, shrewd
and skilled IN plains lore, but lacking the
genuine nerve to become a rival of any of
the famous frontier bad men.
Sometime in June, Smith, who had
been employed by the Warren Live Stock
company as a line rider disappeared with
three horses. Sheriff Martin was making
a trip to Joliet with prisoners at the time,
and the case was handled by his represen-
tative here. A Mr.. Slayton, an employe
of the Warren company and a regularly
commissioned deputy sheriff for Laramie
county, started after the thief. Smith
went to Lookout. where he has a brother
and friends. Slayton followed him to
this place and recovered the horses, but
Smith made good his escape
Sheriff Martin had located Smith at a
ranch IN the Platte valley and was about
to have him arrested when the slippery
cuss made a getaway with a horse and
some other property. Rooster" VIII
son, a Saratoga precinct officer undertook
the thiet's capture. Smith again visited
his friends at Lookout aud there traded
the stolen horse for a fresh animal and
continued eastward.
On Aug. Is Geo Gearhardt OF Tie Sid
ing wired Sheriff Martin that Smith,
who stole Warren's horses. passed east
riding bay horse, at | p. m" This mes
cage IVES received about 3 in the afternoon
aud at 4 Mr.. Martin sent this telegram
to Tom d. Holt. an officer at Granite
Canyon:
Smith, who stole Warren's horses
about a month ago, was seen riding bay
horse at Tie Siding at p. M, coming
east. | will pay s25 for his arrest" at
the time al answer to Gearbardt was filed
as.follows: Send description OF Smith.
brand Of horse. viii pay SIS for his
arrest. Can you get man there to arrest
him?"
After sending these messages the sher-
if dispatched Deputy j. L. Morgan of
this city to Granite. In a short time
Gearhardt furnished the description and
it was repeated to Granite CANYON and
handed Morgan upon his arrival.
On the 14th Sheriff Yund of Albany
county telegraphed Martin that the fugi-
tive seen at Tie Siding the previous day
was wanted at Saratoga for shooting and
that an officer of that place was after him
and would reach Cheyenne that night.
Rooster Wilson, who had rather lost
track of his man, arrived here as indi-
Gated by Yund, called on Martin at the
sheriff residence at midnight and asked
the Laramie county sheriff what he had
best do.
Martin advised Rooster" to strike for
Fort Collins. 1t was almost certain that
Smith had not been at Granite and very
unlikely that he would venture to the
north side of the Union Pacific. Sheriff
Martin told Rooster that Smith would
probably go down Dale Creek and over to
Fort Collins, this being the best route out
Of that wild country. In fulfilling a
promise made Rooster" Martin sent the
following telegram to Sheriff Davy, at
Fort Collins, filing it the night of the l4th.
ARREST Smith, about Eve feet, eight
inches, dark, curley hair, very dark COM
p~lexion, slouchey in dress, white cowboy
hat, riding bay horse branded triangle j
right side, new saddle made at Rawlins,
stamped "Donnel." Wanted for horse
stealing and shooting a man. Seen at
Tie Siding yesterday afternoon. Officer
from Saratoga will be there tomorrow"
Rooster told Martin that he would
20 to Fort Collins, but it appears he went
back west. On the 10th in the afternoon
Davy wired Martin: Got man and
horse from Saratoga. Any reward?"
Martin notified Hadsell, sheriff of Carbon
county, with the result that Smith was
Jailed.
Nov here is one of the cases In which
John A. Martin acted with rare judgment
and did his full duty as sheriff. Through
his efforts alone Smith was captured and
he surely will be sent to Joliet. The tax
payers of Laramie county can thank Mar
tin that it is Carbon county that will foot
up the bill.
Yeta IN able and sagacious officer like Mr..
Martin is subjected by organs of opposite
political party to criticism instead of de-
served commentator. His administra-
ton is marked by incidents of Just this
character. HIS policy is to economically
administer the affairs of he Office and to
see at the same time that life and proper
ty are fully protected. For two years
Mr.. Martin has lived up to his pl.tform,
and has the confidence Of all taxpayers.
I'M