Oakes weekly Republican. (Oakes, Dickey County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1898, 1890-06-06

Minnehaha county started about
O'Clock in the morning for Hof
'nan's home. MIR. Lynch raped al
the door and upon Hoffman's up.
pearing in his night clothes told
him to dress and come out, as 'he
wanted to look over his stock" He
replied "All right" closed the door
and locked it, and in few moments
after raised the window and made a
rush for the barn, where the officers
and two citizens followed him. He
ran through the barn and out at the
other side, starting across the plowed
field with the speed Of a deer, Mr..
Martin following him and firing
several shots at his fast-retreating
form. He jumped over wire fence
which his pursuers ran into, and by
the means of this obstacle and his
wonderful speed succeeded i'll eluding
his pursuers. after chase Of about
half a mile toward the railroad
A team was sent to Ludden for
the other men, who proved to be
the sh erlff Of. Lake county and the
deputy from Brown, informing
them that the thief and horses had
been located, and they returned tc
assist in the search. A reward of
$25 was offered, and several citizens
loaded their shot-guns and started
out, but nothing was he ard Of
him during the day. About night
a Norwegian living on the west bank
OF the river came running his horse
into town with the information that
he saw Hoffman go along the west
bank Of the river and enter an old
stable. Immediately the officers
started their horses on run in pur-
suit and the road was lined with men
boys and dogs, unit! the flat from
town to the river was fairly alive.
In abou t an hour Sheriff Lee, Ben.
Roddle, j. f. Sullivan and Arthur
Robinson found their man crouched
under some hay on a sod barn on
Olson's place, about three and half
miles southwest Of Oakes. The hay
had been OF the stable several years
and Mr.. Sullivan noticed that it had
recently been stirred up. When re-
quested to come down l.. Hoffman
that he WAS "hors de conf
bat and readily asscnted. He was
a pitlable looking OBJECT hare-iooted,
hatless and coatless, and was near
ly choked for water. 1t is supposed
his object was to return after his
shoes, as he could not tread without
them, but it is surprise to all that
a horse thief should attempt to walk
out of the country instead Of steal
ing the first horse he should come to.
The prisoner was taken to the Ex-
change Hotel, where crowd surged
in to see him as though they had
not seen him nearly every day for a
year. He was taken to South Da-
kota Tuesday morning, and will
doubtless reside in Sioux Falls for
several years to come. near which
place the thefts were committed, a
buggy being stolen from the deputy
sheriff Of Minnehaha county. He
has stolen ten horses altogether, five
Of them being found in the thlef's
possession and one in Mr.. Frank
Moser's stable, to whom he had
sold it. Heffman,s $ a German about
IS years Of age and has wife and
small child. He came to Oakes
from South Dakota little over a
year ago. He went south on the
train last week Tuesday morning,
Friday with two hor ses
and colt and this was the time that
he went once too often, the first
horses having been stolen about a
year ago. He says he had two ''pals"
in the business and gave the officers
some pointers"
0nD