Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-12-07
ereALlNo A eaDp % nAnLsY.

An Eretmg hattie In the Dark with
Dangerously Armed Thieves.
A daring attempt TO steal a whole h,ld
Of barley that had boin thrashed has
been made ut the farm Of ). ~ Mum.
ford. on the line Of the Burlington ditch.
nine miles northeast Of Denver. TIE
barley had been bagged, aud tho baga
stood piled mp Ia q field some distance
from Muuiord'a houte. Just at dusk
young fellow who was taking q short
cut across tho folds saw four men az
work loading tho sacks Of barley into
two wagons shat stood outside tho field.
Two Of tho mon wero o'nrying the saols
10 the fence and throwing them over
and the other two woro los ling tho wag-
ons. He soon saw that they were not
Mumfoti's farm hands. Mumforis
men would have driven the wagons mo
the fields, ard besides, thcy would he
very strange farm hands indeed TINT
would work with the desperate haste
with which these men were working.
The young fellow went at first 90
Mumfori's house aud told him Of what
was going on. J. s. Foster, neighbor-
ing farmer, was called In, and soon dx
mon were got together, all armed. and
they started ont on horseback TO catch
tho barley thieves.
The night wai dark and cloudy. and
1t was impossible TO sec any distance. but
they rodo IN tho direction Of the place
where the barley was stacked. and soon
they could hear tue voices Of tho yiCn nt
work. II WA impossible 20 geo nny.
thing, mud % consultation was held 70 try
10 decide the best way 10 go about tue
capture. While the SIX horsrmen wgr1
gathered ia a group, talking in low
tones together, fash NJ lightning fr0m
the cloudy sky liz up tio field. It dis.
closed a man with o barley sack upon
his shoulder not fifteen feet away, and
close at band the two wagons, with the
other three men az work. one OF tho
horiomen, almost as quick az the flash.
ing 'lightniug, pulled his weapon and
took aim, and before darkness once moro
hid The scene a shot from bis pistol rang
ont upon the AIR. This was tho signal
for general in.illade that filled tho
dark night with flashing pistol shots.
The thieves returned tho horsemens
fire, and the horeiaeu kept It up until
their ammunition was exhausted. Tho
only aim for either side was tho fiashing
pistol shots Of the others, 10 that not
much damage was donn. None Of the
hUraemen were hurt. While tho firing
was going on the wagons were heard
driving of, the drivers whipping M
their horses In furious way. II was
evident that tho two men outside tho
fence had fed aud left their companions
10 take the consequences Of their acts
When tho firing ceased, tho six hone.
men made a search for the remaining
men, but they could not be found. TOY
had tlod In the darkness. An cxnmina.
tion OF the barley bags showed that
great many Of thom had been taken, aud
the horaemen 10 once went IN pursuit Of
The wagons.
About half mile away they found
the wagons, but the hores and mon wero
gone. The wagons were half filled with
sacks OF barley, aud number Of empty
bags were found with tho marks OF n
Denver firm upon them, 40 that II seems
probable that the thieves camo from this
city. Tho wagons arc now az Mr.. Mum.
iord'a place waiting for an owner.
In tho morning an examination was
made Of thofcld where the shooting took
place. a trail OF blood was found lead
Ing TO the fence, but there Il was lost
Tho attempted robbery alarmed the
neishboriug farmers, and anoxnminntiou
was nude, which resulted IN the discoy.
cry that Gcyenty.two sacks Of wheat
which ono Of the farmers had stored IN
distant field had disappeared. II Is sup.
posed that the thieves were tho same
ones who tried 10 steal Mumiorls bar
Icy Denver Republican.