The morning call., 1892-11-08
The HORSETHIEVES

See-yonder they arel "Haltw The
command was given by the leader of the
vigilance committee of which / was men,
ber We had been called out by reason OF
Ben johnson, ranehman, having lost two
of his most valuable horses. a meeting was
called and men were called to take the trail.
with Instructions to secure the horses if
possible and to take the thieves. dead or
alive As there existed in southeastern Ne
braska at the tine an IN written law that
horsethief if caught should hang, ii did not
seem necessary to instruct us as TO the as
position Of the thieves if we should be for
tunate enough to overtake them.
We had been on the trail about ten hours
when we gained an emineDce overlooking a
stretch Of prairie for distance OF perhaps
ten or fifteen miles, save where q clump of
willows covered the edges Of the Little
Blue River. In one place. where the will
lows brauched out from the water they
covered an area Of an acre or more.
Through this clump Of trees blue smoke
CURED lazly upward.
1t was at this juneture that the command
to halt was given. 1t brought every horse
man to a fun stop. 1t was decided to circle
and cut of ali chance of escape from the
camp except by crossing the stream, which
would throw them into the open prairie be-
yOnd.
We closed I'D on the camp. and found two
young fellows preparing their supper, and
little further beyond the two horses we
were after.
We gave the boys an opportunity of max
ing q statement, but all we could get out of
them was that they were guilty and they
supposed they must hang.
couple OF ropes were procured, and
trees suitable for the execution were Sc
Iected; the ropes were adjusted about the
RI -,
an opportunity 10 speak for few minutes
if they so desired.
After looking appealiDgly at the crowd of
Tesolute men, one OF them began:
We are not, as you suppose. professional
hOTsethieves. jim" Dodding toward the
other prisoner, land I attended the same
school as the boys, and finally ran away
from home together We came West as far
as LeavenwOrth and joined the regular
army under assumed names. We served
two OF the five years for which we were en-
listed, when /, learning of the death Of my
poor old mother back in the States, con-
cluded that We had started cut the wrong
way 10 make an honorable record. We de-
termined 10 desert. which we did. and try
our fortunes elsewhere under our proper
names. After desertlng we tramped across
the country close TO where we took The
horses and secured WORK, intending 70 60 to
hearney and re-enllst al that post under
our proper names as soon as we could earn
the trip. BY reason Of the hot winds as
you are all we'll aware. the growing crops
were DESTROYED. This threw US ont Of en-
ployment. Becoming Respondent one Of US
suggested that we should catch a couple OF
horses and ride through TO Kearney, and
after reaching there, hire some one to re-
turn with the animals. We had no idea of
stealing when we took them. This is the
truth Of the whole matter, SO help me
God!'
.'CIear case ofs horses tealinu and thara is
enly one remedy for IT," said the leader Of
the VigiiautS. But he gave the order to ''go
ahead" with evident reluctance.
The ropes were placed in position and
the order to moist away" was Immediately
obeyed, swinging the men upward. Hardly
had their feet lett the ground when Frank
Goodman. the oldest plainsman among us.
sprang to the ropes aud severed them with
one stroke OF his hunting knife, at the same
time exclalmlng,-
NO more of this! will be responsible
for these boys and the horses. We must
take them back and give them fair trial.
believe they have told the TRUTH
Ali readily assented TO this, for we pitied
the fellows. 1t was decided that II the
story they told proved to be true and thew
were not adopts at horsesteaIng, we would
give them an opportunity TO vindicate them
selves, and conduct them TO Nebraska CITY,
where there was an enlistiDg post fol
kearney.
Five years later. chanced to be detained
at Kearney over Sunday, and concluded to
take a look al the fort and the camp. While
strolllng about the fOrf in the morning, !
was agreeably surprised 10 meet the two
men whom had helped to capture five
years before, one OF them wearing the straps
Of captain, and the other those of lieu
tenant
They compelled me to stop awhile with
them, and ! was royalty entertained by our
two horsethieVes. HOWARD B. SEGUR.