The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-31
MAD DICKS DEFENSE.
A Crazy Horse Killed Two Robbers
Who Tried to Steal Him.

He Was Fine Animal and the Would
Be Thieves Didn't Know He Was
Dangerous or YELLOWSTONE Was Bit
ten and Stamped to a Pulp and the
Other Two Driven to Bay-A Second
Killed Trying to Escape-The Third
Horse Thief Was Captured and Sent
to Prison.
From the Chicago Times.
Everybody called her Aunt Kate, but
that was misnomer. She was an old
maid and aunt to no one-at least in that
neighborhood. Her name as she signed
it to legal documents, was Catharine
Davis, and at the time of my story was
about IS years old Aunt Kate and her
brother Ben had bought a farm in Iowa.
When Ben died she continued on the farm,
directing operations through hired help.
Let me first tell you about a horse
which Aunt Kate came into possession of
in the spring Of 1860. One afternoon a
stranger came along in buggy drawn by
a fine horse which had been taken ill., He
told what seemed to be a straigh forward
story, and Aunt Kate loaned him horse
for three days and put his animal in
stranger did not return, and after
few weeks everybody believed
the horse had been tolen. Aunt Kate ad-
vertised in several papers and had the in
formation spread as far as possible, but
no one called to claim the horse. He got
well after a week or two, and was then
used in farm work for about a month
Then he seemed to be taken with fit of
ftNx-H 80 Iavr I'D III, 81,
everybody became afraid of him He was
turned into paddock in the rear of the
barn. the door to one of the stalls left
open, and he was fed and watered from
the main floor of the barn.
Several horsemen who came to look at
the animal gave it as their opinion that
he was naturally vicious, while a veter-
mary surgeon thoughts the horse had
once been bitten by rattlesnake or mad
dog and would be subjected to spells at
intervals every summer as long as he
lived. The stall which he entered from
the paddock was fitted up on purpose for
him. Stout plank partitions separated
him from the other horses, and the hay
rack and water trough were of iron
There was no way for man or boy to get
into or out of this stall except by the
door, and as that opened into the paddock,
one had to climb upon the fence
TO get good view of Mad
Dick, as he came to be called
After three months had gone by and no
owner had appeared Aunt Kate could
have sold the horse but she refused to.
While she could get no work out of him
she was determined to keep him through
the winter at least. think she reasoned
that the horse had been grossly abused,
and being very tender hearted woman
her sympathies were aroused. There
were days when Mad Dick seemed at
peace with the world, and there were
days when he was so furious that no man
dared show his head above the fence
On April 20, 1851, the girl who was
doing the Homework for Aunt Kate re-
ceived a message that her mother, living
fifteen miles away, was dangerously i'll.
AT 4 O'Clock in the afternoon the hired
man set out TO drive the girl across the
country, and was told that he need not re-
turn until the next day. Aunt Kate rode
with them as far as my fathers house,
and asked me to return home with her
for the night. / was then boy of ID and
such things were considered as only
neighborly among neighbors. was anx-
ious enough to go, for Mad Dick was a
magnet TO attract, and Aunt Kate had
plenty of hickory nuts left over from the
winter.
FACE IN THE DARK.
went home with her, fed the stock,
got In the night wood and saw that ali
was safe at the barn, and the evening
| passed very swiftly and pleasantly up to
| 8. O'Clock, That was bedtime hour in the
| country, and Aunt Kate had just started
TO wind the clock when ] saw mans
face pressed against the kitchen window
at her right hand There was a curtain,
but it was not lowered. 1t was pretty
dark night outside, while the light within
! shone on the mans face and brought
every feature out distinctly. | was too
! frightened to cry out, and Aunt Kate
went on winding the clock without sus-
| picion that we were about to have visi-
tors. She had just closed the door of the
| clock and turned away when the kitchen
door opened and in walked three strange
men. Each one removed his hat as he
entered, and the last turned and bolted
the door
! "Good evening, ma'am," saluted the
one who had entered first. LAS it has
| begun to rain and is very dark, we have
called to ask for shelter for the night"
They were not rough-looking men. On
the contrary, they were well-dressed,
ana as for their faces there was nothing
wicked about them. Had they called by
daylight with any any reasonabl excuse
no one would have put them down as bad
men. While l accepted the mans state
ment as he gave II, and was wondering if
uney nau team 10 put up, Aunt Kate
sized the trio up for what they were. She
turned pale and put out her hand to the
corner of the table, but it was only few
seconds before she replied to the man:
| n am sorry that l cannot keep you. At
the house half mile below you will be
we'll taken care Of
Each man tossed his hat q chair,
| cody removed his overcoat and sat down.
and it was couple of minutes before the
leader quietly discovered:
SORRY to put you to any trouble,
ma'am, but we are hungry and must have
a bite TO eat"
| Aunt Kate hesitated for a moment, hel
i first impulse, as she afterwards ex.
planned, being TO refuse point blank, as
she knew she had robbers to deal wit. Or
second thought, however, she concluded
that it would be unwise to anger them
and in the course of five minutes she had
a cold. lunch on the table. While she was
busy the men talked among themselves
i about the state of the roads, the weather,
ETC., aud l felt so sure they were
ordinary and honest travellers that
| l mentally blamed Aunt Kate
for not making them some hot tea. AS
they drew up TO the table she took seat
near me, and l noticed she was all
a-trem BILE. 1t was pretty light luncheon
she had set out for three hearty men, and
IL didn't take over ten minutes to clear
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