The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-03-15
HORSE WITH A BAD RECORD.
New York Evening Sun.

TIL subject Of this sketch received no por-
ton Of his early education with a circus
Here Is the true story of a horse. Not any
every day humdrum story that might
be written about the ordinary horse. but a
leaf from the life of one with a few elements
in him of a decidedly human sort. He is a
dark bay. with black points. a banged tail.
reached name and a small " slit in his ear.
Add to this external view a collection of
tricks that if he were human would certainly
bring down on him the minions of law.
Johna. the name by which this equine
wonder goes. is either a confirmed criminal
or a k~leptomaniac. He landed in this city
something more than two years ago with
about a score of other Western horses. He
was taken to an auction market in East
Twenty-fourth street. A day or two later
he was logged along a sawdust alley and
was put up for sale under the hammer. 1t
may be well to explain just here that the
description of Jonah already given could by
no means be applied to him at the time he
was led along the sawdust alley. His coat
was long, unkempt and apparently badly
motheaten, while his ribs stood out in a
bold relief suggestive of frequent rations of
stale oats and excelsior hay.
Bidders were skeptical about the horse, and
the scrawny specimen was led back to his
stall unsold. He was placed in the auction
mart week after week with always the same
result. Some one familiar with the ugly
fellows case suggested that he was probably
a Jonah, and there's how he got his name.
1t seemed to fit him perfectly.
Meanwhile, like the proverbially worthless
horse, Jonah succeeded in eating his head
On-ln a ngurative sense, of course. His feed
bill soon reached a point where the man who
had sent MIN to market said Jonah might
stand Tor 1t; and there the fgurative pro-
became the property Of Mr.. John r. Doerr,
OF l5I East 1wenty-fourth street.
1t did not take Jonah a very long time to
make friends around his quarters, and he
soon became thoroughly acquainted, too,
with the topography of the place. He had
a few tricks peculiarly his own that af-
1orded no end of amusement for the stable
roustabouts. but Jonah didn't intend them
FOR the amusement of others. His accom-
plishments were purely for the purpose Of
selfish gratihcation, and were in the end
usually productive OF an extra ration of
oats.
In this way the ugly specimen before many
months had elapsed became sleek and fat.
About this time Jonah began to elaborate
on his pranks. He suddenly developed an
inordlnate desire to prowl around the stables
came an adept at opening doors. One min
ute he would be peacefully munching hay in
IN 4 s soms a ni6er the eor next ne t would Id b be found wI1S
his head down in one of the oat bins. Jonah
was also a student of the subject Of knots.
He could deftly unite his halter strap with
his teeth, and 1t took him but a short time
to overcome the mysteries of any new knot
that they might spring on him. All these
accomplishments were for a. purpose. That
purpose was to forage around for something
to eat. 800
Jonah soon became a confirmed thief and
all round confidence horse. No door provided
with the usual bolt was proof against his
cunning, and he never missed an opportunity
to go on a foraging expedition when no one
his petty thieving in another direction. He
fell into the habit of taking the feed of the
slyly unite himself, then go from STALL to
stall, helping himself to a good portion of his
companions rations.
When this new plundering accomplishment
became known 1t led to very prompt meas
ures for its suppression. Mr.. Doerr assigned
the equine thief to a box stall with a lock
looked as if his career as a crook was to
come to an inglorious end. But Jonah Wild
otherwise: His prison bars might be proof
against his cunning, but they were no match
for the agility of his heels. At the first OPP
portunity he simply kicked down the door
opened the following morning there "a
Jonah prowling around as usual.
His criminal inclinations seemed to be
idea that the horse crook might be re-
formed. He therefore decided to make an
other effort to sell him. Accordingly a few
the sawdust alley and offered for sale. He
was knocked down at a fair figure to an
uptown building contractor. The horse
was sold under a guarantee, and that ex-
plains why he came back into the possess
sion of Mr.. Doerr the next day after the
sale was affected.
The contractor took his purchase home
and placed him in a stall adjoining that
Of another horse. Jonah didn't like Ills new
quarters, and this dislike soon became very
evident. He kicked viciously at his COM
panion at every opportunity, and later the
contractor was aroused from his bed by
a policeman, who excitedly told him there
was something dreadfully wrong in his
stable, judging from the unusual noise
proceeding from it. An investigation re-
vealed the fact that the contractors new
horse was preparing to seek other pastures.
and that he was breaking down the door
with his heels in order to be free to do so.
The following day Jonah was returned
with a rather curt note to the effect that
he didn't fill the bill and that the purchaser
would not lave him as a gift. Mr.. Doerr
therefore reluctantly abandoned the hope
of being able to sell the rascal, and be well
knew that his redemption from his .hiev-
ing habits could not be accomplished.
Speaking of Jonah yesterday tile owner
said: II shall not be surprised any day
to hear that that inveterate old crook has
broken into our private Offices, opened the
combination lock of our safe and rilied IT
of the contents" And Jonah looked as If
he might be contemplating just some such