Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1901-01-11
l.2. &IIFLES SISTER
or n. QUAD.

WIS serving ny G.at and ouly term
81 sheriff in an Indiana county wtcn
a smart l1ok,rg. middle hCcd man, vh1
Auire the name of Samples. 4Fffycd nj
the c0iiniy scat and gave out uiat 10.
was looking around FOR a Site for n
lnrgr factory. lie was provided with
letters Of recommendation. had the air
ef a man Of business and o had The
tNd uanlcgS ia The town and Other
biislu4'ss men Interested Ia his project.
iI.s fariory was to make n now kind
OF rlOth M Of what hc called Persian
hemp lie had samples Of the clo.h
TO show. and Il could be made cui s,ll
al 4G0 per cent profit. Samples h!:s
self would put 100000 into the enlcr-
p.isc. but 10 wanted the town 10 sub
srrlbr 100000 additional. so az To
make II a home affair. That was q
pretty large sum TO raise IN a town Of
800 people. and after the first half 81
Il had be- II subscribed the thing began
10 Sfag Samples was coming aud go
Ing. but making our own his head
quarters. md II was remembered afS
crwar1 that several tough looking men
called TO see him.
On tho second night OF Samples Or.
rival IN our town n fine horse was
stolen from n citizen. During his first
weeks stay there were more run OF.
In three weeks time 10 Of the best
horses In our township were taken. As
sheriff ! was not Idle for an hour after
the FIRST horse was taken. Even II l
was a little green myself as an officer
tfrH ftNn ne N1.ran anngfoIluu uwI In
ttits who were old hands Mt tue bust
ness Some Of the horses we traced
for n z 81 milrs. always headed for the
Ohip river hut the thieves were slick
Fellows and covered their tracks 80
well tint not a horse was recovered.
MY pO iiiOn was an uncomfortable one.
a yOm may Guesss i got redhot crltl-
cism from all sides. and. even though /
offered large rewards out OF my own
pocket aud went to the expense OF
employing a detective for three weeks.
a share Of tho public still insisted that
ought to resign and open n kinder.
gnrtrn for children.
One day while was shlverlng in my
boots and expecting to hear that the
thirteenth horse had been stolen n
fash u light came to me. Every horse
taken had gone south 10y a certain
road. Al n certain point all trace had
been lost. Ten miles to the south OF
US was n big huckleberry swamp OF
900 acres. II was state land and had
only been explored by hunters. It was
n big tangle. full Of snakes and Wild
cats. AMI berry plckers took good care
not to penetrate too far. II flashed
over me that the stolen horses instead
Of being run out of the state had been
corralled In this swamp to wait until
the hue and cry was over. Within two
hours I had started for the swamp. &c
%companled by a constable. By pure
good luck after a tramp Of half a day
We camP upon a trail showing the
footprints OF horses. and following It
to the very enter of the swamp we
zane up n the whole - stolen animals.
Feed had been brought TO them by an.
other trail.
II was a fine plant we uncovered.
There were two men TO take care OF the
horses. One OF them was a black
smith. and he had n forge and doZcns
OF hOrseshOrs. AS the animals were
NQn OtAN lNf HAuu was 10 hilOE tutu one
with the shoes reversed and thus Do
celve us IN case we struck n trail. We
made a cautious approach. but In PIP t.
OF us the two men got away. We
scarcely regretted II, however. In ylpw
81 tbP capture Of the third one. who
had Just arrived. II was Atr. Samples.
the haX cloth man. the factory man.
the man with letters OF Introduction!
Yes. sir. he had arrived TO give his
Eubo-d Mates directions. and as lie icd
with the others he trlpped aud fen.
and We were enabled to overhaul him
He didn't even bluff. We had got him
so pat tlai he couldn't say anything.
In hls pnrkrts were letters sufficient to
eonvlci him twice over. and his game
wa up
You know what human nature Is In
a small tnwl I had been mafgned
aud bused without stint for falling 10
CAP urr th, hose thieves. Now that
J had got all the stolen horses In q
bunch AMI the boss thief In addition.
nothing vas too good for me. l was
cnlirl q % Hnl N that and got n
sercuad, fIau t.e band and had bon.
arss EalQu 20 my honor. The arrest
OF Samples WAS a ihupdcrclap but TIE
public soon rot over liza asioulshm- nj
and DEMANDED that he receive the
maximum punishment o. the law. lie
was exam urii committed for trial
and I took care 10 give hin the sirnn.
gpsi cell IN ihr county Jail The man
gave ma no flo.iie -AftrT rcrnvpr,ug
his cAtej O little ha ciainipd that he