The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-11-11
She CHASES BANDITS NO MORE.
IDA THOMPSON's TALES or HER
DARING ACTS WE'RE FALSE.

she Confcsses That She Chased Imaginary
Farmer Ketcham's Barns In Dover
Plains -COnImtttsd 60 ~. AIMS Home.
Down PLAINS, N. Y. Nov. io.-Sixteen-
year-od Ida Thompson. .the MLiss OF the
Dutchess County Mountains has been
committed to st. AIMS Home In Albany
BY Justice Louis Allerton. II was a bitter
blow to the M'Liss, being arrested right
at the height Of her reputation az a real
abe daredevil, who had had her picture
In the New York papers. II was about
q week ago that her foster father, William
Ketoham, with a kindly smile playing
about his wrinkled face, said to q reporter:
THAT child has cast a lot Of sunshine o
the farms since abe has been here" Since
Their II has been learned hat In addition
to casting sunshine about the farm. the
Miles had been casting stones at the
farmhouse windows, This and the cutting
Of some harness and the burning Of $40, 900
worth or so Of barns are some OF the rea-
sons why abe has gone 20 st. AIMS.
William Ketoham. who is over 10 years
old, has always been fond Of children.
When his own grew up and left him he felt
lonely and began to cast around for some
one TO take their place. While visiting the
Home for the Friendless In Winsted. Conn,
some years ago. he found Ida. She was q
bright little thing and he adopted her.
Bhe seemed to take to the life on the
Kstoham farm here from the start. She
helped with the crops. MIXED the oowp,
cared for the horses and cast sunshine
about the place generally. All vent well
until about q month ago; then Mr., Ketcham's
place all at once became the attacking
point for bands Of desperadoes. They
burned his barns one night, another night
they out his harness. and a. for stone
throwtng-that got to be a common OCCUR
rsnce. All this might have been alarming
TO the old gentleman had II not been for
tbs hsroine Ida. who by this time was
known far and wild a. the Miss Of
Dutchess. What she did, or rather h
she didn't do. In best told by herself In her
own modest way:
sOns day q man came to work In u
tobacco fields. He was intoxicated and,
naturally. we dismissed him. Soon after
this had ftr anspired. rumors came to my
sars that the man had organized q band
Of deaper ADDE'S TO seek vengeance. That
night, shortly after II, I was aroused by
the sound as Of kissing flames. The barns
were burned to the ground. Next night
I heard strange noises In the yard. l arose
seealthiiy. tip-toed to the window and
popped out. Masked men were fitting
70 and fro among the shadows. / rushed
down Nhs stairs and seized q stick and was
almost upon them. when. after a volley
Of stones, they disappeared in the dark
nss. Neat night they came again. but
Mr.. KseohAm and I were lying in wait. Again
they ran, but this lime I was not TO be foiled.
In ha lima than IL takes to tell il l had
. bride on old Nick. leaped to his back
and was after the dastardly villains like
q haah- could see their figures far down
the road. As / was about to dash upon
them they Jumped aside and grabbed the
rstns. I struck one a staggering blow
With q bale stick. They rushed at me.
I would undoubtedly have been overpow-
red, but At this critical moment the reins
mapped, old Nick reared. turned with Q
bound, and was Cd like q Hash In the di-
reocon Of the farm. I could hear their
currng and The sounds Of falling stone
behind me as we ran. Ali ! shall never
forget tina thrilling ride. without saddle
or birdie, my arms clAsped tightly about
faithful old Nick's neck
Mr.. KetohAm, after the story Of the nds,
purchased Area rms In poughkeepsie, and
the Dover Plains Town Board stationed
Q guard around the farmhouse. But one
Of The local sleuths who had examined
the ground after a particularly desperate
attack. began TO think
d you know he said TO a companion
one day, 'there's jest three possible ex-
plAna lions To them are stone-throwing
~expedittons up 20 Ketchsm's. Either they
lesve the windows open on one side an
the stones 60 clean through To ths other
eide OF elise they ,lse a suction pump or
else they could he broken from the
inside. Glass don't fall toward ye. Jedg-
ing from my experience
This set other people thinking Finally
the Mllss's sunshine began 10 seem a
httIe din even u Mr.. hetchaIn. aud he
went over 20 Poughkeep-l" 70 -ee what
n A. a result Of that talk the Chief and
Deputy Sheriff Hoffman began To In
vestisat. Accompanied by hecordef
Mor-oha us-F and District Attorney
Ie.. they drove over here lAst night and
ob,sined warrants for the arrest % III
Schntef, IT-d Scllsumerhom, William
Dinssy, Oller' D.an and Ida Thompson,
srtxhis MIAss - the Duichs~s County
Mountains
Tie, wefe al arrested and m th. cDur..
~ q third dssraa' examination a. Judge
sneftnn's hptss laS' Hlsht ths siH broke
down and tuld all she Admitted that
shs hst planted oil and had burned 10"
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