Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1902-01-03
DOVER PLAINS HEROINE
Young Woman's Wild Ride After
Desperate Gang.
she TELLS A THRILLING STORY.

she TELLS A THRILLING SIOhx.
Ida Thompson II the M'liss Of Dutch
ess County. N. Y.-she Says She Was
Not Afraid and Though She IL
Called q "Tomboy" She Does Not
Mind 1t.
Ida Thompson, the Miss of the
Duchess county mountains, whose
ride astride farm horse in pursuit Of
desperadoes has made her quite a her.
olue in the Dover Plains district, says
a Poughkeepsie IN. " dispatch, has
armed herself with cavalry pistols and
is determined to catch the vandals who
have been stoning her foster fathers
house and burning barns in the neigh
borhood.
Picked up as little waif by the
Home For the Friendless in Winsted,
Conn.,, when she was but two years
old, Ida remained there until William
Ketcham, whose children had grown
up and gene from him, took her to his
home on farm near Dover Plains.
Mr.. Ketcham is brother of General
John II. Ketcham, who for thirty
years has represented the district in
congress, and father of William M.
Ketcham, formerly mayor and post
master Of Poughkeepsie. He is very
fond of children and has watched over
her just as If she had been his own
child.
"That child has cast a lot of sunshine
about the farm since she's been here"
said Mr.. Ketcham, looking at her ad-
miringly, with smile playing over his
wrinkled face. land the way she is de-
Tending my home against our enemies
now shows plain enough what she's
made Of"
Meanwhile Ida had led Old Nick, her
favorite horse. out Of the stable and
was showing him proudly to report
err, telling Of her daring ride after the
aNSpNidh
"Theres pack Of towards" sh4
said, land now that l am armed with Il
pistol am not in the least afraid of
them.
You see, several months ago We had
man employed in the tobacco fields,
and he came to work one day intox
Gated. The boss-that's Mr. KetcAam--
told him be didn't want him working
around the farm in that condition and
dismissed him. Soon after that |
heard that somebody had threatened
to burn our barn. learned that there
was band of desperadoes organized
to get vengeance because Mr.. ketcham
had dismissed this hired man.
AT first l paid no attention to these
threats. but not long afterward we
to find the barn in flames. Two ar.
rests were made-the two Dingey boys.
who are now In the county Jail at
Poughkeepse.
But it did not end there. One night
not long ago we heard strange noises
about the yard, and peeped from the
window and saw masked men darting
to and fro. Everybody in the house
was awakened. and the men ran away,
throwing rocks at the house. smashing
windows and breaking things in the
rooms.
Last Monday night they came
again, but l was lying in wait for
them. saw the men approach the
house, and Mr.. Ketcham and went
after them. At first they seemed stub
born, but finally they started on run.
They had been stoning the house and
had thrown stone into my bedroom.
was determined to find them out and
report them to the authorities, but they
kept at such safe distance ! could not
recognize them. told Mr.. Ketcham
I was going to pursue them on horse
back. He tried to pursuade me not to
do it, but In less time than it takes to
tell 1t had bride on Old Nick and.
leapng upon his bare back, was off
after the villains in gallop.
"The men had a long start ahead of
me, but could see their figures in the
quite distance. AS came
up to them they jumped aside and
grabbed the reins of my horse. had
a balestick in my hand. and l struck
one Of them over the head. He struck
back with a long stick cutting this
cash under my eye along my cheek.
Just then the reins broke, and that !,
saved me, for Old Nick turned with
bound and galloped back to the house,
the men following, throwing stones
and cursing me.
81 shall never forget that ride back
to the farmhouse on Old Nick without !
bride or saddle holding on with my
arms clasped around his neck.
"When reached home, you can i'm
agine how mad was and how deter
mined l am now to get those towards
1ood mr. o1iva Thov mo In oI- min