The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-08-18
A MIDNIGHT ROBBER
THIS PIONEER THIEF DID HIS WORK
SILENTLY AND WELL.

Disappeared Was Eventually Re-
covered, but the Criminal Was Too
Cunning a Chap to Be Caught.
Captains Of industry have come out
Of the west as well as the east. And
the great San Joaquin valley Of Cali
| fornia has produced it's quota. One Of
| the best known Of these men was Jas
per Harrell, who had his home in Tu-
hre county, but whose business trans
actions carried him all over the state
and into other states as well. No one
had q wider acquaintance than Mr..
Harrell, for he was one Of the very
early settlers in that region, and he lit
orally grew up with the valley. He was
an exceedingly popular man, and this
was probably one reason why he -four
lshed as a rancher and stockman and
amassed a goodly fortune before the
close of the nineteenth century. He
+ handled large herds of cattle and was
dealer in and grower Of hay and bar
ley to such an extent that he came to
be Familiarity nicknamed Barley" Har-
rell
One bright spring day long before
the Southern Pacific railroad wound
Its crooked double line track up and
over the Tehachapi mountains from the
great valley into the Mojave desert
Mr.. Harrell and his father-in-law start
ed from their home in Tulare county
to ride on horseback to Los Angeles, a
distance Of $50 miles at least. But
such lengthy journeys were not infre-
Quently undertaken by stockmen and
merchants In those anterailroad days
in California. The two men stopped
overnight wherever twilight caught
them, for the country was almost un-
Inhabited.
One night in crossing the Tehachapl
range they made their camp in grove
of scrubby oak and brush. Their
horses were staked out to Craze, and
after a meager meal around the camp
fire the two men arranged their bed
for the night. Mr. Harrell had around
him a strong, wide buckskin belt in
which he carried $1,000 in gold coin.
With this he intended purchasing a
number Of cattle rated as feeders, and
these would then be driven back into
the valley and prepared for the mar
kets. Unbuckling his heavy money
belt, he threw it on the ground under
his saddle, which he always used as a
pillow In camping out.
Sweetly and soundly the two men
slept, with no thought Of harm or hint
Of danger.
When morning came they arose early,
built fire, cooked and ate their break
| fast with a relish and then brought up
their horses to be saddled and bridled
When Mr.. Harrell picked up his saddle
he stared at the bare ground and whis-
tied sharply.
"Where in Lucifer is that belt and
my money!" he exclaimed.
Sure enough, it had disappeared. The
camping ground and every article on it
were carefully searched, and then ev-
cry foot of ground within a wide cir
cult was infinitely gone over, but not a
sign Of any belt or money was found.
Neither could any tracks Of either man
or animal be seen. 1t was mystery
what had become Of that money belt,
/ for they were many, many miles from
,. any human habitation, and no one had
passed them on the trail for days.
Giving up the search with reluctance,
! the two men went ON south to the end
Of their journey, but they did not buy
any cattle.
! About thirteen months later Mr.. Har-
| rell and another of his live stock
friends made the same horseback trip
| again. They camped not far from the
place where the buckskin belt had been
lost on the previous journey.
Fright over yonder," said Mr.. Har-
rell, showing his friend, lis where
lost 81, 600 in gold when went through
here about a year ago. I'd like to know
what became Of that pile"
| Lets go over and look around there
| again just for fun" suggested his
friend.
| They did so, and, strange to relate.
they accidentally stumbled right over
the very spot where the money had
been dropped. For over twelve months
that heap Of twenty dollar gold pieces
had been kissed by the grass and flow
ers, wept upon by the rain and dew,