The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-01-21

thus far strongly duplicating Schafer
as the leader of a gang Of horse
thieves who have worked with sue
cess throughout western North Da-
kota.
Some idea of the charges made by
the state can be gathered from the
statement to the jury by the states
attorney in opening the case. He
said that the state charged the defend
ant, H. A. w. Shaffer with stealing
from James Murdoch, Benson county
farmer. on the night of August 6,
1906, a team of gray mares, Of the
value of $500. The horses were taken
from Murdock's pasture. In the FORE
noon on the day following Murdock
missed his mares. He found where
they had been taken through pasture
fence. One year later he found his
horses in Wells county in the hands
of Robert Lyness who claimed that he
bought them of a man answering Shat
fer's description. The attorney said
the state would prove that on the next
day after the horses were stolen,
Shaffer was seen with them in Wells
county. At o'clock in the morning
he stopped at the farm of Hendrick
Edinger. The team had the appear
ance of being driven hard and Shaf-
fer appeared to be fatigued himself.
Shaffer represented himself to be an
International Harvester machine ex-
pert and asked if Edinger had any re-
pairing to do. Shaffer took breakfast
at the Edlinger farm and offered to sell
the team to Edinger. Failing to make
a sale to Edinger. he tried some of the
men who were stopping on the farm
Shaffer continued his way south and
about IL o'clock he tried to sell the
team to William Casey. Casey did not
want to buy and then Shaffer offered
to trade the team for a lighter one
which Casey owned giving as a rea-
son that he had considerable driving
to do and the team he had was too
heavy. Casey became suspicious and
would not trade. At o'clock of the
same day Shaffer stopped at the farm
of County Commissioner Lyness of
Wells county and offered his services
as a machine expert. There being
nothing doing in this line, he talked
horse trade and then talked sale,
finally selling the team for s175.
Lyness went with Shaffer to Fessen-
den where he gave him a check and
obtained bill of sale for the team.
Shaffer gave his name as ]. Miller.
Shaffer then went to livery stable
and got team and drove away. Not
long after, Frank Mcdonald, who
worked for Shaffer at the time the
horses were stolen, was arrested in
McHenry county. Soon it was learn
ed that Mcdonald was giving out in
formation which led to the recovery
Of many horses which had been stol-
en- in different sections. Murdoch
went to Towner for the purpose of in
terviewing Mcdonald and Mcdonald
told him Shaffer stole his horses, that
Shaffer tried to get him to join in the
Job but he refused. About midnight
of the night the team was stolen,
Shaffer came home and said he had
gotten a team. He ate a lunch and
started south. A little later things
commenced to get pretty warm in the
vicinity from which the horses were
stolen and Shaffer suggested that the
horses be stolen from the man to
whom they had been sold and brought
back to the community so the owner
would find them. In May 1907, Shat
fer, while in Jail at Minnewaukan, es-
capped. He was seen crawling into
a straw pile. He stood off the off,
GERS with gun and made his escape.
Search for him was continued and in
April, 1908 he was found in Washing
ton near Seattle. Sheriff Aaker and
John o. Shultz went for the prisoner
and brought him back. On the way
back the party occupied the drawing
room In the sleeper. Shaffer occupied
the upper berth. When at Rugby,
Shaner who had gone to bed and al
though handcuffed, made bold dash
for liberty. He jumped from his berth
and gained the vestibule where he was
met by Mr.. Shultz who captured him.
Shaffer had removed one of the hand
cuffs.
The first witness called was James
Murdoch the man from whom the
horses were stolen. He testified that
he last saw the horses at 10 O'Clock
on the evening of August s, eating
from a load OF hay near his barn which
connects with the pasture and missed
the team next morning about 10
o'clock. He examined the west side
pasture and found where posts h5d
been forced over, the tracks of the
horses leading through the grain
field to the. main road. He searched
for the horses week and advertised
for them and finally gave up. Harold
who was in the jail at Tow
ner. knew something of the horses
and he went to see him and he told
Murdoch where he would find the
team. He went to the place he de-