The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1915-12-23
Nj. Samples Sister
By NJ QUAD
Copyright. 1915, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.

Il
was serving my first and only tertll
of sheriff In an Indiana county when
smart looking aged man who gave
the name ut Samples arrived at the
county seat and gave out that he was
looking around for site for large
factory. He was provided with let.
tiers of recommendation and the air Of
q man of business and soon had the
two bankers In the town and other
business men interested in his project,
His factory was to make new kind
Of cloth out of what he called Persian
hemp. He had samples Of the cloth
to show, and 1t could be made and
sold at 400 per cent profit Samples
himself would put $5O0.OO0 into the
enterprise, but be wanted the town to
subscribe 100000 additional SO as to
make it u home affair.
On the second night of Samples ar.
rival In our town fne horse was
stolen from citizen. During the frst
weeks stay more horses were run off.
In three weeks time twelve Of the
best horses in our township were tax.
en-. As sheriff was not idle for an
hour after the first horse was taken
Even If was q little green myself q.
an officer | had two or three consta
bIes and deputies who were old hands
at the business Some Of the horses
En- lr,Ov 6n<1
for the Ohio river, but the thieves
were slick fellows and covered their
tracks 50 well that not horse was
recovered.
One day while was shivering In
my boots and expecting to bear that
the thirteenth horse had been stolen a
fash Of light came to me. Every
horse taken had gone south by q GER
tain road. At a certain point all trace
had been lost. Ten miles to the south
Of us was big huckleberry swamp Of
1900 acres. 1t was wilderness and
had only been explored by hunters. 1t
was big tangle, full Of snakes and
wildcats, aud even berry pickers took
good care not to penetrate too far. 1t
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 were
over. Within two hours ! had started
for the swamp, accompanied BY con.
stable. By pure good luck after q
tramp Of half day we came upon
trail showing the boot prints of horses.
and, following it to the very center OF
the swamp. we came upon the whole
twelve stolen animals. Feed had been
brought IN to them by another train.
1t was a fine ''plant" we uncovered.
There were two men to take care Of
the horses One Of them was black
smith. and ne had forge and dozens
Of horseshoes. AS the animals were
run out the plan was to shoe each one
with the shoes reversed and thus de
ceive US In case we struck a trail. We
made cautious approach. but In spite
Of US the two men got away. We
staircely regretted it, however, In view
III fhe capture of the third one. who
tad fust arrived. 1t was Mr.. Samples,
t6eo Tax cloth man. the factory man.
tbeamap With letters Of introduction.
Yea, st5s he had arrived to give bis
directions. and as be fed
witn abC others he tripped and fell. and
W. we're anibled to overhaul him. He
Mdnt ewes iblun. We had got him 80
BAT fhaf ne e6nld not say anything. 10
l1fs .p1QeketS were letters sufficient to
fenvtef bin Y1ffe over. and bis game
was up.
IsYon know what human nature 10 IN
d smHofaRn. .Idnhsd been maligned
dadab dse1 Mithbut lstint for failing to
tAp1dFe fhS natts4o thieves. Now that
PEhad og6t On tks stolen horses IN a
b8pch and the ftoTfsee thief in addition
81 MIG Kd r. tq8 isFa9d fofame. was
called ;aiohero Isnd ssll that and got
seaeplbae fnometlhe band end bad bon.
fifesTS asosf I'm my bQnos4n tEhe arrest
UP SAINT le9bMzH aaim nderelap but nthe
RflRaice 44N5 sgoe OVER itjnastonishment
ah4, dethfapded that hedt receive isthe !
pa1nsfmH u1f1s bapfsh}S CIR of Che law He
R IA, 1easaaiiB1aed SPnmit til fG ffssf pnd
j took care to give him Ittif nstrehgf,t;;
oeslsie thRb spyntyIj jail 50 The p9nl ga Sc
mb ACKNOWLEDGEMENT HosacpFaSing ibis
dtfeek Rlitftg dElaimeG1t ahafrha Woald
qttg aaBN t8sb rSvJ shis centre dn1oednce
lbfRe4499Fe 81 jHhos iRHa de WAS sp CHEEKY
lamR9 8I iie29od HS49reda that Gh&g u nike
,ptman HedR lad ,tkfggS months = Walt !
for Ahe. Circuit court; and be made no