The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-03-31
MI. Samples Sister
B, M QUAD
Copyright. ms. by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate

was serving my first and only term
OF sheriff In an indiana county when
a smart looking aged man who gave
the name of 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
a man OF buN;ness and soon had the
two bankers IN the town. and other
business men Interested in his project
his factory was 10 make q new Kind
of cloth out OF what he called Persian
hemp. He had san%eS OF the cloth
TO show, and it could be made and
sold at 400 per cent profit. Samples
himself would put 100000 into the
enterprise, but he wanted the town to
subscribe 100000 additional so as to
make It a home affair.
On the second night OF Samples ar
rival in our town a fine horse was
stolen frotu a citizen. During the drst
weeks stay more horses were run or.
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 II was little green myself MS
an officer ! had TWO or three copsta-
bIes and deputies who were old hands
at the business. Some OF the horses
we traced few miles. always headed
for the Ohio river. but the thieves
were slick fellows and covered their
tracks so well that not horse was
recovered.
nkN T..
my boots and expecting TO hear that
the thirteenth horse had been stolen
fash OF light came to me. Every
horse taken mad gone south by GER
tain road. at certain point 6Il trace
had been lost Ten miles to the south
OF us was a big huckleberry swamp OF
1000 acres. IL was u wilderness anu
had only been explored by hunters. II
was big tanEle. full of snakes and
wildcats. and even berry pickers took
good cnre not TO penetrate too far. It
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 We're
over. Within two hours | had started
for the swamp. accompanied hy a con-
stable. by pure good luck after
tramp OF half day we came upon u
trail showing the hoot prints of horses,
and. following it to the very center OF
the swamp. we came upon the whole
twelve stnicn animals. Feed had been
brought In TO them by another trail
1t was tine plant we uncovered
There were two men to take care or
the horses. One or them was a black.
smith. ana he had n forge and dozens
OF horseShncS. AS the animals were
run ont the plan was TO shoe each one
with the shoes reversed and thus de
ceive us in case we struck n trail. We
made cautious approach, but in spite
OF us the two men got away. We
scarcely regretted II, however. in view
Of the capture OF the third one, who
had just arrived. It was MIR. Samples
the fax cloth man. the factory man.
the man with letters OF introduction
Yes, sir, he had arrived to give his
subordinntes directions. and as he fed
with the others be tripped and fell. and
we were enabled TO overhaul him. He
didn't even bluff. We bad got him so
pat that he could not say anything. In
his pockets were letters sufficient to
convict him twice over, aud his game
was up.
Yon know what human nature is in
a small town. had been mallgned
and abused without stint for failin: 10
capture the horse thieves. Now that
! had got all the stolen horses In
bunch and the horse thief In addition
nothing was too good for me. | was
called a hero and all that and got n
serenade from the band and Fad hon.
fires galore In my houor. The arrest
OF Samples was thundcrclap. but the
public soon got over Its astonishment
and demanded thar be receive the
maximum punishment OF the law. He
was examined. committed for trial, and
l took care to give him the strongest
cell in the county Jail. The man gave
me no trouble. After recovering his
cheek little he claimed that be would
be able to prove his entire innocence
before jury. and be was so CHEEKY
and good nntnred that l came to like
him. He had three months to wait
for the circuit court. and he made no
move in regard to lawyers or witnesses
until half the time had expired. BY
that time the public had lost most of
its interest in the case.
One day Samples announced to me
that his sister would soon arrive to see
about getting him a lawyer and 30
forth. and a day or two later she called
Mt the Jail. She was rather quiet
looking woman OF about twenty-five.
spoke In n choked voice and wore a
veil, and without questioning her much
I led her to Samples cell and left them
alone. It so happened that l had to so
into court directly after, and l left 1t
to turnkey to let her out. He did
so. and Il was three hours later when
I made the discovery that the two had
exchanged clothes, and the woman had
been left behind. The turnkey hadn't