The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1915-02-04
b N. QUAD
Copyright. lsli, ~ the Mcclure
Newspaper syndicate.

an officer had two or three consta-
bles 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 90 well that not Q horse was
recovered.
One day while I was shivering In
my boots and expecting to hear that
the thirteenth horse had been stolen a
dash Of light came to me. Every
horse taken had gone south BY a GER
tain road. At certain point all trace
had been lost. Ten miles to the south
of us was a big huckleberry swamp of
1900 acres. It was a wilderness and
had only been explored BY hunters. 1t
was big tangle. full Of snakes and
Wildcats, and even berry pickers took
good care not to penetrate too far. It
flashed over me that the stolen horses
instead Of being run out Of the state
had been c0rralled In this swamp
to wait until the hue and cry were
over. Within two hours I had started
for the swamp. accompanied BY con-
stable. By pure good luck after a
tramp Of half day we came upon a
trail showing the hoof prints of horses,
and. following 1t to the very center Of
the swamp. we came upon the whole
twelve stolen animals. Feed had been
brought In to them by another trail.
1t was a One plant we uncovered.
| En- f0l pr 80
the horses. One Of them was a black
smith. and he had forge and dozens
Of horseshoea. Al the animals were
run out the plan was to shoe each one
With the shoes reversed and thus de-
ceive % In case We struck trail. We
made cautious approach. but In spite
Of us the two men got away. We
scarcely regretted It, however. In view
Of the capture Of the third one, who
had Just arrived. It was Mr. Samples,
the dax cloth man. the factory man,
the man with letters Of introduction.
Yes. sir. he had arrived to give his
subordinates directions, and az, be ded
with the others he tripped and fell. and
we were enabled to overhaul him. He
didn't even bluff. We had got him 20
pat that be could not say anything. In
his pockets were letters sufficient to
convict him twice over, and his game
was up.
You know what human nature ID In
small town. had been mallgned
and abused without stint for failing to
capture the horse thieves. Now that
l had got all the stolen horses In q
bunch and the horse thief in addition
nothing was too good for me. was
called hero and all that and got 4
serenade from the band and had bon.
fires galore In my honor. The arrest
Of Samples was thunderclap. but the
public soon got over its establishment
and demanded that he receive the
maximum punishment Of the law. He
was examined, committed for trial, and
took caro- to give him the strongest
cell in the county jail. The man gave
mo no trouble After recovering his
cheek little be claimed that be would
be able to prove his entire innocence
before q jury. and be was 90 CHEEKY
and good natured that 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
IT'D interest in the case.
One day Samples announced to mo
that bis sister would soon arrive to see
abont getting him a lawyer and 20
forth, and day or two later she called
at the Jail She was q rather quiet
looking woman Of about twenty-five,
spoke In choked voice and wore q
VEIL and without questioning her much
lied her to Samples cell and left them
alone. It 20 happened that had to 60
into court directly after, and left It
to turnkey to let her out he did
%. and It was three hours later when
lsmade the discovery that the two had
exchanged clothes. and the woman had
l,een left behind. The turnkey hadn't
noticed anything out Of the way as the
woman passed out.
I didn't faint away or have at or
commit suicide. i~simply rendered ~
resignation and went Oh on a vaca.
ton. knew my public. and knew
that although had recovered the
horses that "sister" business had taken
me ont Of politics forever. She got
ninety days IN jail % punishment, l
believe. but Samples got clear OF and.
no doubt. worked bis little game to I'd. 4
vsntsRo ID othar lnralifies