The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1916-08-30
MAKING RECORDS
Sheriff Downing and the Flivyer Hang
Up Records That viii BE Hard
TO Beat

Sheriff Cal Downing and his car
"a Ford Of course-have established a
mark in chasing horse thieves that
puts wireless telegraphy and airships
in the down and out club. Mr.. Down
ing accompanied by Grant Hcnldns,
Jim Dodge and Bud Tanner started
south last Wednesday afternoon in
the "flivver." at 3 30 o'clock on In,
trail of the horse thieves who had
nearly a weeks start of them. They
reached the Cimarron at night and
rested few hours They crossed the
Cimarron just as day was breaking,
got definite trace of the men they
were after, and found they were just
tive days ahead of them. They caught
up with the fugitives at eleven o'clock
that morning within a few miles of
Dalhart Texas, and captured them by
clever ruse without fight and the
horses with them. They arranged for
the care of the horses and hired an
additional car to help bring in the
prisoners, and had them in Jail AT
Lamar at eleven o'clock on Friday
morning. As the ground covered was
over three hundred miles, and they
had To hunt the trail frequently 1t is
easy to see that it required high class
work both ON the part of the officers
and the car to make the trip and do
such neat job of work in that time.
The officers surprised the thieves
as they were eating late breakfast
and captured them without any trou-
BILE. They had twenty-one horses and
three colts with them besides the
four ponies they had used in driving
the bunch off. The latter may or may
not have been their own--at least no
one has yet laid claim to them. Sew
enteen of the horses and the colts
belonged to Mr.. Henkins, and several
of his horses are still missing. 1t is
not known yet whether they wandered
away or were stolen ON
previous raid. One of
the horses belonged to Mr.. Tanner
and the others in the same section.
Three Of the men captured We're
named Bridges and had claims near
the head of Mud creek. They claim
to have bought the horses from an
other party and after spending Thurs
day night in jail at Springfield in the
cell with another prisoner were able
TO show up bill Of sale. The Of
ficers believe this was faxed, but it
is evidently along this line that they
expect to make their defense, if they
don't finally see the wisdom Of making
a confession There is evidence that
several are weakening and it is now
believed that they will all finally
plead guilty and take their medicine.
The fourth man was named Hutchins
and had only lived here about one
months. Reports coming from the
range indicate that there has probably
been much more stealing than has
been reported, but it will be impos-
sible to tell much about this until af-
ter the fall roundup.
On one Of the men a Lamar Ma
tional Bank draft for over three hun
dred dollars was found, and it proved
to be one that was lost at the bank
more than a week before and which
the prisoner claims to have picked
up accidentally. We presume it was
the same way that he picked up the
horses also.
Too much praise cannot be given to
Sheriff Downing and those with him
for their prompt and efficient work.
Such promptness after hearing of the
crime and energetic and effective
pursuit of the thieves is a great dis
courager of criminals, and is the best
security that taxpayers of the county
can have that they are getting full
measure Of protection for the taxes
they pay. Mr.. Downing has made a
record in the past two years as one
of the most efficient officers in the
state and this splendid work is an
added evidence of his worth as a
peace officer.