The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-02-19
BY HARRY ROOT.

BI HARRY HOOT.
o. o. Osborn, of Stockton, was
ness. A bunch of attorneys were in
the National hotel, relating expert
ences of their profession. The law
yers are class who usually speak
the truth. Osborn told Of a case he
was engaged in out In Decatur county.
in the nineties, before the automo-
biles came, and the horse was a valu-
able adjunct to the means of trans
portatior, to such an extent that peo-
pie would borrow them without the
owners consent. The case he related
happened at a time the county raised
poor crops. A homesteader living near
Dresden left his family and went to
another part of the state where the
crops were better, to find work. He
hau a team, one large horse and not
in good condition, the other was small
and fat. One of his neighbors, also
homesteader, had a horse stolen,
and after searching the county over
for miles he came across dead
horse. over the line in Sheridan
couRty. 1t had been killed. shot thru
the head. 1t proved to be the large,
lean horse seen driven by the home
steader. who had left his home to find
work elsewhere. There had been q
horse was found. A wagon had been
driven, drawn by a horse that made
large tracks, the other was smaller
The two horses that pulled the wagon
| away made small tracks. Later the
homesteader returned to his home,
| driving different team. Judge Lang
! made, who was then county attorney,
arrested him on a charge of horse
stealing. Osborn was employed by
the homesteader to defend him. After
preliminary hearing before justice of
the peace he was bound over to the
| district court, and being unable to give
bond he went to jail The prisoner
had a religious turn of mind. A
| brother came to see him bringing nina
song book and q Bible. He shouted
and prayed and sang night and day
until the neighbours had him declared
a nuisance. While Osborn was be-
| ing kidded about his Free Methodist
| client. and he tried to have him cut 1t
out. but the prisoner told him that
he couldn't, for that would be going
back on the Lord. Later on another
fellow was arrested for stealing. He
was arrested, convicted, and given a
sentence and locked up with the client
| of Osborn's. He had over 800 on his
person, which he was allowed to,keep.
The county attorney couldn't find any
| other evidence against the horsethief
1 but circumstantial. While the other
prisoner was asleep the hcrsethief
robbed him of his s1oe or more. and
| leaving his Bible and song book he
1
! present time he has never been heard
| of. Osborn says il his client is ever
apprehended he will have to engage
some other lawyer. for ne is so busy
with eases of q higher class than
defending horsethieves.
The Beloit Gazette will celebrate
its golden age anniversary, IN March.
| 1t will be SO years old that month.
; 1t saw the town start and Is now the
largest and most metropolitan town
| in the Sixth district in population and
| trade. j. r.. Harrison, the present
owner and editor, will see that his
nansr honers the event with an en-
| Pertaining issue filled with pioneer his
| tory from, birth to this anniversary
| history. The writer Of these notes
! wishes to be present on the happy oc-
casion, for he has seen much OF 1t
built up, and made visits there pefore
! the railroads.
One of the incidents which made
lincoln county famous was the tar
marty, which "carne Off near Shady
| Rend in 1912. The case was tried IN
the district court of Lincoln county
and some OF the participants were
lconyicted; some of them served light
sentences, while others drifted to other
states, including the county attorney
who prosecuted the case. Shady Bend
is on the Lincoln branch OF the Union
Pacific road. The name was given the
town by a man named Hardestys who
built a gFist nail there in 1879. The
Saline river at this place had a thick
growth of timber, and later a tornado
swept the river of most of it. The al
party gets it's name from the tarTine
of young lady who was on her wa5
; to a dance. Since then she has mar