CHAPTER X.
STOLEN HORSES. The Twin Hells | ||
10. CHAPTER X.
STOLEN HORSES.
JUSTICE should be meted out to many who, though guilty, are shrewd enough to evade it. From one of the most notorious horse-thieves in the Kansas penitentiary I learned of the manner in which stolen horses were disposed of.
This convict's name is John Watkins. He served a term of three years in the Missouri penitentiary, and is now serving out a ten years' sentence in the Kansas State's prison. He is the chief convict steward in the hospital, and an able assistant of the prison physician, by whom his services are highly appreciated. This prisoner has immediate care of all the sick. His heart is tender as that of a woman. To listen to this man, as he sat with tearful eye at the bedside of the dying prisoner, and spoke words of cheer to him, one would scarcely believe him to be the most daring and one of the shrewdest horse-thieves that ever visited our State. In conversation with him one night as I lay on my sick bed in the hospital,
I said to him, "John, tell me how many horses you have stolen during the time you have been engaged in that line of business?"
His reply was, that if he had stolen one more he would have been successful in having stolen an even two hundred.
"What did you do with them after you had stolen them?"
He told me his headquarters were in Kansas City; that he would go up in the neighborhood of Omaha and Lincoln and get his horses, and tie them in the woods until he had picked up a number of them, and then he would make his way to the south. Horses stolen in Nebraska he would run south to sell. Those stolen in Missouri and Kansas he would take to the north. He told me that in Omaha, St. Joseph, Atchison, Leavenworth and Kansas City there were dealers, usually keepers of livery stables, who would purchase these stolen horses. He gave me the names of a number of these men, some of whom I know personally. Little would I ever have suspected that these men were engaged in such a wicked traffic as knowingly to deal in
"What did you do with your money, John?" I inquired.
To this question he answered that in Kansas City he had a suite of rooms fitted up in elegant style, and kept a mistress. Upon this woman he squandered all his money, obtained honestly and dishonestly. In addition to his horse-thieving raids he had several other sources of criminal revenue. One of these sources he described as follows: "I kept a horse and wagon, the wheels of which were covered with india
"How did you happen to get caught?"
"One day on the streets of Kansas City I accidentally met an ex-convict whom I knew while in Jefferson City penitentiary. He was penniless and somewhat shabby. He suspected me of crooked work, and wanted to go with me on a `horse raid.' At first I refused to take him with me, as it has always been my rule to go alone when in the crooked business. He persisted and urged me to let him go along. At last I yielded to his appeals, and we started from Kansas City. I have never been back since. My `pal' was caught on this trip and offered to turn State's evidence if he could regain his liberty.
"What became of the woman?" I asked.
"When in jail at Leavenworth and in need of money to pay my lawyer, I wrote her a letter informing her of my trouble, and begged her to send me some money. She forgot to answer that letter, and I have never seen or heard from her since that time."
"I suppose when your time is up you will hunt her up and fit up another suite of rooms, won't you?"
"Never," said he. When I get out I am going to lead an honest life and take care of my money. It does not pay to get money by crookedness. Such money never does one any good."
Having imparted this information he bade me good night and went over to another part of the ward, where he took his place beside the cot of a dying convict.
CHAPTER X.
STOLEN HORSES. The Twin Hells | ||