Copied from Beneath Ben Lomond’s Peak: A History of Weber County, 1824-1900, pg 273.

THE STOLEN SHIRT

In the early days at Ogden, the Indians frequently gave trouble to the settlers by stealing whatever they happened to want.

On one occasion a young wife and her husband of Ogden were in desperate straits for clothing. This white woman had been a mother but a few days and was confined to her bed. Her husband was destitute for a shirt, and the young wife was badly in need of underwear.

The wife’s mother decided to come to the rescue, so she went to a little shop where some used clothing was for sale and purchased a striped hickory shirt for the husband and a chemise for the wife. Neither article was new. The shirt had been worn by the driver of a team across the plains and its cuffs were badly worn; however, the purchase price was $4.50, rather high. The mother very reluctantly parted with her much-cherished money, for the man must have a shirt.

On reaching home, she washed both articles and hung them on a fence to dry. Soon thereafter an old Ute Indian came along and forthwith the shirt and the chemise both disappeared.

The son-in-law to whom the shirt had been given was irate and immediately proceeded to search for the thief along the Weber River in the northwestern part of town. The Indian could not be found, so the weary, discouraged settler returned home for the night. Early the next morning the search was renewed and many long miles covered. Having learned that an Indian had been seen going north, the footsore searcher walked as far as Willard where he found a group of men sharpening tools. He stopped and talked with them and wearily leaned over to rest. Suddenly he became aware that another person had joined the group. Upon looking up, he beheld a large Indian wearing the stolen shirt. The searcher was a small man, but he did not hesitate to accuse the thief. After a short argument, he quickly tripped the Indian and threw him heavily to the ground. When the thief was released and got up, he decided to return the shirt to its owner; but he had traded the chemise at North Ogden, and so that could not be returned.

Footsore but exultant, the searcher returned to his home, carrying the much-prized shirt.