Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-03-29
JACK SHEPPARD.
Desperate Struggle with n Highway
man-Partieulars of the Capture of
RusselIvilIe Bank Robber.
From the Lonisville Courier. Mach 2.

kuSseflVtsle Bank R0bber~
From the Louisville Courier. March q.
On Saturday last, Detective Bligh visit
ed Russelville, at the instance of the bank,
and was furnished with all the particulars
of the robbery, and a description of the
men. He ascertained that, after leaving
Russellville, the men went in the direction
of Bowling Green, passing through Logan
and Warren counties, crossing the railroad
between Franklin and Woodburn. They
camped out the first night in a bottom on
Barren river, near ClaypooPs mill.
A man living in the neighborhood was
attracted by the light of camp fire at
about midnight. He walked toward the
spot to see what was up. When he got
within hundred yards of the place from
whence the light proceeded, he discovered
party of five or six men sitting around
the fire, apparently handling papers or
bank notes. He returned cautiously, hay-
ing grave suspicion that all was not right.
OF course he had not heard of the bank
robbery. Before daylight the gang disap-
peared, and the man told Mr.. Claypool Of
what he had seen. On the following day,
the news of the robbery reached that place,
and the alarm was given. The citizens
started an pursuit, following their trail for
a number of miles. Their next stopping
point was Greenville, where they passed
the day in drinking and rioting. They
squandered their ill-gotten gains freely, and
had "high time"
AT dark they separated and left the viii
lage, two of them going in the direction of
Glasgow. They halted at the house Of an
old widow lady, about ten miles from
Greenville, where they took dinner. They
said that they were from Tennessee, and
inquired the route to Bardstown. From
this point all trail of them was lost.
From Russellville, officer Bligh returned
to Louisville. On Wednesday he received
information that man answering the de
scription of one of the robbers was at the
village of Chaplin, in Nelson county. In
company with officer Gallagher, he left the
city at eight o'clock in the evening for the
place indicated. The night was very dark,
| and rain poured down in torrents After
much difficulty they reached Chaplin at
eight o'clock on the following Thursday
morning. They made no inquiries, but
moved around about two hours, and finally
discovered in a small grocery man an
swering the description of the one who
| registered at RussellviIle as John Wood.
There were two or three other men pres
ent. As the officers entered the store, Shep-
pard rose to his feet, and eyed them sharp
Iy. Officer Bligh called for some beer, at
the same time walking up to the counter,
near the man. When within reach of him,
he caught him by the collar, and a strug
gle ensued, during which Sheppard called
L. haln In tho OffIaar
Gallagher disarmed him of two navy re-
volvers. The other men called upon the
| officers not to hurt him. A crowd of ex-
cited people soon assembled, and the Off
GERS informed the crowd that they were
officers, and warned them not to attempt
interference. The wife and father-in-law
of Sheppard appeared and begged for his
release The prisoner was securely ironed
and placed in the buggy, when they set out
| and reached here at ten O'clock on Thurs
day night.
He told the officers that he had been
| away from home some time, selling stock,
and they found it was true that he left
with four horses a few days before the
| bank was robbed. At the hotel in Russell
vile, officer Bligh searched the room occu-
pied by the robbers, and found the frag-
ments Of some letters that had been de-
stroyed. By connecting the pieces, the
name John Sheppard was plainly made
out. He has a defect in one eye, and in
| every particular answers the desert ption of
the man who rode the iron gray horse in
Russellville, and guarded the door, firing
up and down the streets while the others
were robbing the bank. He is about twenty
eight years old, and nearly six feet high.
The officers of the bank have been sent
for, and are expected to arrive to-day, TO
identify him. Sheppard denies the charge,
but his actions, detailed above, indicate
his guilt. He is greatly concerned, and as
soon as he arrived at the First street station
house, he asked the Lieutenant in charge
to read him the published description of
him. He admitted that it was a pretty
good picture of him, but he did not believe
the officers of the bank could identify
him. He is from Missouri, and has only
lived in Nelson county about nine months.
A reward of $4,000 for the gang, or $500
for each of them, is offered. We will give
further particulars tomorrow.