Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1868-10-20
William E. Kidd, tile Murderer of Katie
Jordan, Captured Confesses his Guilt
Commits Suicide by Taking Strych-
nine.

w llAldu e. Aluus Tic IA uTu6I6I OF AaC1e
Jordan, Captured-Confesses his Guilt
Commits Suicide by Taking Strych-
nine.
William Il. Kidd the murderer OF
Miss Catharine Jordan, in Glen Ha,
ven, June Is, 1868, was captured BY
j. L. Delaware, formerly resident of
Glen Haven, but late of Omaha, n.
T., and Frank Winship, of Sioux City
Iowa, Oct s, in Mobiles Co, Minneso-
TIA, and on the 18th Oct. committed
suicide by taking strychnine, whilst
on the cars near Jefferson, Green Co,
Iowa. They arrived at Lancaster
with the remains of Kidd, Oct, is !;
same recognized by his father and
brother on the 18th, and on the 18th
the remains were buried. Careful
search had been made about the per-
son and clothes OF Kidd for conceal,
ed weapons or poison, but nothing
was found. After taking the poison
Kidd told ofit-saying, "you search-
ed well but the small paper OF strych-
nine had been sewed inside the Ii
ming of waistband of pants, whore its
discovery was next to impossible. !"
The poison had been provided for
use in case cf need under circums
stances of arrest. His death took
place one hour aud twenty-five MN
utes after taking the poison. At in
tervals between spasms he conversed
freely and even With cneerfulness,
giving directions as to what should
be told his friends at home, &c. The
quarter hour next the closing strug.
gle he occupied in earnest prayer.
An hour after, the ears arrived at
Boonesboro whore an inquest was
held, the verdict OF which was, that
deceased came to bis death by poison
administered by his own hand.
The rewards offered for Kids ar
rest and delivery were as follows: by
the State of Wisconsin $500 By
Grant County $500: by citizens OF
Glen Haven and Bloomington $3.50
and by citizens of Fennimore 500
making in all 81 $50.
The two men, Delaware and Win
ship, are entitled TO the public thanks
fer the pursuit under difficulties and
for their entire managem ent Of Kidd
in a prompt but kind and humane
manner Their written aud semi,
official report Of transactions made tt
the county Board are straight for
ward and unquestioned for truthful.
ness
Kidd confessed to Delaware as fol,
lows on the first light of his capture
That he and Katie Jordan had al
ways been intimate friends, were rails
ed together, had taken her TO parties
and made her many presents thai
at one time he got to drinking she
induced him to stop, saying, /" if yot
will stop drinking I'll make u man o
you at one time he told her ht
loved her, and if she didn't marry
him she never should marry any one
this two months before the muir.
der. That couple Of days before
the act he took his trunk to Cassville
and shipped the same marked S. 0
b. Martin, Mazomanie on Monday
evening thereafter went with his
horse and buggy to MeIvor's to see
her, asked for her and she came GU
to ee him and they talked a Will
and he asked her to take ride witt
him, saying that it would be the las
ride they would ever take together
said he was going away, but woul
be back on the 4th of July and tax
her sister to dance. She got int
the buggy he referred to the pres
ents he had made her and sthat b
had set of furs in his trunk he ha
intended TO give her and other art
Giles observed while riding that
ring he had given her was not worn
be then returned her picture whic
she took and put in her pocket
He let down fence and passe
through field, came to ravin,
turned his horses quartering acros
the road {; then took out his revolve
and asked her to shoot him. Sh
refused and swered, :" William
what arc you gong to do I? | Al
afraid of you" He then took out hi
knife and she said !" My God, vii
liam, are you going to cut my throat?
He answered +" | am He the
placed his arm around her head an,
aimed to draw the knife across he
throat she seized the knife and in $
doing cut her hand severely; he the
wrenchod the knife from her and Gu
her throat, holding her head with hi
arm until life was extinct he thel
alighted and lifted the body out 0
the buggy, intending to throw it in
to sink-hole near by, when the hor
ses started thinking some one wa
coming he left the body and iumpe,
into the buggy, drove to his, fathers
left his team and got a horse anC
fed.
Went to Boscobel that night an,
arrived just as freight train wa
about to start saw at the depot Rev
Fanchier of Viroqua who called hin
by name, bat he dared not recogniz,
him and denied that his name wa
Kidd, went on to Mazomanie, stopped
to get his trunk, failed, went on t
Milwaukee and thence to Grand Ha
ven, thence back to Milwaukee L
try and get box, failed, thence t
Chicago while in Chicago he over
heard some policemen speak of hi
crime; thought then he would b
caught, and concluded he would get
ticket to Galena and go to Lancas
ter and deliver him self up. Chang
.. his mind and ticketed to Council
Bluffs stopped at Clinton, To-, an(
got acquainted with man who wai
taking boat load of apples to Mem
phis, tried to buy into the enterprise
but failed, went on to Council Bluffs
saw James NJ. Scott but feared to al
low himself to be recognized by
Scott, got into wagon with man
went down and crossed the river at
Plattsmouth, thence out on stream
known as Weeping Water, to look at
some land in view of making a pur'