Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1871-04-14
THE MAN WHO is WANTED
Life aud Adventures Of Ferres-
ter, the Alleged Nathan Z
Murderer, as Told by an sr
Acquaintance.
HIS WONDERFULLY SUCCESS
Full CRIME IN THE EAST
WEST AND SOUTH.
A RACE WITH THE DETEC-
TIVES-HOW HE ESCAPED
FROM MEMPHIS AND FL
NALLY DISAPPEARED.

The recent arrest in this city of a
man supposed to be Forester, thecele-
brated craftsman and safe-blower,
whom Police Superintendent Kelso, of
New York, believes to. be one of the
murderers of Mr.. Nathan, has already
been mentioned in the AUaLanche. 1t
is known that Forester, who is proba-
bly, the most noted burglar in the Uni
ted States, was in Memphis few
weeks ago. Everything in connec-
ton with him will be read with int
rest at the present time, and an Aua-
tdnche reporter yesterday" interview
ed " an old acquaintance of the noted
"opeator," obtaining from him
THE STORY OF FoRRESTER's LIFT,
which contains enough thrilling incl
dents for dozen blood and thunder
novels. 1t will be remembered that
rewards aggregating $4,000 are offer
ed for Forrester's arrest. Although
photographs and printed descriptions
of the man, have been distributed
throughout every portion of the coun-
try, he has thus far successfully baffied
pursuit. He spent some time in Mem
phis during his late wanderings. AT
ter giving a description of Forester,
whom he called Billy" the old &C
quaintance continued:
HIS EARLY YEARS. 1as - p.
He who is known as Billy Forester.
which is an alias, was born in Scotland
in 1885, and at an early age removed
with his parents, who were hard work
ing, honest people, to this country,
landing in New York. Billy like all
other BOYS, was little wild in his
younger days, but was always regard
ed as an honest, hard working lad un-
lii the year 1855, when he was ."shang-
haied, or pressed into service upon q
sailing vessel bound for California
During the voyage he was handled
very roughly by the captain and Other
officers of the vessel, and upon the
ships arrival in California he deserted
her. That country, as every person
knows, was at that time filled with a
very rough, law defyiDg class of men,
and he being thrown among them
penniless, was, like many another hon
est young fellows led by them into mis-.
chief of one kind and another, until
he gradually bloomed forth as
FULL BLOWN THIEF,
one that would do almost anything ex'
cept murder, for the sake of money
| He staid out there for three or foul
years, until he became well known
and, being naturally very intelligent
| man, he was regarded as very DANCE
rOus character from his known skill
and snIartncss. e.
LEAVES CALIFORNIA FOR THE STATES
Just before the beginning of the war
he left California and went East, go
ing to New York, where he soon be
came well known, and from there h'
visited most of the Southern and Eas'
| tern cities. Hr.-i H.
AN ILLINOIS CRIME.
In 1862. he was convicted of break
| ing into a house, in small town IL
| Illinois, and sentenced to four years
IMPRISONMENT in the Joliet Penitentia
nv. Soon after he was put in the peni
| tertiary, several of the prisoners in
| Guiding Forester, bribed one OF TIT
officers and made their escape, III
was captured in q short time, and re
| turned to a prison only to make a sec
ond escape in similar manner. 1t wa
some months before he was captured
the second time, and when taken bach
the officials offered To procure him ;
free pardon if he would give the name
of the faithless guardian. This he re
fused to do, although some of his com
uanions i'm the first attempt to escape
| accented the offer when made to them
and they received their discharge Will
Forester served out every day of hi
time.
IN PRISON AGAIN.
After his discharge from Joliet, n
roamed around over the country, close
" watched by the police, who, all re
carded him as " lightning gun" un
til the spring of 1869, when he wa
again captured for breaking into
house in the suburbs of Chicago, AM
sentenced to thirteen years imprison
ment in Joliet. In company with
party, he had broken into a gentle
mans residence and lifted his silver
ware and valuables in way calcula
ted to make that person pauper, an
were leisurely proceeding back to tn
city when they were surprised by tn
police and captured with the stolel
property in their possession, thus fur
nishing clear proof that they were th
guilty parties, and senteLce was pass
ed upon him, and he was removed I
Joliet in June, of that year.
TWO MORE CAPTURES
He remained for about six weeks
when he succeeded in. making his g
cape, as he had done seven years bt
fore. He kept out of the way OF tn
detectives who were after INN, unit
the first of October Of the same yea
! when he was captured in st. Louis an
returned TO prison, only to RENAL