The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1872-09-20

THE NATHAN TRAGEDY.

THE NATHAN TRAGEDY.
Arrest Of Forester, the Supposed Muir
derer OF Mr.. Nathan-The Noted Grim
= fnal I'm Custody I'm washington-The
Prisoners Career.
WASHINGTON. Sept. BILLY For
rostor, alias Billy Marshall. alias Billy
or Frank Campbell, alias Frank
Harding, allies Frank Howard, the
suspected murderer of Nathan, the
New York banker, wss arrested in
Washington this morning by Detec.
tive Clarvoe, y cDerIitt, McElfresh
ana Miller. who have been on the
watch for him the last few days, be
lieving him TO be here. lie acknowl-
edged himself 10 be Forester, and
Chief Clarvoe will take him to New
York, accompanied by Chief Kelso,
Of New York, who has been tele
graphed to come on. The reward
offered for this nan amounted to
about SIG, 900, outside OF the Nathan
murder, of which he issuspected, but
which remains to be proven. After
his arrest lie telegraphed 10 New
Orleans for his baggage to be sent to
Barney Aaron, New York, and says
he is lately from the South.
SKETCH OF FORESTER
Billy Forester, which name forms
one OF his many aliases, was born in
Scotland in 1885, and at an early age
removed with his parents, who were
hard-working, honest people, to this
country, landing in New York
Billy was little wild in bis younger
days, but IVES always regarded as an
honest, hard working lad until the
year 1865, when he was 'shanghaid,"
or pressed into servic upon 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 ia California lie desert
ed her. PennIless, he was, like many
another honest young fellow, led in
10 mischief of one kind and another,
until he gradually bloOmed forth as a
full blown thief, ore that would do
almost anything, except murder, for
the sake OF money. He stayed out
there for three or four years until he
became well known, snd was regard
ed as a very dangerous character,
from his well known skill and smart
ness. just before the beginning of
the war, he left California and came
East, landing in New York, where he
soon become well known, and from
here he visited most OF The Southern
and Eastern cities.
AN ILLINOIS CRIME.
In 1862 he was convicted OF break
ing into house III small town in
Illinois, and sentenced to four years
Imprisonment in Joliet Penitentiary.
Soon after he was put in The Peniten
tiary several of the prisoners including
Forester, bribed one of the officers
and made their escape He was
captured in short time, and re-
turned to prison only to make a sec.
ond escape in similar manner. 1t
was some months before he was cap
tured the second time, and when
taken back, the officials offered to
procure him free pardon ifhe WOULD
give the name of the faithless guar
dian. This he refused to do, although
some of his companions in The first
attempt to escape accepted the offer
when made to them, and they receiv-
ed their discharge, while Forester
served out every day OF his time.
IN PRISON AGAIN.
After his discharge from Joliet he
rosmed around the country, closely
watched by the public, who all re-
garded him as lightning gum un-
til the Spring of 1869, when he was
again captured for breaking into a
house in the suburbs of Chicago, and
sentenced to thirteen years impris-
ment in Joliet. In company with
party, he had broken iato a gentle
mans residence and lifted his silver
ware and valuables in a way calcu.
lated to make that person a pauper,
and they were leisurely proceeding
back to the city when they were sur
prised by the police and captured,
with the stolen property in their pos
session. Sentence was passed upon
him, and he was removed to Joliet |
in June of that year.
TWO MORE CAPTURE.
He remained for about six weeks,
when he succeeded iu making his es-
cape, as be had done seven years
before. He kept out OF the way of
the detective until the 1st OF October,
when he was captured in st. Louis
and returned to prison, only to re-
main there about month, when he
again succeeded in making his escape,
and has since been free. Knowing
that he could not stay in that portion
of the country any longer, he pro-
ceeded directly to Boston, where he
was shortly afterward married to a
young woman, whose uncle is the
proprietor of the Florence Hotel, IN
that city, going from there with his
wife to New York City, and from
thence to Philadelphia, where he was
captured upon the charge of being
an escaped convict, by couple OF
Pinkerton's men, and taken TO their
office and placed in a cell, which was
prepared expressly for the safe keep
ing of dangerous characters. This
was in June of last year, and the
officers upon arresting him placed
him in the cell, first having removed
all his clothing except an undershirt
aud pair OF drawers, as precau-
tionary measure to deter him from
his escape, thinking man
in that state of undress could hardly
go through the streets, even if he
should make his escape, without be-
ing captured again. 1t was late in
The night when he was stripped and
placed in the cell, and the officers,
thinking that he was securely con-
fined. became elated over their i'm
portant capture, and going into an
room INDUCED in a good
lime, making considerable noise in
heir jollity. With but scrap OF
IRON, which lie had managed to con-
ceal from the officers, Forester sue
ceeded In picking the lock of the cell
and made his escape.
ONCE MORE IN THE TOLLS.
Not thinking it advisable to stay ,
IN Philadelphia any longer, he took ,
rather an abrupt departure, going to
Pitsburg, where be was again caught ,
by some more ct Pinkertcn's men j
Knowing OF his escape from Phila- ,
and having profound re-
,pect for his skill and cunning, they ,
started Immediately with him for :
Joliet. They had proceeded but a ,
,hort distance, when Forester, by ;
some means, diverted their attention
rom hin and jumped from the train,
while under full headway, with his
usual good luck succeeding in max ;
ng his escape, and returned with his
vile, who had followed him all the ! !
lime, to New York. 8
S.ppnU ESCAPE 1