The Van Buren press., 1873-12-09
SID WALLACE,
The johnson County Desperado-Attempt
to Break Jail.
The Failure-Two Men Wounded-Wa
lacs Brought to the Peni-
Tertiary,
Prom situc Rock Daily Gauet,c. {

have doubtless heard Of Sid. Wallace, Of
Johnson county. He comes Of a good
family, which was universally esteemed
prior to the war, and has large and
wealthy connection Various assassIna
tons and murders have been committed
In JohnsoR county since the war, and
suspicion rested upon Sid Wallace and
his brothers lie has thsee brothers liv-
ing, all of whom Except his brother
William are regarded as desperate char
acters Another brother was killed III
February last In 1871 Sid waylatd the
road about mile and half east al
Clarksville and attempted to assassinste,
by shooting him from the roadside, a
man named Dickey, II drummer from st.
Louis Dickey was riding out in bug
gy accompanied by young man named
Turner, clerk in u house at Clarksvllie:
the only witness against Wallace For
this he was arrested and gave bond for
his appearance before the Circuit Court
at the ensuing term AT the meeting Of
Court an indictment was found against
him for assault with intent to kill, besides
several other indictments for minor Of
lenses. The cases were continued and
he gave bond for his appearance at the
next term of Court No Court was held
after that until March, 1873. In Februa-
ry, 1873, Sid. and his brother George,
made an assault upon Turner in the town
of Clarksville and attempted to kill him.
Turner being the only witness against
him in the Diekcy affair. He was pre-
vented from killing Turner by the inter
ference Of citizens, and made his escape
into the country. A few days after this
Sid aud his brother, George, came to
town again hunting Turner, when the
latter saw them on the street and shot
and killed George Turner was subse-
quently arrested and brought before
County Judge Meers, who discharged
him A few days after this Sid. Wallace
accidentally shot himself in the feot, and
was arrested At that time those who
had gone on his bond for shooting
Dickey gave him up, refusing longer to
be his bondsmen, just before tho com
mencement Of Court in March he made
his escape, and the governor offered Il
reward of two hundred dollar for his ar
rest. From that time on he was in and
out Of the County at intervals, but man
eyed to elude the officers of the law
On the Goth of August, at night, he
rode in,o ClarksyiIIe, hitched his horse
in the Court -house yard, secreted him
self behind the Cosrt Gsuse fence and
shot, and fatally wounded, Il W Ward,
a constable who WAS siita2 in front OF
W. Z. Roses Drug store, opposite the
Court house square. He then got on his
horse and rode away.
just one week after this, about half a
mile cast of Carksyille, Hon Elisha
Meers, the Circuit Judge, was shot and
killed from u blind near the roadside, the
particulars OF which we gave at the time
The evidence developed at the Coroner y
inquest pointed to Sid. Wallace as the
perpetrator of the deed The Governor
offered a reward Of five thousand dollars
for the arrest and conviction of the as
sassn. About this time Deputy Sheriff
Kline, with a posse, got on the track oil
Wallace and run him cut of the County
Soon after this Wallace very leisurely
Conway county. Hearing Of the matter,
Sheriff Stout, of that County, ia company
with another gentleman, followed, over
took and arrested Wallace, carried him
to Clsrksvile and turned him over to the
authorities Of johnson county, who
- l., Ia, inH l'np,t AZ n
2Oth Of October, Judge Withers having
been appointed to the vacancy created by
tae assassination Of Judge Meers. The
Grand jury found three indictments
against WalIaee-onc for the attempt to
shoot Turner, and one each for the mur
der of Ward and Meers. He was tried
on the indictment previously found for
the attempt to assassnate Dickey, con
victcd, and the punishment assessed at
four years in the Peniten,iasy Next, he
was tried for the murder Of Ward, con
victed Of murder in the first degree, and
sentenced to be hung on the 26th of De
ecmbcr This was the condition Of af
fairs on Tuesday. Clarksvile has no
Jail, and the prisoners the County were
confined in three story brick building,
known us the Hershey block. The prls
oners were in .the third story, There
were six Of them-Sid. Wallace and his
two brothers, Mat. and Tom, the two
latter having been committed to keep the
peace, having given bond at first, but
were afterwards surrendered by their
bondsmen Another prisoner was named
r. J. Cargyle, nicknamed Alabama, y
under an indictment for larceny. Chas
Bray was another prisoner, confined
pending investigation for letting prs-
oners escape. Charles Clark was another
prisoner, who had been convicted ard
sentenced to ten years Imprisonment in
the penitentiary for assault with intent
to kill Thos, Payne, the principal witness
against Sid Wallace for the murder of
Ward. All these prisoners were chained
in the third story, except Tom and Mat.
Wallace There were four guards in the
building On Tuesday afternoon one el
the guards went after a bucket Of water
another one went down stairs to let him
out, while still another stepped into a
back room, when Tom. and Mat
Wallace sprang upon the remaining
guard, took possession of the guns ol
the other guards, aud told him to drop
his pistol or they would kill him. The
guard retreated down the steps, pistol in
hand, and when at the foot OF the steps
fired off his pistol. As he retreated Mat
and Tom released Sid and the other pris