The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1874-03-22
The Gad's Hill Missouri Gang take u
chicago Detective Out into the
woods and shoot Him.

From the Kansas city Times, March li.l
The large rewards offered for the cap
ture of the Iowa tram wreckers, and
later for the Gad's illrobbers, has led
Chicago detective to a very sudden
and mysterious death at the hands of
those he came to capture.
On Tuesday morning last stranger
arrived ut one of the Liberty hotels and
registered his name us j.. w. Whicher.
He was well dressed and made no Sc
cret of his business and intentions. He
said he was after the Gad's Hill train
robbers, and that he had trailed them
from Gad's Hill to Clay county, and he
intended to arrest the James brothers
before he got through with the job.
He made such changes in his dress
as to give him the appearance of n
working man, in which character he
intended TO go to the James farm to
apply for work as laborer, and so be-
come better acquainted with the habits
of those he intended to capture.
Whicher left Liberty on Tuesday
evening on the five o'clock train, hav-
ing purchased ticket for Kearney
station. He took with him only about
six dollars in money, and stated that
he intended to walk from Kearney to
the James farm.
The next thing that was seen of the
detective he was helpless prisoner,
bound, and in the hands of those he
had come SO far to capture. 1t was
at owens ferry landing, on the
Missouri river, about alfway between
Missouri City and the Richmond ferry.
One of the ferry men was awakened at
three o'clock on Wednesday morning
by party of four mounted men. One
of these was a prisoner, and rode q
gray horse; the others rode two bays
and sorrel horse. They commanded
the ferryman to take them over the
river. The ferryman at first refused to
20 over the river, but the men notified
him that if he did not they would cut
his boat loose and send it down the
river. Only one of the men spoke, and
he gave all the directions, and led the
bound prisoner upon the flatbOat, and
the party passed over in strict silence.
The prisoner did not appear to be at
ali restless, nor did he manifest any
anxiety about his life, which was soon
to be taken from him.
1t was just three o'clock in the morn
ing when the three men rode away
from the ferryboat and disappeared in
the dark gloom of the timber. They
rode slowly and silently away in the
direction of Independence. 1t is not
difficult to understand from the nature
of the wounds on the murdered man
how he was killed. He was shot from
the side, one bullet passing through his
head and one through his neck, a third
lodged in his shoulder.
Officers who have been out after
them, and from whom these details
are obtained, state that the three muir
derers came to Kansas City on Wednes-
day morning and crossed the bridge
into Clay county again. One of the
party was seen at daylight in Inde-
pendence at the public spring. The
other two were seen in Kansas City on
the same day, and it is the impression
of these who have been making an in
vestigation that the entire party crossed
the river over the Kansas City bridge.
1t is not likely that another Chicago or
st. Louis detective will attempt to take
the Gad's Hill murderers single-hand-
ed. The tate of Mr.. Whicher is an in
timation that they don't intend to be
taken without determined resistance