The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1874-04-04
( 5sMTsUELIlANY..,* /,
A rEERIBLE REyENGE!s

a TEEkRiBGE REfENGE!s
A Chicago betective's 5 MisfaH exon the
Track of the Gad's. HILL Train Rob
bers-They Take Him Out Into the
Woods and Sh0st HfFn. 30 q
From the Kansas City Times, March 14.]R
The~large rewards offered for the cap.
ture of the Iowa train wreckers, and Later
for the Gad's Hill robbers, has led ChI7s
cago detective to very sudden and mys@
terious death at the hands of those whom
he came to capture. From the following
horifyiDg details assfarnished by some OF
the officials working up the case, it viii be
seen that the captareaof the Gad's HllrObrs
bers Is not to be made easilysor With0ub
serious trouble, and it is. very doubtful
whether they are ever taken alive. 5ases' -
-, THE DEFECTIVE. '..,' y 4
On Tuesday morning Last stranger ar
rived at one of the Liberty hotels and reg
istered his name as j. w. Whicher. He
was well dressed, and made mo. secret OF
his business and his intentions. .ss,He said
that he was after the Gad's Hill train roba
bers, and that he had trailed them -ffona
Gad's Hill to Gay county, and he. Intended
to arrest the james brothers before he'lgot
through with the job. He walked aboTisI
town during the day, making close inqtliTfF.
les concerning the whereabouts OF the farm
of the. Widow James and the habits and
customs of the James boys 5 ,.....s. !,
The detective awas informed that the.
James farm was about three miles sfrom
Kearney, and ten or twelve from Kansas
City. He also made inquiries as to wheths
er pistol pointed suddenly at their heas3ss
would not be likely to intifnidate and sur
prise them so that they would surrender
These and other iAdisereet remarks at the
bank and hotel left no doubt Of bis. .inten-
ton to attempt the arrest of the James
brothers. Before leaving Liberty he de-
posted fifty dollars in the bank subject to
his own order and of another person, with
the understanding that he might not re-
tnrn again, as he was going out on a desr
perate mission. also made such changes
in his dress as to give him the appearance
of working man, In which character he
intended to go to the James farm to apply
for work as laborer, and so become bet
ter acquainted with the habits of those he
intended to capture 3t ssSas,fss sisF z
CAPTURED BY THE ROBBERS. II
Whicher left Liberty on Tuesday eve
ming on the five o'clock train, having pur-
chased ticket for Keariiey station. he
took with him only about six dollars IN
money and stated that he intended to walk
from kearney to the James farm and ap-
Div for work. Whether he went there alld
applied for work or not is at present ufl-
known, as nothing more was seen OF hlln
after he left Kearney station until he was
seen in the custodyo of three strange men,
late that night. 1t is supposed by the Oft
GERS who have been working up the case
that hG did apply to the James boys, and
that his true character was at once discoY-
cred; but this is only mere supposltfen.
He may have attempted to arrest one OF
them, and failed to get the drop ON them
as he intended. Fgf
ON THE ROAD TO DEATH.
The next thing that was seen of the de-
tective he was a helpless prisoner, beurd.
and IN the hands of those he had come so
far to capture. 1t was at Owens Ferry,
landing, on the Missouri River, about half
way between Missouri City and the Rich
mond ferry. One of the. ferrymen was
awakened at threeio'cloek 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
a soIirel horse. They commanded the
ferrylnan to take them over the river. Ihe
man stated that it was against the rules TO
cross at night, and he was unable to row
the fiat-boat over the river alone. Trey
then commenced to call across the river
to the other ferryHlar, who was asleep IN
his house on the Jackson county shore{
The ferryman at first refused to Igo
over the river, but the. men notified hlIa II
he did net they would cut his boat loose
and send it down the river. In reply to
his question asto who they were and what
they wanted, they shouted back that they
were. .asheriff's posse in charge of Deputy
Sheriff jim Baxter. and that they had cap
stured thief and were going over TO Jack
son county after another one. The Terry
man saws he knew Jim Baxter Was. mot
there. but to save his boat from going down
the river lie got iii his sbiffand rowed oVel
to the CLAY county shore. All 0fthe horse;
were blai1keted, the three men had tfeil
faces covered up to the eyes with woGleI
comforters and their hats were drawn
down as if for the purpose OF conceaFling
their identity. Only one OF the men spoke
and he gave all the directions, and led tht
bound prisoner upon the fiat-boat, ant
the party crossed over in strict silence
The prisoner did not appear to be at al
restless, nor did he. manifest any anxiety
about his life, which was soon to be takel
from Kim.
THE MURDER.
tt was lust three O'Clock in the mOrnins
when the three men rode away fromEtht
ferrv-boat and disappeared in the flari
selooril ofstlle timber. They rode Slowly
and silently away in the direction OF lade
pendence. 1t is not difffcultte understand
.frors the nature of the wounds on tn
murdered man how he was killed.. Ill
e Wasishot from the side, one bullet passlns
through his head and one through hi
neck. and a third lodged in his shou Sder
Whether he was ordered to prepare for hi
fateIand given some notice OF their lnten
tioni to kill him. or whether he was Fsho
suddenly while riding along bound help