The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-08-15

Now that the excitement and sensa-
tional reports incident to the arrest OF
Bruce Younger aud Hobbs Kerry, the
supposed Otterville express robbers.
have In measure Quoted down. 1t Is but
Just to give the reading public detailed
statement OF the history Of the affair,
and to place the credit OF the arrest where
II belongs.
berry in question. Chief McD0nough, OF
the st. Louis force, had reason to believe
that band OF outlaws contemplated
raid on the CRANKY bank, and that their
headquarters at a place called Coaltield,
not far distant from CRANKY, Newton
county, this state. With o view to Sc
curing these thieves, the chief sent six
picked men into SAID county to prospect,
and gain all the Information possible In
the matter. After considerable hardship
and expense. it was ascertained beyond
doubt
THE YOUNGER AND JAMES BOYS
were arranging and perfecting plans in
COalfield to rob the Grandy bank by one
of those bold dashes which have charac-
terized their previous efforts. For some
cause unknown, the bank robbery was
abandoned, and the officers quietly re-
their regular duties. With the news
of the train robbery. the chief summoned
the detail and made careful re-
view of the facts and incidents as pre-
scented at first flash. Becoming satisfied
that the robbers OF the train were the
identical ones who had plotted for the
burglarizing OF the bank, the officers were
started for CRANKY aud Joplin. Hobbs
Kerry, and those of his ilk who had been
In the neighborhood at the first visit OF
the officers, were absent, and ii WAS
learned had not been seen about for o
number of days. This was satisfactory
evidence, IN the light of events. and the
loops" sat themselves down to await the
return Of the men. On the 26th of July,
Kerry returned to CRANKY. and soon sue
ceeded in giving those on the watch addi-
tional cause to suspect him. He spent
money freely. something rather singular
for one of his walk in lie, when it was
known that he had earned little.
and showed deep interest in the
THE TRAIN ROBBERY.
After consultation, it was not deemed
advisable TO arrest Kerry until some OF
his companions should put in an appear
ance, and 1t was confidently hoped by
the Chief that he would be able TO corral
"
manned about CRANKY, in close company
with Bruce Younger, for several days.
Everything progressed favorably TO the
cause OF the police until July 81. when it
became evident that Kerry and Younger
had " dropped " on the surveillance OF
the officers. They conducted themselves
in such a manner as to lead TO the inn
| preston that they intended leaving for
| some more congenial cline, and IT was
\ deemed advisable to make the arrest
without delay. The order was ex-
| ecuted, and the prisoners in charge
| OF the officers, arrived in ST.
Louis on che morning of August /. he.
ing LOGGED In the Four Courts calaboose.
There they remained in close confine-
mcnt until the evening Of the Sd inst,
at which time the chief proceeded to
Sedalia with them. After considerable
trouble Kerry was fully identified by Mr..
and Mrs. Duvall. living twelve miles
from Sedalia, and at whose house he and
three others had dined on Sunday pre-
ceding the raid. j. NJ. Thatcher, agent
of the Adams Express Company, and
Larry Hagen, of Cincinnati. detective for
the express company, closely questioned
Kerry and impCrtuned him to confess,
but ne stubbOrnly denied having any
to do with the robbery and asserted
vehementiy in the presence Of Mr.. and
Mrs. Duvall that he had not been in their
section Of the country for three years,
and could prove an ali bi by many OF the
best citizens OF CRANKY. At this juno
ture, Chief McDonough drew forth from
the deep recesses Of an inside pocket
AN INTERCEPTED LETTER
of kerry's, written by himself to one
Stapp, a ssloon-keep at or near CRANKY,
in which reference is made to the pro-
posed raid on the CRANKY bank. The
letter was captured by the officers In June
last, and read as follows:
CoAITIELD, Kan, June 9.-R. L.
Stapp, Sir: received your letter to-day
and was glad to hear from you. Well,
Dick. l am In little better spirits than
| was when | wrote you before. | have
heard from them again yesterday. and
they will be here In day or two, and we
are going to do SOMETHING. But they
are very cautious, and are afraid of me
and you. They think that it may be
that We are fixing some trap to catch
them. AS 1t has been tried so often they
are afraid of everybody. Charlie says he
will fix that all right when they get to
see me, and talk to me, and it will be all
right when We get acquainted
with them. We will give them good
talk, and they won't be afraid of US then,
but you know it stands them in hand to
be careful, for they are not like us.
They have to be on the lookout all the
time and We don't. Dick, you keep up
courage and we will have it some day
yet, before long. Charlie and one of
THE "Y." BOYS
will come in a day or two before ii takes
place, and sec you and look into every
thing. | will bring them right to you,
and they will talk 10 you about how il is
to be done. SO you rest easy, for will
see them about 1t day after tomorrow,
We will all strike out tor some place.
and 1t Is as liable to be Granny as any
other place. So, Dick, il you see Bruce
you may tell him that 1t is all knocked
In the head; that you got letter from
me, and | was going TO the Nation TO
my brothers. don't think he will get
here any more with us, for have not
heard from him since ! wrote to you be-
tore, but he will keep every thing dark.
1 will not have time to let him know
about the boys being here. One of the
boys that stays with me here got back
yesterday, and came RICH. from the boys
Monday morning, and rode one OF their
horses back here. So you know We
heard straight news from them, and Bill
says they are red-hOt to do something,
and you bet when get to see them l
Will convince them that CRANKY is the
best place and the easiest to get at, and
they will come sure. Dick, don't YOU
make track you can not cover up again,
and don't get out OF heart, for, as YOU
said, III can stand il Won Oupht IN for