The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1876-05-18
THE WICHITA KIDNAPPERs.
J. VI. steele. Well Knows about Troy, Make
asneees-fai Escape from the fewa Omcers.

Many OF onr readers will remember the story
OF the Iorclble kidnapping. at Wichita, of J. NJ
fhlIlips, OF Iowa, who, it seems, was wanted on
a charge OF robbery, but the officers failed to
luehtiN MN IL seems that one of the County
commissioners of Sedgwiek Comfy, Mr.. J. NJ
Steele, went to Iowa To look after the case, and
wniie There was arrested The Beacon gives the
ioiio"lhs account of the trip and Mr.. Steels's
subsequent escape. 1t saws:
Last wednesday night, our county commits
s'ohSI' - N steele returned from Clinton, Iowa,
10 which place he had gone the interest of J.
NJ Phillips, lately extradited. Upon his arrival
III Clinton, he was arrested upon a trumped up
enarSe preferred by Mr. Seaman, the detective
whose sinister phiz was familiar to our citizens
curing the late habeas corpus trial, and, in the
aosence oil bail, was ordered to be imprisoned in
the jail at Clinton. Not liking the idea of being
incarcerated among the common jail-birds OF
Iowa, our worthy commissioner made PROPOSE
tion 10 pay the expenses of guard, provided he
was allowed the freedom of the city. This was
acceded to, aud Steele was placed in the charge
OF deputy sheriff, who, when night came, took
him to the principal hotel of the town. The
guard, armed with two pistols, one of which he
nad taken from his prisoner, occupied one bed
while the burly proportions of our tOwnsman lay
stretched IN defenseless condition upon anoth-
er; Time passed on with this disposition of the
beiiigerent forces, until the wee sma' hours OF
night when Steele quietly arose, and, with the
stealthy tread of q panther ready for his fatal
spring, approached the sleeping guard, and with
out disturbing his slumber, secured possession of
the arms. Then waking his man, in a low but
determined tone, ordered him, on peril of his life,
TO make no noise, but to get up quicker than
HI, and put his clothes on. The terrified dep
nty, feeling the vise-like grip of our modern
Hercules, and seeing the giant form of q man
rendered desperate and daring through peril,
looming up in the dim light Of the room, trem-
blngly but silently obeyed. From the hotel
Steele hurried his now crestfallen captive to the
nearest livery stable, secured team, aud at full
speed drove for liberty, never feeling entirely
secure until he had crossed the line between
Iowa and Missouri, distance of 300 miles or up
wards, as Clinton is situated on the Mississippi
river, near the northern limits of the State. Un-
der the protecting agis of the State of Missouri
he breathed freely. With characteristic gener-
osity, he gave the mortified deputy money
enough to pay his expenses back, and told him
to go and see his mother
Thus was accomplished one of the most daring
escapes on record and thus was frustrated one
of the grossest outrages ever attempted upon the
person of a free and innocent citizen of this Re-
public. An outrage which the authorities of
Clinton should be called on to explain and make
satisfaction, and Kansas should see that the
comfy of the States shall not be violated with
impunity in the person of one of the largest of
her citizens.
The above is substantially as related by Mr..
Steele upon his return home."