Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-02-12
BYRON,S lILEGITIMArE son.

The Confession of q Nan VINO Died in Prison
Jhe WreckiagG q Ezgress Trans on Michigan
Rai,rOad and fhe Rob5ing Of the PASSENGERS
and the Express COnlpdny's Ours.
gentleman who has been annoyed by the
German journals comments upon Thomas
sens crime gives q Sun reporter the follow
ing details OF some atrocious crimes In which
German of noble extraction shared: In
1866, on one OF the railroads terminating in
Detroit three express trains cOnsecutively
were thrown down steep embankment, and
wounded were stripped of their valuables,
and the express car was robbed. The trains
were wrecked at the same time-a high en-
bankment. They were thrown In the same
direction, down the steepest side of the ele-
walton, and by the same means by sleepers
placed on the opposite rail of the track. The
railroad company detectives found singular
fOOtmarks In the mud about the ruins Of
the train. The foot was that of a man,
but almost delicate enough to be a wOman's,
and in the marks made by the heels
were several small holes, seemingly made
by spikes. The detectives had plaster casts
OF the tracks made, and these they kept. Not
long afterward the president of the railroad
ionable of Detroit's hotels, in which the
writer offered for largo sum Of money to
give full Information concerning the wreck
ers. An interview was appointed, and the
elegantly attired young man, who said that
he was George Gordon Byron, the illegiti-
mate son of Lord Byron by Scotch lady Of
down; but the president required time for
consideration and meeting followed meeting.
Meantime the detective Swallowed Byron.
One night he went out of the hotel quietly,
and by a circuitOus route, reached the place
at which the express trains had been
wrecked. The detective kept him In sight.
To the latter, Byron seemed to busy himself
on the very spot at which the sleepers that
had upset the trains had been found. Then
Byron sprang on the low fence of q grave
yard at the side OF the track. The detective
crept among the tombstones and waited.
The headlight OF the locomotive of an ex-
press train, bound into Detroit, appeared.
The Earring OF the track, the clatter AMI
then the heavy roll Of the train were
heard. The lights in the passenger coaches
and then the entire train became visible.
The train was seemingly rushing 10 inevita-
Bile destruction; but IL dashed by, and was
safe. Byrons diabolical scheme had in some
unaccountable way miscarried. He looked
after the vanishing train for few minutes,
and then having cleared the track of the in
effectual obstruction, he sauntered to his
hotel in round about way. A few days al
terward, while in Byron's room the detec-
tive, who, by dressing extensively and
spending money with lavish hand, had
pair OF English crlcketing shoes, with
spikes in the heels. and somewhat muddy at
the side Of ByrOn's trunks. The detective
foot. 10 examine the spikes. He was con-
WINGED that they would ut in the holes in the
plaster casts of the footprints that had been
discovered ABOUT Tue WIcCkcu LTdluSs 6uOTL.
ly afterward he invited Byron TO take q
short railroad journey to see some athletic
games, and then he adroitly persuaded Byron
to take part in them. Thus the detective
made the all-important cricketing shoes Q
part ofthe contents OF Byron's portmanteau.
At the FIRST station from Detroit the detec-
tive and Byron got out for refreshments,
and Byron's pOrtmanteau was stolen by the
detectives associate. Just before the train
arrived at the next stopping place the detec-
tive's companion entered the car and made
the signal that indicated his possession OF
the spiked shoes. Then Byron was arrested.
The prisoner confessed that with the aid Of
two accomplices, one calling himself the
nephew OF Sir Charles Napier, and q German
OF dis tinguished birth, he had wrecked the
three express trains and had plunderei the
dead and wounded passengers. They had
chosen express trains because of the superior
class Of their passengers, and the possibility
OF obtaining large booty from the express
car. From the first two wrecks Byron and
his accOmplices obtained moro valuable
property than from the third, the plundering
OF the express car I'm the last instance having
been prevented by the faithfulness OF the
dying guard. With their plumber, young
Napier and the German, Byron said, had
gone 10 Europe, intending TO live sumptu-
Ously. He had remained to trick the rail-
road npany out of as much money as he
could, and, disappointed in that. he had
resolved To wreck another train. Byron was
convicted and sentenced tn state prison for
life. lie recently DID IN prison.-tX T. Sun
day ern.