The Cairo bulletin., 1876-05-17
ED. JOHNSON.
Capture 81 the SOtosious desperate
- WotkHatowU. NentUcEy SOW
1or was taUeht.

''"S hN tYaNt TcNUIa' u""hlH 'ilie
city has been paid frequent visits by a
gentleman named PATRICK. Conren. who
represented himself rs a aoca buyer.
No one. We tiarcsay, except Sheriff hvii.
Chief OF Police cssu,an iana tl,eir a.-
sistahts, Mere any the wiser vi the real
vocation of Mr.. Connell. who turns out
To be II noted detective in the employ ~
The American EXprcss company. lie
came here Ia search of the noted thief
and desperate, Ed. Johns III, who, IN
company with a number of other. oi III.
same stripe, some sixteen months ago,
rented n room on Madison street. Mem
phis, In the most prominent part of the
city. and advertised u commission busi-
ness. BY means of dccoy letters they
succeeded in cnticiUg an express mcssen-
ger named Brady into the room, aud in
open day assaulted, nearly Killed, and
robbed him Of large nlnonnt u money.
People In the street thought u fight was
progressing In the room. and many wit
i.csscd portion Of the affair. Securing
their booty. johnson and his accompliccs
went out on Madison street, and passed
through crowd of at least three hun
dred people. crossed Madison and entered
another basement room within fifty
yards Of where the robbery was commit.
ted. where they divided the swag and
then fled.
large detective force wa. put upon
the track Of the robbers, who were all
finally captured, johnson proving him
self the most difficult to catch. Among
the force who had hand in working up
the case, was the celebrated Allen Pink
erton, Of Chicago, who came to Cairo on
several occasions last summer to learn
the whereabouts of johnson. who was
supposed to be in this neighborhood.
Sheriff Irwin, of this city, it will be re-
membered, was also on the trail of John
son, who about the time OF linkerton's
last visit to Cairo, purchased team of
mules at Metropolis, and started for
Cape Girardeau. Sheriff Irwin went in
in pursuit by rail, while Pinkcrton, who
had also got information Of where John
son was, started after him on horseback,
and finally succeeded in arresting him in
a saloon at the Cape, just as Sheriff irwin,
who had been detained on the way, en-
tered the town. johnson was taken back
to Memphis, given trial, and sent to the
penitentiary at Nashville. tor twenty-onc
years. After few months residence ut
the penitentiary he escaped, his friends
paying a man employed at the prison to
haul slop to haul Him ont in II slop bar
| rel.
Immediately after his escape, besides
sending out detectives after him. the Of
iicers Of the company had ten thousand
descriptive circulars printed. with pho.
tographs of johnson attached. offering a
liberal reward foi his capture. aud these
were distributed in all parts Of the States
and Canada; but nothing until recently
has been learned of him.
About six months agoa woman came
to this city and took boarding with u
family in the lower part of town. \ few
days aiterward she moved her quar-
tiers. and located herself in a more se-
cluded place. She was recognized as the
| wife OF johnson by the officers, but had
assumed the name Of Jennie Brown, and
received a number of letters under thi.
name. Sheriff irwin succeeded in getting
hold OF one of them, which was from
johnson, and his Whereabouts was thus
found. Sheriff Irwin had the ropS laid to
haul him in. bat the next that is learned
of him he is in Jail at MorganlielJ. Union
county, Kentucky, having been arrested
by Sheriff Houston, ct that place, for
crimes committed in that vicinity. \
few days ago Sheriff Houston, of Union
county, was ut Louisville, when
he was shown one Of the
circulars and photographs sent out
the company. lie at once recognized
the picture OF johnson as one Of the men
he had In Jail at Morganiicll. and whom
he had captured few days before. Thi,
information was forwarded 10 the cX-
press superintendent at Memphis who
sent Detective COnneil To Morgan.
field to see il he was the johnson wanted
lie proved TO be the right man, and Con
nell telcgraphed back saying. 81 have
dollar for dollar at last" The despatch
10 characteristic OF Connell, as he is re
co ynized as one OF the most successful
pe rseverng, daring and cunning dctec
tives in the United States. lie is devote,
to his profession. aud will sacrifice com
tort and health in the pursuit OF his cal
ing. johnson it appears has been one ,
a desperate gang Of river pirates on th
Ohio, who have made their home on
ilatboat, committing the most outrageou
deprcdatiOns IN various localitie
r along the river, and when ia
officers attempted TO arrest them
they gave battle, and Johnson wa
slightly wounded. The Memphis ipps0
in speaking of the arrest says; ''SEeri
Irwin of Alexander county, Illinois, an
City Marshal Gcary, of Paducah, hay
been very active in trying to captur
I Johnson, and have materially aided i
I bringing it about"
New.
just received, large stock OF Shaw
t Refrigcrators. and White Mountain tripl
@ motion. Ice cream frceLers also n larS