The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1876-12-14
Sheriff HetheringtOn and the Marion
County Robbers.

The robbery of the Marion county safe
has caused much excitement throughout
this State, and the capture of part of the
robbers was hailed with JOY by all our
people. Soon after the capture of the
others and the escape of Harry Williams,
the leading rascal of them all, and who is
now under sentence of 20 years in the
penitentiary for killing man, Sheriff
James E. Hetherington of this county OBJ
| tanned clue to Williams whereabouts
and started for his man. He arrived at
Hastings, Nebraska, and followed the clue
| about twenty miles in the country where
Williams was sailing under the name OF
Thorne, living on farm that he had pur-
chased with some of the money stolen
from the safe. Charles B. Thompson,
Marshal of Knoxville and man named
Updyke, of Hastings, were with Jim, and
he says but for their valuable aid he
would have been pewerless. Thorne's wife
said he had gone to town. They went
back and found his team at the livery
stable, and as Jim opened one stable-door,
Thorne, mounted on race-horse rode out
at the other, Jim ordered him to halt, but
he put spurs and the officers fired. causing
him to sway in his seat and clasp his head,
but amid shower of bullets he escaped.
All three mounted and rode the twenty-six
miles to his farm in just one hour and a
half, obtaining three changes of horses
Near the farm they found Thorne's horse,
shot through the leg, but which had made
the distance in that condition ahead
OF the pursuers. Thorne was not found,
scores of men they met said they saw
him, on the road riding like mad, bleeding
from wound in the head-the one given
him at the first volley. A diligent. search
failed to find him, but they returned to
the house and after many threats and
much persuasion, induced Williams wife
to tell them where 81, 600 of the money
was to be found. This Jim secured, and
with it papers duplicating others in the
robbery. They then returned to Hastings
where Jim found man in the road,
who sold Williams Tor Thorne) the farm,
and received $500 of the stolen money,
and Jim demanded it of him. He first
denied, then confessed, and finally after
much vexatious delay gave up that
amount. By this time the st. Louis
detectives who tried to beat Hawk out of |
the reward for the arrest of the others,
arrived at Hastings, and learning of Jim's
success, commenced plotting to beat him |
out of the money, and backed up by a lot
of the Nebraskisns, they arrested Jim and |
the Marshal for highway robbery, lin get
ting the $500 from the farm seller on the |
road and the arresting officer demanded |
the money. Jim refused. A revolver
was placed at his head and the demand |
repeated but they found that if 'scare"
was the game, they had the wrong
pig by the ear, for Jim's nerve begins to
crop out extra under just such circum-
stances. He gave the money to Updyke |
who accompanied him. They then took
Jim and the Marshal to Juniata, the coun-
ty seat, put them in Jail without a hearing,
and kept them "a hours without fire,
and treated like dogs. Finally they bribed
man who was repairing the Jail, to carry
a note to the Judge who was holding
court,l and; he released them ON 500
bail, each. AS soon as released they at
tached two houses and lots and 100 acres
of land belonging to Williams securing
for the county about 81, 800. On his way
home Jim called ON Gov. Kirkwoed, in
formed him of the outrage perpetrated
upon them, and the Governor got on his
ear and will probably make it lively for
the thieving dead-heats at Hastings who
maltreated two faithful officers and tried
to steal the money they had secured.
Matters have come to nice pass if an
officer is to have such treatment when in
the discharge of his duty. We hope
those dead beats will be sent to the peni-
tertiary for long term.