The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-11-11
CURIOSITIES OF CRIME.

THE TRUE HISTORY OF THE BURNING OF THE
PACIFIC HOTEL, ST. LOUIS, IN 1851 is
FIRED BY MURDERER TO DESTROY CON-
FEDEnArEs WHO KNEW TOO MUcH-AN APP
FALLING RECORD.
The 81. Louis Republican has published story from
the lips OF g. d. Hildenbraud, convict recently re-
leased from the prison at Jefersonviile. II was
ceived ny him from fellow criminal named "HawK-
eye" alias "kaeigh Bill" who recited II on HIS
dcathbcd. His first crime was the killing Of a man in
Charleston, IN 1850 Two years later he committed
murder and in Milledgeviie. In 1854 he killed
man in New Orleans In 1858 he was in ST
Louis, working with some confederates with
whom he quarrelled, and as one OF them
knew all about tho New Orleans homicide
he was very anxious about his own safety. ono night
he saw them exceedingly drunk, and Hawkeye met
tuem as they were going to the Pacific Hotel, where
they werc stopping Az they staggered along he
Swallowed them ana conceived the idea o burning the
hotel and them too After waiting until tney had
trance TO the laundry but was driven away by large
watch dog. Later however, he got INTO an unoccupied
room through WINDOW and there started the con-
aagratI0n, making good his retreat unaetected.
The dru spread SO rapidly that many oil the guests
were smothered in the smoke and flames or
killed IN attempting TO escape from the windows Tho
two men wnom Hawkeye feared had rooms close to
the roof ana their drunken supor suffered the
designed for them. As they never gave any further
trouble to him Is probable thai thcy
bed Hawkeye's alter did ab.te in lerocity
TITLE. In 1870 he started for Canada In company
with gang Of horse thieves, four III number ON IN
way they deco, ed girl on train Of P0D-
tiac. ill., and alter ou,ragng her In the most brutal
manner, completed the crime by murder An nno-
cent man, negro was afterward hauged Tor this and
the doctors got his skeleton. fcw days later tho
gang committed another similar muruer and escaped
the country HAwkeye always denied having any
thing TO do with these Two crnss, ana said the
as dcathDcd. The following year he helped 10 XIII
a ut the residence Of a counterfetcr named Big.
low, about twenty miles Rock Island The next
great crime the Calendar was the burning OF large
livery stable IN Galesburg, ILL.,, 10 create
nent while the gang coulu beat tho bank IN that place.
The stables burned, but the scheme laied The
was the murder OF an old man, his wiie aud three
daughters, on the road elton, DE Witt county,
Iowa Three morse thieves with him In tus ana
they got $780, three horses v wagon. This in
1862. In 1854 lie was IN a bank robbery and murder
al Hamilton, Canada, Tor whoh one OF the gang was
sent up for three years Alterward he decoyeu man
from Toledo TO Windsor Canada, and there put him
under watcr alter roDblnR MIN. On tho same night
heavy SILK robDery was perpe rated IN Detroit. In Janu
airy, 1866, ne nird negro suD-brokcr IN DuukrK Y
Tn Was the list OF Hawkeyes offences, which weighed
heavy on his soul He DIED soon after telling his
story, aud in dance with his request his
boay, instead OF Deins buried was packed box,
weighted, anu sunk in the Mississippi. Hdcnbrand
sent word 10 u Is relatives where they could md the
body, but does not know whether they took up
mr.