The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1877-03-22
A Murderer Tracked 5000 Miles
and Arr ested,

The San Francisco Call says: John
Heyworth, Chief of Police of Decatur,
ILL.,, arrived yesterday from Portland
Oregon, having in charge John E Hoff
man, arrested for murder committed
on the Arb of last January in Plat
County, Illinois. Hoffman and Julius
Crumrig were working for E. Frederick
Delbridge, who had farm in Macon
County. Delbridge made up his mind
to 60 to Oregon to better his fortune,
and Crumrig agreed to go with him.
In conversation with Hoffman, Crumrig
said that he was the passessor of about
$500, and it was to obtain possession OF
this amount that Hoffman expressed a
desire to accompany Crumrig pro-
vided he could obtain $500 from his
uncle, who lived in an adjoining county.
He induced Crumrig to accompany him
to see if he could get the money. The
two set out from Decatur to Millville,
and then walked ever a snow-eovered
road for quarter of mile, and there
the crime was committed. So ralus
On the morning following, the body
of the murdered man was found. The
skull was crushed in, and, as the pockets
of the clothing were turned inside out,
it became apparent that the crime had
been committed for robbery. Chief
Heyworth was telegraphed for. He
found that Crumrig wore boots on the
inside of which was written the name
of E. F. Delbridge. The Chief made
diligent search, and by advertisements
and inquiry found the man who made
the boots, and through him discovered
Delbridge, who stated that he had sold
them to Crumrig. He was shown a
picture of the murdered man, and iden-
tilted it as that of Crumrig, who had
worked for him. $3.50
With this clew to work upon, the
Chief got information which led him to
suspect that Hoffman was the man who
had committed the murder. He dis
covered that he had left for Oregon
with his employer. He then obtained
the requisite papers and a complete
description of the two men, and started
in pursuit. He telegraphed to various
points along the line of the railroad to
have the men intercepted, but those
who received the description failed to
find them. The Chief tracked them to
St. Louis, Omaha and San Francisco.
He then learned that they had gone to
Portland, and followed them. At that
place he lost them, but found trace OF
them again at Salem. There he re
ceived information that the men had
gone back to Portland. He reached
Portland in time to learn that the men
had left for Oregon City. At Oregon
City positive information as to the
whereabouts of the two men was OBJ
tanned. Delbridge had gone to point
twenty miles from Oregon City to ne
gotiate for the purchase of a farm, and
Hoffman was working for man named
Meyers in pine forest, cutting rail
road ties, at point six miles from Ore
gon City. The officers went to the
house of Meyers, met the mans wife,
and explained their business, and with
her permission remained in the house
until Hoffman and the other men who
had been working with him came to
supper. As soon as Hoffman came in,
Chief Heyworth placed irons on him.
Chief Heyworth says that when his
trip is concluded and he once more
sets foot in Decatur, he will have trav-
eled over 5000 miles, at cost of over
81, 400. .-.t .E+ .. f.-....r