The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1877-12-11

O. Louis Dispatch
Raode has already been fully identi6'
- the convict Charles A. Van Zsndi, b
some doubt remains - to whether he
also Identical With one Frank or Fred. D.
ryni, who Inhabited Claysviile Wsshingtc
County. Pennsylvania. some twelve ,
fourteen years ago. In order to allow Il
Sunday 1in,es' readers to decide for then
selves, they are presented with the follow
ing conversation, which occurred between
reporter Of ,hi. paper asd Mr. Edwsr
wilkins, No. "a: Ashland avenue, yestel
day afternoon.
The reporter reached Mr.. wilkins abosl
- the gentleman was going out for q vail
but he turned hack Immediately, and pro
fe~,e,l his readiness To tell what he knew.
II understand said the reporter, "tha
you tnow something OF the anteceien,- u
Rande, the desper.ao?"
"why, yes; il Il be the same" reptile,
Mr.. wilkins. "Faci il. I was reading on
Of the papers few days ago, and saw -om'
reference made By Rande to Claysvillr
Washington County, Pa. "Rande ?
thought ], Clavsville, Let me recolIect
DID REcOLLEer,
and il came back Ia me that ] knew .
young man named Frank or Fred Durant
who almost answered. the description Of tn,
Gale~burg prisoner"
"would you please describe him ,s you
knee him, Mr.. wilkins"
Certainly. Low-~ised, squarely, ye'
lightly built; dark complexion; brown
eyes and hair not much, il any beard, .,
that time; great talker, and a writer Of
very bad poetry"
"whst used that person to do for live
lihoody'
''Oh, he taught school," said Mr.. VIII
kins. HE dabbled some in literature Of
the rattle Drained order. I used IN be in
the piano manufacturing business then. and
often gave him 4 ride in my wagon. He
vas always taikative and always agreeable
~ . companion"
"Did he ever tell you Of his early life ?"
"Seems to me he did, but It's 40 long ago
I have forgotten most OF il. I 10 rewem-
Der, however, that he sail something about
having been educated for the ministry. We
used to make fun Of him about his queer
poetry. Tie used To send il to some of the
newspapers. They used to pub
lish . little Of il, for merriment sup
po-e."
"Did your Durant have q scar on the
left side Of his nose and was the bridge OF
hat organ broken?"
MY Durant did not have scar nor was
his nose broken. He had q rather small
lace and fine teeth. His eyes were very
quick and restless"
"Was he considered dangerous chsrac-
er in those days."
"Not At all. lie was we'll liked-a sor,
# fsvorite."
"what else do yon know concerning
,imy'
ale married Miss Garrett. oi Clays.
'il!e, and had daughter by her.
THEY LIVED UNHAPPiLY.
seems, and, As lar as could learn, d.
'orcc was procured. THIS made Durant
desperate, and may have been the
.u.c OF forcing him into crime"
GLOW old man would this Durant be
Iow.'
Somewhere in the neighborhood Of 40.
'erhaps 50 would strike it,
IL nave seen Rsntle,' said the reporter
nd he does not look quite that old. al
hough he might be, a. his face Is small
nd deceptive ~ to age"
"He would no; be likely to age very rap
lly," remarked Mr.. Wilkins. "His face,
$ you say, was small. and there was no,
much room for wrinkles. His child must
e young woman now, il she be alive"
At this point Mr.. wilkins asked the
'undsy Times reporter not TO give hi- name
n connection with the information.
The reporter mul,ered an uninielligible !
eply, which might be understood to con- |
ain very strong mental Reservation, es- !
~cially n there can be no possible harm |
n giving Mr.. wilkins name as authority !
Or this narrative.
A graceful lady, presumably Mrs. Will !
in$, joined in the conversation. and sp- !
cared quite interested. She said, "You !
now Squire Birch, Of Claysville, knows |
II about Dursnt, and he would, no doubt, !
ell all he knows ii he were written to.
Why not write to him p
"Because Mr.. Wilkins is more conven- |
ent, and We cannot wait so long, madam. |
However, the Squire may be written to-"
the reporter.
"Ies. Squire Birch is the very man"
SERTED Mr.. wilkins. "Ths very man.
e added emphatically. He'll know all
bout the divorce and his subsequent ca
Ger. Blythe way, he said suddenly,
could not the bridge Of Dursni's no<e have
ZEN broken in the last fifteen years ~
THE REPORTER
bought that such thing Was quite pos-i
lie, especially n that organ must have
zen originally small and thin, With de-
fded tendency to cock itself up in the air,
md show the interior of the nostrils. Fur
hermore the reporter assured Mr.. wilkins
hat he had several acquaintances whose
'oses had been mashed, a. il we're. during
he last fifteen years. As Mr.. Rande was
n . remarkably dangerous calling for a
ong time, il vas not improbable that his
'ose had been fractured and 6attened in
ONE midnight escapade.
"Truly So" remarked Mr.. wilkins |
Then the only points wherein my Durant
r r. l. = n