Louisiana capitolian., 1879-08-09
FROM ST. LANDRY.

SHERIFF DUs0N, THE vID0C OF ~
LANDRY, PURsuEs A lsAvlsHER 10
TExAs,BRIxGs HIM HoME, ,ANDI.ANDs
HIM IN THE oPELoUsAs JAIL.
Opelousas, Ia, August 2.-On
Thursday evening Sheriff G. G. Duson,
Of this parish, arrived in Opelousas
with 4 prisoner by the name Of Thomas
s. Slane, who, on the night Of the 9Th
Of May last, committed rape on .
little girl living near Big Cane, in the
parish of st. Landry. tho daughter
Of q Mrs. Moss.
The crime was hendish IN its nature,
tho little girl not having reached the
age of ten years, small for her age,
and delicate in appearance. The
circumstances, 20 far O. we can learn,
are ~ .follows:,
On the 5th day Of last May, the
girl was at q child's party given by an
uncle, = Mr.. Nelson, about half mile
from her mothers. She had walked
over unaccompanied by any one, ex-
pecting some Of her uncle's family to
bring her homo.
As night advanced, the child got
sleepy and asked to be taken home.
Tom Slane, young man who was
boarding with her mother, and . rel
ative Of the childs, was at the party,
and volunteered to see the little thing
safely home.
They started off together, and on
arriving in q piece Of woods out Of
the hearing Of any one, he took her in
his arms, carried her some distance 0f
the road, and there succeeded, not
withstanding her screams and strug-
gles, in committing the outrage. He
then accompanied the child, who could
hardly walk, to her mothers gate,
and as she kept saying that she would
tell her mother, he left without going
into the house.
The child told her mother, and on
examination her story was found to
be true. She was indeed, from ell
accounts, in . very deplorable condi-
tiOp.
Slane left that night for parts IN.
known.
Through the advice Of her family
or friends, or for fear that in after
life the daughter would be injured in
the estimation Of others, the mother
kept silence, and no officer Of the law
or citizen Of the neigbborbood dream.
ed that such q crime had been com.
mitted in their midst until lSherif
Duson, three weeks after, heard
through some private source that j,
happened. He took steps to find out
the truth, and succeeded in getting
hold of the particulars. Feeling con.
vinced that from the direction Slane
had taken he was making for Texas,
the telegraph was put to work and
letters written without result.
At last Sheriff Duson, after get
ting a requisition upon the governor
of Texas, started for that State, de.
termined to spare neither money
time or trouble to find him. @
From time to time, from city Il
city he travelled; sometimes he seemed
on the verge of making his capture
but ALWAYS to find himself disaD.
pointed.
At last, after almost four weeks
search, no got on the trail Of his maj
in Western Texas. Feeling satisfied
he was on tho right track, he travel
ed night and day, sometimes on horse
back and sometimes by public con
veyance, until, on arriving in Sal
Saba, a little town near the rive
San Saba, about one hundred ant
fifty miles north of San Antonio, HI
learned that his man had passed
through q few minutes . head Of hin
heavily armed driving q wagon, il
company with several others.
Getting fresh horse, he pushed OF
and came up with Slane, who wa
fording the San Saba river and hai
stopped in the stream to water hi
horses. He did not recognize Sheriff
Duson until he was looking down th,
barrel of q large-sized Remington pis
tol and heard the words, "Mr. Slane
throw up your hands and surrender
which he did with reluctance, as HI
had his rifle and revolvers by his sid
and saw but one man facing him.
His wrists were soon encircled by al
iron bracelet and he was journeyinl
back to the scene of his crime.