The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-08-03
A LONG CHASE.
Capture of Slane, the St. Landry
Rapist. -=
Particulars of the Crime-Arrest of
the Perpetrator in the Wilds
of Texas-A Noteworthy
Feat of Sheriff
Duson.
Especial to the Democrat.I


| OPELOUSAs, Aug. 2-On Thursday evening
Sheriff G. G. Duson, of this parish, arrived in
Opelousas with person by the name Of
Thomas s. Slane, who, on the night of the
sixth Of May last, committed rape on O
little girl living near Big Cane, In the parish
Of st. Landry, the daughter of Mrs Moss
The crime was fiendish In it's nature, the
little girl not having reached the age of ten
years, small for her age and delicate in ap-
pearance. The circumstances. SO far as l
can learn, are as follows:
On the fifth day Of last May the little girl
was at childs party given by an uncle, a
Mr.. Nelson, about hall mile from her moth
er's. She had walked over unaceompanied by
any one, expecting some OF her uncle's family
to bring her home. As night advanced the
child got sleepy, and asked to be taken home.
with her mother and a relative OF the child's,
was at the party, and volunteered to see the
little thing safely home. They started off to-
gether, and On arriving In piece of woods,
out OF the hearing OF any one, he took her In
his arms, carried her some distance off the
road, and there succeeded, notwithstanding
her screams and struggles, in committing
the outrage. He then accompanied the child
who could hardly walk, to her mothers gate,
and, as she kept protesting that she would
Jtll UPE HObI1eE ttlG WlJuOuL GO
ing into the house. The child told her
mother, and on examination her story Was
found to be true. She was, indeed, from all
accounts, In very deplorable condition.
Slane left that night for parts unknown.
Through the advice of her familyor friends,
or for fear that in after life the daughter
would be injured In the estimation Of others,
the mother kept silent, and no officer of the
law ~ citizen of the neig hborhood dreamed
that such o crime he'd been committed in
l1A II
after, heard through some private source that
it happened. lie took steps to find out Its
truth and succeeded in getting hold of the
particulars. Feeling convinced that from the
direction that Slane had taken he was MAX
iug for Texas, the telegraph was put to
work and letters were written without result
At last Sheriff Duson, after getting regui
sition upon the Governor of Texas, started
for that State, determined to spare neither
money time nor trouble to find him. From
time to time, from city to city, he travelled
as 1t seemed, on the verge of
making his capture but always to fiud him
self disappointed. At last, after almost four
weeks search, he got On the trail of his man
In Western Texas.
Feeling satisfied that he was on the right
track. he Travelled night and day, sometimes
on horseback and sometimes by public con-
veyance, until, on arriving In San Saba, a
little town near the River San Saba, about $50
miles north OF San Antonio, he learned that his
man had passed througha u few minutes ahead
OF him, heavily armed driving a wagon, in
with several others Getting fresh
horse, the sheriff pushed on and came up with
SIane, who was fordng the San Saba river,
and had stopped in the stream TO water his
horses. He did not recognize Sheriff Duson
until he was looking down the barrel of
large-sized Remington pistol, and heard the
words, Mr. Slane, throw up your hands and
which he did with reluctance, as
he had his rife and reyolvers by his side, and
saw but one man facing him. His wrists were
soon encircled by an iron bracelet. and he WAS
back to the scene OF his crime.
He is now in jail in Opelousas, awaiting his
trial before a jury at the October term of the
District Court. L. w. ii.