The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1881-03-03
|nga CAUGHT
ton, who IN wanted NJ
hn, Illinois. Captured
n-His Record acre.

who was released about three months ago.
Harry, if reports arc true will turn out to DO
a chief among criminals. He is very we'll
known in Dallas Last April he was arrested
and ncalceratod in the county jail on
CHARGE OF robbing tho American house, in
this city, and became somewhat notorious on
accoun, thereof. An old Arkansas herb
doctor had pu; up at the American house,
and during the night ladder was used by
4hjeges. who entered his room and stole val
liable papers and 3 large sum otmoney. One
of the bills, of the denomination of $40, WAS
SO marked that it could be easily detected,
and the old doctor described it 50 closely that
when found it was readily identified
ON the night of the robbery Harry Thorn
ton. then recently from the Forth or west TO
Dallas with two associates, was seen lurking
around the American house about midnight
Tracing them up revesled the fact that the
morning after the robbery all three took
breakfast ut restaurant near the Union de-
not. and one of Thompson's companions
passed $40 bill in payment for tho break
fast. This bill WAS identified AS ths ono the
herb doctor had go carefully marked and de-
scribod, and Thornton and hia friend were ar
rested and committed rs the guilty ptrties.
II was On the trial for thi: robbery that
Thorntof's criminal career WAS developed
and has recently been fully exposed.
About o'clock on the night of August
1879, Aaron GoodfelloW, u citizen of
Bloomington, illinois, was murdered near his
residence, while passing dark alley, by two
men who sprsng out and attempted to rob
him, He resisted and WAS shot through the
head and heart. The murderers riiled his
pockets and fed. Investigation singled out
Harry Williams, alias Rsmbo, and Patsy De-
vine as tho mUrderers. A reward of 81 400
was offered for the arrest of. each. Devine
was captured few months afterward in
New York city, was tried at Clinton, ILL.,,
and convicted on Dec 20, 1880, and executed
in tho De Witt county Jail on Jan. 24th,
1881. The Goodfellow murder and Deyines
arrest, conviction and execution, brought out
the details of the most villainous career
imaginable on the part Of Devine and bis.
partner, Harry Williams, alias Harry Ram
DO, alias lin Texss) Harry Thornton. We
shall speak of him, for convenience, here
after by this latter name. It. has transpired
that he spent his boyhood days in
a gang of young thieves who were
bouses AS he grew up h0 became more
bold in his operations, and before he was
ttenty wears of age had worn the stripes
WITHIN the walls OF the Missouri and Illinois
peniAntiaries. He WAS released from the
iatte1 institution in 1877 or 1878, and went to
AlLou where he met and started out with
PatsI Devine, o noted crscksmhn and thief.
Ii see ms they started out in wickedness snd
yillaihy on scale that would indicate
they 1were working for prize.
Every spring hundreds of farm laborers
start from the northwest and come south,
until they strike the line Of maturing crops
and follow the season up, often Ms far as
Minnesota, thus putting in long and remu-
lucrative seasons labor. Devine and Thorn
ton conceived the villainous plot of follow
ing up these honest, industrious, bard handed,
bronzed-fAced sons of the sickle and
sheaf, and by waylaying and muir
derng them possess themselves of the
results of their toll. Their mode of proceed
ure and operation was TO dress and act ike
barvesters They would arrive in g section
during midharyest when laborers were in
demand, work from day TO week on
farm where many men were employed, and
very easily become posted rs to which Of the
men had the most money. When the
Job WAS finished they would start out
with some particular man, travelling
on foot and camping out nights. AT
some lonely spot the knife or bludgeon
would be used on the upsuspecting victim
and the money and vauables having been
taken from his person, and all letters and
other evidences Of Identification having been
destroyed, Devine and Thorton would GEEK
some other section for similar deed of death
and plumber. How many their victims of
this nature numbered will probably
never be accurately known, unless Thor nton
carried their crimes rs far south as Tennos-
see sud as far north rs Minnesota.
At last these two heartless. red-handed,
.cGse-hGrdened human fends arrived at
Bloomington, Illinois, and committed the
Goodfellow murder, rs previously detailed.
Devine was captured and paid the extreme
penalty. Thornton 1sd TO Texas and his
career in Dallas Il well known. After his
release on the verdict Of mot guilty" in the
American house robbery csse, he left this
city before Officer Woody could capture
him. Woody had secured from Old acquRin-
tauees of Thornton sufficient evidence Of his
guili. ia addition 20 thAt Cleaned from papers
and through corfesponasilcs With Illinois
authorities, 10 feel certain of the identity Of
his man. Much Of this Information was re-
ceivcd IN Dallas hHd Fort worm from
sources which for discreet reasons are with
held nom the public. Assoon NJ Th0rnton's
flight frcm Dsllss was discovered, Woody
and Deputy u. s. Marshal james COPYRIGHT,
Of Fort Worth, ftsre % proceedings 10 learn
his whereabouts. Correspondence was
opened with every chief Of police In the
country. About week ago Woody received
a letter from the city marshal Of Houston,
that he had Thornton under arrest for one
of the numerous house robberiss IN that city;
that his cas- would come up on Feb "a
but as there vas no evidence against him, il
would be necessary for Woody 10 b. there
on that date 10 secure the prisoner, or be
would be Liberated. Woody bad the neces-
ssry requisitions from the governor Of IL
lnois, byghad not vet reseiyed the auxiliary
r B. Saay
~ coufl SScy.'d mace an
e Thornton. charging bim With
ilou murdsr. sad then telegrApbed
On sutbOritiss 20 hold him on the
made 4 Dsllas This was dona. and
isv niehf Woody isfi his city 70 Sc
nan. vas 10 lesge HOust0n Fesier-