The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1882-10-31

railroads In Indiana, but got mt
trouble there, and it was said
killed brakeman in a drunken row
He then returned to Lagrange AM
again took up his residence there
The wild spirit of the man was wei
exhibited in the fact that the Onl,
difficulty he claimed he experience,
engineering was that he could get N
train to run fast enough for him. ant
often got behind time i'm order to ruI
fast to make up. He had been a
home but snort time after this wheI
the wort crime of his life was com
mltted. This vas the cOwardly mur
der of John ReardOn, a shoemaker o
the town. He was very industrious
and often worked until late in III,
night. One day Mickey, a man nam
ed Smith and another party went tO
Reardon's shop. all of them ha ling
been drinking. and after laying around
for some time
PICKED A QUARREL
with him. Reardon refused to have
any difficulty. and left the shop. Mick.
ey was much incensed at the shoemak.
er for some reason or other, and with
his usual drunken ferocity. resolved to
take bis life. That night, in company
with Smith, he went to Reard. ms shop
and killed him. The room was built
in the old fashioned style, the rear be
ing several feet off of the ground.
erected on posts. There was small
window cut i'm the center of this room
being about seven feet above the
ground. They had their plans well
arranged to murder the poor shoe max
er in cold blood, and Smith, the ac-
complice, stood up against the side of
the house. while Mickey climbed up
on his back. This brought his head
and shoulders on a level with the win
dow. and looking through into the
front room he could see the shoemaker
at work at his bench. He tapped
softly on the window frame, and Rear
don. hearing the noise, got out of his
seat and walked quietly hack to the
window, where the nu.dere stood
waiting to receive him. pistol in hand.
A lamp was burning in the center OF
the little shop. and cast a light down
ward, so that Mickey
COULD SEE HIS VICTIM
plainly. Reardon walked directly up
to the window, and put his face with
in a few feet of the glass to peer out
and see who had called him. The op
had now arrive |, and raising
the cooked pistol which he had in his
hand, Mickey took aim directly at the
face, and pulling the trigger. dropped
to the ground, disappearing in the
darkness. The aim was we'll directed,
and Reardon dropped to the floor a
diving man. A number Of persons
had heard the shot. and running to
the shop picked the PROSTATE man up
md carried him home, where he Law
Tor day and then died. Before his
death, however. he made a statement
10 a Catholic priest who attended him
IN bis last hours, stating that it was
Mickey's hand that had pulled the |
trigger and his face that had peered
from the darkness through the window
pane. Mickey bad made his escane,
however. and remained at large for . |
couple days, when he was captured by
he sheriff and lodged in jail. An
Ittempt was made at the trial to
prove that the other man had fired
he fatal shot, but the diving statement
Vas conclusive. and Mickey was
SENTENCED TO HANG.
Now comes the most romantic part
f his life. His reputation and char
cter were so we'll known that it was
bought the Lagrange Jail was not
trong enough to hold him, 60 he was
rought to this city and lodged i'm
Ill tor safe-keepiDg. He set all his 4,
tits to work to find some meabs to {
ave his neck. and BY much ingenuity
fected an escape, together with an I
Their murderer and several negroes.
very effort was made to find him, /,
ut in vain, and the dav upon which {
is neck was to have been stretched 9
pom the scaffold came and passed.
nd the intended victim was still at g
rye. Shortly after this he was cap I
lred in Indiana by Mr.. James Head G
nd brought back to Jail. Things I
ere now badly mixed up, so he could
ot be hung under the sentence. SO q
wv trial was awarded him. His case q
rs conducted by Gen. Whitaker. f
no did the neatest piece of criminal h
eading of his life, and what 10 strange
relate, Mickey was ON this trial ad- a
dyed not guilty, and again turned il
0se His narrow eScape had no