The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1883-12-28
A. TENNESSEE STORY.

The East sfa,Family ofiMnrderers Mests I
violent D~eath-Three Victims Of Thros
Froti,ers-CaptarIny = Train and Freeing
a,Prisoner-AR Remarkable Story ofaCEins'
Chattanooga, Tenn, Correspondence OF thu
Philadelphia Times: Andy Taylor was hanged
at London to-day for one Of the boldest crimes
ever committed TIL deed whichled nj to II
was the murder Of Capt. James Fletcher, IN
this city, Feb. 81, 1881. by John Taylor, til
eldest brother of Andy. Taylor was the engs'
neer on the steamboat Tellico. Fletcher YVES
. boat builder. and on the day in question waa
engaged in making some repairs on tho
Tellico. A quarrel arose between him
aud Taylor, and the latter, bsang
Of q very impetuous nature, drew his pistol.
Fletcherwas an old man; Taylor . large, brawny
| giant, in his prime. When he drew his pistol
the old man remarked that mono but-cow-.
ards carried p;stols. Hardly had the words left
his mouth when Taylor fired three times and
the old man fell corpse in his tracks. The MUIR
derer jumped into q boat, rowed rapidly down
the river and was soon lost in the mountains.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS created great excitement
in the city and large posses started IN pursuits.
| but were unsuccessful. After two months had
passed Taylor was traced into the mountains OF
Roane county, Tenn, his house was surround
! ed by armed men, and he was forced to sur
render. His trial was deferred nearly year,
but he was finally convicted OF manslanghter
and sentenced for ten years. He appealed to
the supreme court During his Imprisonment
lie proved one of the most dangerous inmates
Of the Jail and headed every plan to escape.
He was regagded as one of the most desperate
criminals ever confined here, and was known
to Lave killed several men IN Texas.
He was conveyed to the supreme court IN
session Mt Knoxville, on Oct. Ia, 1882. Two
other prisoners were taken along; Taylor was
1 Ia,.1 -.,ns Il ~ ,,..~ t,1oo ~ H. Sro - a,a.1 in
a front car and guarded by Sheriff w. IT, Cate
snd Deputy Sheriff John j. Conway. When the
train reached Philadelphia, Tenn, two men
we're seen tc go aboard and enter the car where
Taylor was guarded. They were tall, brawny
rnfian-lke men, and seemed intent on some
deep design. The train had proceeded hardly
four miles, when both strangers hurriediy
arose, and one, who afterward proved to be
Bob Taylor, placed his pistol to the deputy
~sherin's head. and sent a bullet whizzinR
to be Andy, began firing at the sheriff. The
car was in an uproar. The deputy sheriff died
Instantly, and John Taylor. OF once jsrked .
pistol from the dead mans pockst and, hand
cuffed as lie was, i0ined in the murder OF. tina
sheriff. The latter fired one shot before he
died, and tho bullet passed through John lay
lor's wrist Tho haldcutfs were quickly un-
locked, and the three rnfins hurriediy left the
car, and, placing their weapons at the enginaer's
head, commanded him to move on. They seat
ed themselves on the tender, and with levaled
pistols compelled the train men to run through
two stations at . high ra,eof speed When they
reached LOudon, o distance of twenty miles,
they m0unted horses which were in waiting,
aud were of like the wind. The crime WAS
committed in midday, IN one of the most pop
ulous districts in the State. The murdered
sheriff was ono of the lending citizsns OF Chat
tauooga and had been in the Office buttwo
weeks; he was in the postal service and was
prominently mentioned for postmaster.
Chattanooga was thrown into q frenzy OF ex-3
citement when the news. reached here, and
widespread, CONSERVATION prevailed. Hall an
hour after the affair was known a pnsse of @
men, armed with Springfieldr rifles aud headed
by A. g. Sharp, who is now chief inspector OF
postofices in the United States, boarded q spe-i
cial train and were speeding to the mountains,
in the direction of which the murderers were
fleeing. They secured the country for two
weeks, and additional posses were organized
in nearly every county between this city and
Knoxville, there beisg at one time no loss than
2 500 men on the search; but all to no avail
The county and State offered rewards 0 f$l2,-
1900 for the murderers, dead or alive, but no
trace could be found.
When the murderers left Doudon they pro-
ceeded through the monniains to Kingston,
Tenn, reaching there at 81 N. Hero again
their reckless daring was displayed. They
entered with drawn pistols and. forced q phy-
stefan to dress John Taylor's wound, and ttlen
entering several stores, compelled the clerks
TO give them several boxes of cartridges. Re-
mounting they proceeded to the densest forests
and hid themselves in. tho rem0test r%ecesSes.
They were familiar with that region, aud sue
coded in battling the skill and vigilance of all
their pursuers.
A few days afterward Bob Taylor boarded
n train at lockwood, Tenn, and proceeded to
Cincinnati and thence to Missouri, where no
had u brother living. He had been there
scarcely q week when his identity became
noiscd about At last r. r. Good.l. the sheriff
of Lebanon county. succeeded ineestablishing
h;, ,Ian@tf~ har,npI rlny1,f and 1ofarvttjpnH IN
capture him. Taylor was in Lebanon, purcha 8
ing supplies, and when he boarded the train he
was followed by the, sheriff. and q deputy. "A.
few moments after he had his seat the
sheriff stealtliily crept behind, him, aud pre-
sen.ing . pistol to his head, commanded him.
to surrender. Tho desperate was not thus,
easily to be overawsd, and reached for his
weapon, but before he could draw the sheriff
fired, and Taylor fell az corpse. The news of
his death was received in this city with the
widest ioA and whom the corpse arrived 5 ,O0O'
people met it at the train. II was placed on.
exhibition the next day. and viewedsby nearly
15,0 200 persons. ssA s4 ssF .
Andy and John Taylor, when they, were Ieft
direction Of Alabama. They travelled only,
under cover of darkness ard made but five q
six miles zach day. They went disguised ~
tranps. and tue dare-deyils actually passed
when two companies of militia were guarding
the river for them, and no less than 1000
persons were scrntinizins every stranger.
FROM this city they proceeded
jSnto North Alabama and thence
tramped to Memphis and from there pro-
Eceeded to Missouri. intending to join their
Ibrotber Bob. When they reached Missouyf
they heard for the first time OF Bobsa DEATH
John became very much depressed, and his
melancholy, coupled wth long xposuratA and
the neglected wound in his arm, proved toe
much even for his iron constitution. He, fell
i'll at Ballenger's Mil, Mo, and after d paintul
aud wasting sickness OF nearlya month, died
and several months afterward the remainH
were exhuIaed by the sheriff OF thisFoOunty
and identified beyond . doubt &is
The death of his two companions In crime
ieft Andy almOstd espairing. He is hut Il boy,
scarcely twenty, andwhenh he realized his friend
less condition his desperation al nloat drove him
to suicide He left Missouri and began work on
. farm at Emporia, Kans. Remorse aiezelhim
and his detection at last became 80, great that
IN a moment OF extreme melancholy lres con-
fessed all and then attempted 10 sbOot himself.
but was prevented. He was NJ once arrested
aud placed in cl0se confinement until tho
ohattanooga officers could. be- notifad This
was quickly done, and the sheriff of this and
lLondon county proceeded 30 Kansas. and &C
oner to Nashville. The eacitemsnt was SO in
tense in this city that 1t WAS feared he would
he lynchedi il saken through Chattanooga, and
AS u precautionary meaiure the governor or
aered that he be- conveyed to williamsburg
Nv, and thence taken to Knoxville, Tenn
over the mountains in q wagon. This. Was ac-
3cordinsly done, and Us reached the Inter city
IN safety early in Apzil, 1883
Taylor was carried to London in June for
frial. Great dif1icyttv was encountered - pre-.
curing . jury. Nearly LOCO laiesulen were
summoned before the jury WAS complete lhe