Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1883-01-11
MEAD'S MURDERER.
From Sunday Sentinel.l

| From Sunday Sentinel.
WAUPAcA, Jan. 6.-The excite
Inent over the capture Of the alleged
murderer of II. C. Mead, the Wsau
paca banker. remains undated. Van
'decar, who was arrested at Oconomowo,c
and brought here yesterday, was again
visited in his cell this afternoon by your
correspondents. He was trihe more
laxative than on yesterday and volun.
teered the assertion that he would
have no trouble in proving an abb.
He admitted that he was what might
be called a hard citizen, but stoutlv de-
MED ever having risen to the rank OF
! murderer. He admits having been
in Stevens Point for two or three DAYS
previous to the murder in this city.
but claims he was also there the night
the deed was committed, also on the
two following days, when he went to
his home in Oconomowoc. When
questioned regarding the fact of his
having considerable money the day
after the murder he appeared rather
startled for a moment, but quickly
recovered his selfpossession and said
he won 500 at poker Saturday night.
Any further attempts at any inter
view were found to prove futile, and
the prisoner, after remarking that many
man gave himself away by talking
too much, turned en- his heel and
walked into the sleeping apartment Of
his cell. Sheriff Briggs, who it was
expected. would arrive here last night
or this noon with Vandscar's compan-
ion in crime, has not yet made his
appearance. This fact seems strange,
as he was certainly expected yesterday
Not one word of the particulars regard
ing the aheriff's prolonged absence can
be got from the detectives or the jailer,
even if they are posted. It was
learned, however, that there was some
talk of his leaving this second man at
Stevens Point Jail and then when the
two were reported in this manner to
get one of them to squeal. This
method will be tried anyway. One
point that is not wholly without inter
est and shows something of the kind
Of man Vandeear is may be seen from
the report of one Of the detectives
who was at Oconomowoc ostensibly to
sell wagons and sleighs. He went by
the name of Williams, and soon made
acquaintance of Vandecar, and very
soon became pretty intimate, and Will
Hams often went to his friends house,
where he met Mrs. Vandecar, one
Rosa O. Brien. The attachment SEEM
ed to be mutual between the couple, as
Williams occasionally gave Rosa a
little money with which to purchase
presents for herself, but which in
reality found its way into her husband S
pocket. Vandecar daily showed his
increasing regard for Williams. One
night the two men had been having a
soci,ble evening at the house, and the
other inmates had retired. Williams
finally acknowledged to Vandecar that
his cash was getting low, and that it
would be necessary to make raise
somewhere. One thing led to another,
until before they retired it was planned
that they should go to Stevens Point
and rob McCullouch's Bank. About
the 10th of Jan'y Williams advanced
the theory that it would be well to
find out first whether ono slept in the
bank, as he didn't like the idea Of
having to take life. At this suggest
ion Vandecar said he would manage
that matter. Now it is not known,
except by the detectives, however,
that this Vandecar made confession to
Williams or not, but taking everything
into consideration the present conf
dence of the detectives, the morose
action of Vandecar and other little
circumstances. it is safe to say there
may be something in it after all
Sheriff Briggs may possibly arrive on
the late train tonight. Nothing more
can be learned this evening, but any
new developments will be telegraphed
Immediately, or as soon as the Western
Union Telegraph Company can get
their crippled service in a condition to
receive the dispatches.