The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1883-11-29
Jack Ryan, n Train Wrecker'
Arrested in Eaton.

On Thursday of last week Marshal
Ryan of Eaton, arrested one John Ryan,
charged with the wrecking of a freight
train, near Cromwell, Noble county,
Ind, on the 9TH of this month, and for
whom a reward of $500 was offered by
the company. Ryan had dropped into
Eaton On Monday before his arrest, and
being a brick mason by trade, struck
Marks Nation for a job on the new school
house now in erection, and had done
some work before his apprehension
Marshal Ryan had a ephoto" of the vii
lain, and when he arrested him and ex-
hibited the picture he acknowledged it
to be the same, quietly submitted and
was locked up in the calaboose. The
railroad company was informed of the
arrest, and IN Friday morning Detective
J.. T. Norris arrived here and took charge
of the prisoner, very soon after which he
made a confession, duplicating four 9th
ers in the devilishness, as follows: Tex
as Joe, Harry Wood, Slim Ike and John
Croy.
The circumstances of the wreck as sta
ted in the card are about as follows: At
80 a.. IN. on the 7th of this month, near
Cromwell, Noble County, Indiana, a
wreck occurred to a freight train on the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, ditching
the engine and fourteen cars, badly in
juring the engineer, fireman and one
brakeman. The cause of the wreck was
the removal of one entire '"T" rail, which
was done by drawing the spikes. The
motive was to wreck the fast express
train bound east in order to rob the dead
and wounded passengers on the express.
In his confession the prisoner told how
he and his accomplices got to Cromwell
from Fort Wayne, where the infamous
deed was planned, how they got the tools
to remove the rail, of their waiting for
the crash of the wreck and of their dis
appointment when they discovered it
was only a freight train! He also stated
that about two weeks before the Crom-
we'll wreck, spikes we're drawn from a
rail on the same road and for the same
purpose, near Albion, but the train came
the wrong way and prevented the wreck
Ryan is about SO years old, six feet
tall, weighs about Us pounds, dark com
plexion and almost bald-headed and
claims to have a wife and n child liv-
ing neal the scene of his infamous deed.
That he deserves a halter there is not a
shadow Of doubt.
The arrest is an important one and a
large feather in the cap of the Marshal
OF Eaton. The President of the railroad
company despatched to the Marshal to
hand over the prisoner to Detective Nor
r;s and the $500 reward offered would be
satisfactorily arranged. With the neces'
sary papers Norris left on Friday eve
ming with his prisoner for the place
where the crime was committed.
LATER.
SPECIAL DISPATCH TO THE ENQUIRER.
Fort WAYNE, IND, Nov. 26.-Ryar
will be taken to Albion tomorrow on a
special for arraignment, and immediate
ly return to this County Jail to prevent
his being lynched by the organized moi
of railroad men bound or revenge. The
Superintendent of the road is here, anc
he is creditably informed the rope il
ready with the moose made, and forward
ed from Chicago, to be used the frs
night he is in Noble County Jail. Ryan
confesses he alone did the work, and fol
the sole purpose of robbery, as stated il
the ENQUIRER of Saturday. Ryan has
not tasted a morsel of food since his con
fession. He is very weak, and says he
richly deserves to hang for the crime,
His aged mother will be taken to see him
in the morning. The scene will be an
affecting n