The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1883-03-14
BANDIT HISTORY.
The Pardon of Clarence Rlte from
the Missouri PeniteUtlary.
His Confession Impllcating Frank
James.
iL/EE OF CRIME EABOUTENDED

| 3L/FE OFCR/ME ABOUTENDED
/ jefferson CITY, Mo, March T.
Governor Crittenden to-day pardon
i ed Clarence Fite, .ho was sentenced
al the February term, 1882, OF the
Dawes county circuit court to twcn-
y-five years imprisonment for COM
plicity IN the Winston tram robbery,
which occurred on July Is, 1881.
The pardon was recommended by
The officers OF the penitentiary. in
cluding the phys, clan and board OF
inspectors, on the ground that Hite
was nying with consumption. Frank
/ rulley. brother-in-lav of Hite's,
and whose home is in Vernon coun-
/ I,y, took charge of Hite as soon az
ne was pardoned, and Immediately
started with him to his (Hite's)
home IN Logan county, KY.
Representative Hall OF Vernon
cut prominent figure tn securing
H,te's pardon, for which he had
been working with undated zeal the
last ten days. Hite IS very weak
and evidently cannst live many
days.
Appropos to the above the Kan
sas City Times gives tke following
interesting history:
THE PARDON OF HITE.
The pardon Of Clarence Hite, one
of the famous Winston and Blue Cut
rain robbers is announced by tele-
graph from Jefferson City this morn
ing. Hite, as will be remembered,
was arrested IN Kentucky last sum-
mer by Henry Craig of Kansas City,
Sheriff Timberlake of Clay county,
Dick Liddil, at present resident of
Alabama, and Bob Ford. The in
formation upon which he was arrest
ed was furnished bv Bob Ford soon
after the famous raid over into Ray
county by Kansas City officials in
January, 1852. Hite was an own
cousin of the James boys, and was
induced by the ashamed to join the
robber band. He was mere boy
at the time, but his elder brother,
Wood Hite, had for some years
been looked upon as bad man by
the Kentucky officials, in which state
the Hitcs resided. After the Blue
cut robbery the two Hites returned
to Logan county, Kentucky, but
Wood Hitc and Dick Liddil haying
had trouble. the former returned to
Missouri and went to the home of
the Ford boys in Ray county II
was at this place tha, he was shot
and killed by either Liddil or Bob
Ford and his BODY buried in an old
well near the Ford house. After
the raid by Kansas City officers,
Bob Ford came over to Kansas City
one morning, and at the police sta
ton confessed to Chief Speers that
on the night Of the raid Dick Liddil
escaped from the house BY rear
door. but was in bad condition
from wound in the leg received
during the fight which resulted in
Wood Hite's death. Bob Ford alse
ut the same time gave the names OF
all members of the James boys
gang who took part in the Winston
and Blue Cut robberies, and told how
Wood Hite had been killed and where
he was buried. He also told where
Clarence Hite could be found il
Logan county, Ky. From that con
.esslon made to Chief Spee.s by
Bob Fsrd, came the surrender of
Dick Liddil, the capture of Clarence
Hite, the death of Jesse James at St.
soseph and the surrender of Frank
James to Governor Irittenden.
When Clarence H,te was arressed
III Kentucky he was confronted with
the strongest kind of evidence re-
ssrd'ns his presence at Winston.
and upon being taken to Gallatin he
entered plea of guilty. and was at
once sentenced to a term OF twenty
hse Years in the Missoar. pcnites,-