The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1883-08-21

TACKLED TALMAGE
TACKLED TALMAGE
With a Blackmailing Scheme
Which Failed to Pan
Out Well.
The Sum of 90, 500 Demanded by
Barney Sweeney, a
Desperate.

4 n. \.
mage, superintendent of The Gould South
west system, has just come 10 light, and
the man who did The threatening is Bar
ney Sweeney a former member of the Jesse
James gang, and the man who was arrested
last September for putting up" the Vinita
train robbery and killing an unknown
man on the platform OF baggage Car, OF
which the BAZOO was the first paper In the
country to give iull particulars.
| About four months ago Mr.. Talmage re-
ceived threatening letter from Sween y,
who was then supposed to be in Clay
county. No. The letter stated that unless
Mr.. Talmage would send the writer $500
be shot on sight. The demand, it is sup
posed, was made by Sweeney upon Mr..
Talmsge, who was then manager of the
Missouri Pacific, because of his arrest for
the Vinita robbery and murder.
Mr.. Talmage Immediately took the mat
ter before the July grand jury, then In ses-
dicted for attempted robbery in the third
degree.
A capias was issued for his arrest and was
placed in the hands Of the sheriff, who
turned it over to Detective Furlong, of the
Missouri Pacific road. He has not sue
ceeded in locating Sweeney vet, Tut thinks
that he is in the Indian territory
Sweeney has had an eventful career, hav-
ing been baptized in the Ere of the 'Jsy-
hawk" war that ragged on the Kansas bor-
der some twenty-five years ago. He was
born in CLAY county, Missouri, and was as
sociated with all the bandits that made
their home in Western Missouri. Sheriff
III g L..
more desperate character than Jesse
James ever was. and was arrested once BY
Timb, rlake ON description furnished by
Tucker Bashaw, who said that Sweeney
took part in the second Glendale robbery.
On the 9Th OF last September man who
gave the name OF Brown called upon the
representatives of the Missouri Pacific rail-
way and express companies, and asserted
that plan was being perfected by the
remnants of the James gang to rob Mis-
souri, Pac ic train at Vinits, and to plum
der the express car. He volunteered the
interesting information that he knew all
about it, knew the men, and knew just
when ard where the raid would be made.
His story was listened to with attentive
ears by the company, and it naturally &C
Cured to them that he was an extremely
valuable man to know. He stated that the
gang came to him because in former years
he knew them we'll, and that on condition
he furnished them place of retreat and
kept his mouth shut, he would receive
good share of the anticipated spoils. This
he had promised to do, but in reality being
a law-abiding citizen, he had determined
to give the whole snap away and for this
purpose he called upon the representatives
of the road and the express Companies.
He stated that the men we're even then at
his ranch, near Big Cabin creek. When
asked who the men were, he said that one
was Frank James, the other Jim Cum
mines, and another whom he did not know,
but who was called Wilson. A compact
was then agreed upon between himself and
the railroad company, 10 which it was de-
cided that he should 60 back home and
give the gang to understand that every
thing was progressing favorably, and that
no suspicious had been aroused. He was
then to find out the exact date of the con- |
templated raid and inform the company, |
who would look out for the rest. At the |
next meeting he said that the raid was to |
take place on the night of the 1lth of Sep
TENDER, and would occur near Chetcpa, a
few miles north of Vinita. 1t was then |
settled that he, in company with one Of the |
robbers, should board the train at Vinita,
and no demonstration should be made I'M
I'll the train should arrive at the place
where the raid was to be made. Armed |
men would be placed both in baggage and
smoking cars, and the appearance Of the
robbers would be the signal for the ball to |
open.
The ATTEMPTED train robbery was all |
bosh, and was part Of the plot to kill the
unknown. Sweeney knew that no robbers
would get on at the place designated for the
raid, SO commenced the business right in l
town by getting the drop on the conductor,
and then sssassinated the man whom he had |
lured TO obstruction. So we'll had the plot |
carried that it Was not until couple Of
DAYS after the affair occurred that the true
inwardness came to light. The dead man
was about FIVE feet ten inches high,
light hair, slender build, and
weighed one hundred and forty five pounds. |
He was dressed in cheap suit of clothes,
and when found had q half dollar in his |
pocket and the pistol in his hand. Sweeney |
h since confessed that he furnished the |
man the pistol, and that the dead man had |
NO weapon at all of his own. When the |
people learned that Sweeney was arrested |
they threatened to lynch him and the off,
GERS had to leave on special train. They |
were afraid to take the overland 10 Fort |
Smith, fearing that he would be lynched. |
and concluded that the safest way was to
come by rail via this city.
Seven or eight years ago Sweeney had to
leave Clay county for shooting a man off
fence just to see him drop. He is dead
shot, good horseman, and as "quick as
lightning" He is FIVE feet seven inches |
high, black mus,ache and COATES, dark COM
plexion, tanned from exposure. the whitest
Of teeth, form as straight as an arrow and
of very compact build, and pair of dark
piercing eyes that take in everything at
glance.
He was taken to Fl. Smith, Ark, where
he was confined for some time on the
charge of killing the unknown man at vi