Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1883-12-21
{ a TEN ESS & b STUR Z.


& Violent Death Three Victims Of Three
Brothers--CaptArIng . Train and Freeing
Prisoner--A Remarkable Story ~ Crime.
~ Chattanooga, Tenn, Correspondence Of the
lphiladelphia Times: Andy Taylor was hanged
{ at London to-day for one Of the boldest crimes
ever committed. The decd which led up TO i
was the murder OF Capt James Fletcher, in
this city, Feb. 81, 1881, by John Taylor, tiae
eldest brother Of Andy Taylor was the engi.
neer on the steamboat Tellico. Fletcher was
boat builder, and On the day in question was
engaged in making some repairs on the
Tellico A quarrel arose between him
and Taylor, and the Inter, being
Of very irnpetnous nature, drew his pistol.
Fletcherwas az cid man; Taylor large, brawny
giant. in his prime When he drew his pistol
the old man remarked that none but - cow
ards carried pistols Hardly had the words left
his mouth when Taylor fred three times and
the old man fell corpse in his tracks. The muir
derer jumped into boat, roWed rapidly down
the river and was soon lost in the mountalns.
The cowardIy murder created great excltemenf
in the city and large posses started IN pursuit.
but were unsuccessful After Two months hao
passed Taylor was traced into the MOUNTAINS OF
Roane county, Tenn.y 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 naanslaughtsr
and sentenced for ten years. lie appealed 70
the supreme court During his imprisonment
he proved one Of the most dangerous inmates
of the jail and headed every plan to escape.
He was regarded as one Of the most desperate
criminals ever confined here, and was known
to have killed several men IN Texas.
He was conveyed to the supreme court, I'D
session at Knoxville, on Oct. IA, 1882: Two
other prisoners were taken along; Taylor was
1,o ,aar f1a5 IN cua Of these He WAS placed
a front car and guarded by Sheriff ". T. Cate
and Deputy Sheriff John J. Conway. When the
train reached Philadelphia, Tenn, two men
were seen tc 40 aboard and enter the car where
Taylor was guarded, They were tau, orawny
rufian-lke men, and seemed intent ON sonae
deep design. The train had proceeded hardly
four miles, when both strangers hurrledly
arose, and one, who afterward proved to be-
Bob Taylor placed his pistol to the deputy
sheriffs head. and sent bullet whlzzlng
through his brain, while the other, who proved
to be Andy, began firing at the sheriff The
car was in an uproar. The deputy sheriff died
instantly, and John Taylor, at once jerked a
pistol from the dead raan's pocket and, hand
cuffed as he wac, Joined In the murder OF the
sheriff The latter fred ono shot before he
died, and the bullet passed through John lay
lors wrist. The handouts were quickly un-
locked and the three rufins hurrledly left the
car and placing their weapons at the englneer's
head, commanded him to move on. They seat
ed themselves on the tender, and with leVeled
pistols compelled the train men to run through
two stations at high rate Of speed. When they
reached Loudon q distance Of twenty miles,
they mounted horses which were in waiting,
and were off like the wind The CRIME was
committed in mid day, in one OF the most pop
ulous districts in the State. The murdered
sheriff was one of the leading citizens of Chat
tanooga and had been in the Office but two
weeks: he was in the postal service and was
prominently mentioned for postmaster
Chattanooga was thrown into frenzy of ex-
element when the news reached here, and
widespread CONSERVATION prevailed Half an
hour after the affair was known posse of zoo
men, armed with Springfield rifles and headed
BIZ A. G. Sharp. who is now chief inspector Of
postofices in the United States, boarded spe-
cial train and we're speeding to the mountains,
ia the direction Of which the murderers were
fleeing. They secured the country TOE TWO
weeks, and additional posses were organized
in nearly every county between this city and
Knoxville, there being at one time no less than
2. 500 men on the search; but all to no avail
The county and State offered rewards of $l2,-
500 for the murderers, dead or allqes Dut no
trace could be found.
When the nurderers left Loudou they pro-
ceeded through the mountains to Kingston,
Tenn, reaching there at p. m Here agaln
their reckless daring was displayed 1hey
entered with drawn pistols and forced pny-
stefan to dress John Taylor's wound, and thhn
entering several stores, compelled the clerks
to give them several boxes Of cartridges. Re
mounting thew proceeded to the densest forests
and hid themselves i'll the remotest recesses.
They were familiar with that region, and sue
ceeded IN battling the Skill alfo FiSliance VI at
thoir pursuers.
A few days afterward Bob Taylor boarded
q train at lockwood, Tenn, and proceeded to
Cincinnati and thence to Missouri, where he
had brother living He had been there
scarcely e. week when his identity became
noised about. At last R P Goodal, the sheriff
of Lebanon county. succeeded IN eata bllshlng
his identity bevond doubt and determined TO
capture him. Taylor was in Lebanon, purcha s
ing supplies, and when he boarded the tram ne
gas followed by the sheriff and deputy. a
few moments after he had taken his seat the
sheriff stealthily crept behind him. and pre-
senting pistol to his head, commanded him
To surrender. The desperate was lot thus
easily to be overawed, and reached for his
weapon. but before he could draw the sheriff
fred and Taylor tell corpse. Inc news or or
widest JOY, and when the corpse arrived 5,OoU
people met it at the train. 1t was placed on
exhibition the next day, and viewed by nearly
5000 persons. .
direction Of Alabama. They travelled only
npder cover Of darkness and made bat FIVE
six miles each day. They went disguised as
hamps. and the dare-devils actually passed
through tnls c1ty one eVen1hS d. ciooAt
when two companies of militia were guarding
the river for them, and no less than 1000
persons were scrutinizing every stranger:
From this city they proceeded
into North Alabama and thence
tramped to Memphis and from there pro
ceeded to Missouri, intending to join their
brother Bob When they reached Missouri
they heard for the first time Of Bob's death
John became very much depressed, and his
melancholy, coupled with long exposure and
the neglected wound in his arm, proved too
much even for his iron constitution He fell
ill at Ballenger's Mill, Mo-, and after painful
and wasting sickness Of nearly month, died
10 great agony He was buried near that point.
and several months afterward the remains
were exhnmed by the sheriff of this county
and identified beyond doubt
The death OF hls two companions IN orlhs
left Andy almost despairing. He is but q boy,
scarcely twenty, ard when he reaiz ID his friend
less condition bis desperation almost drove hlIn
to suicide. He left Missouri and began work Oh
farm at Emporia, Kans: Remorse slezed him
and DIS detection at last became 30 great that
in a moment of extreme melancholy ha con-
fessed all and then attempted to shoot himself.
bat was prevented. He was at once arrested
and placed in close confinement until tho
Chattanooga officers could be notified. Ihis
was quickly done, and the sheriff Of this and
Loudon county proceeded to Kansas, and, &C
companied by his captors, conveyed the prls-
oner to Nashville The excitement was so in
tense in this city that it was feared he would
be lynched il taken through Chattanooga, and
as 3 precautionary measure the governor or
dered that ks be conveyed to Williamsburg,
Ky, and thence taken to Knoxville, Tenn.
over the mountains in o wagon. This was ac-
cordlneIy doue, and he reached the latter city
in safety early in April, 1888.
Taylor was carried to London in June for
trial Great difficulty was encountered in pro-
curing a jury. Nearly 1000 1aIesmen were
summoned before the jury was complete The
court designated Messrs. Dave Nelson and J.
W, Weckler counsel for the accused The line
of defense was that the prisoner was minor at
the time and had been persuaded into the deed,
but had fired no shots. After weeks trial