The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1883-08-28
SWEENEY SECURED.
SWEENEY SECURED.
A. A. Talmage's Blackmailer
in the Clutches of Tom
Furlong,
And Passed Through Sedalia for
st. Louis on Train No. 4
Last Night.

Tom Furlong, chief OF The detective force
for the Gould Southwestern system, passed
through Sedalia last night, on his way to
ST. Louis, having in charge BarneySweeney,
the notorious desperate, who is charged
with having attempted to blackmail Super
intendent A. A. Talmsge out of s.. 500, full
particulars of which were published in
last Sundays BAzOo.
Thursdays BAzOo stated that Sweeney
had been located in Clay county, and when
Detective Furlong passed through the city,
going west, Friday afternoon, he
was INTERCEPTED regarding the man.
but was non-cOmmittal. Later
developments proved, however, that he was
then on his way to Clay county, and when
he returned, last night, he related to .
BAzoO representative the following parti-
culars of the arrest:
1t was Cd Thursday that Sheriff Reed, of
Liberty, Clay county, received information
that Sweeney was wanted by the suthori-
ties of st. Louis, to answer an indictment
charging him with attempting to blackman
and sending threatening letter to A. A.
Talmage. Upon receipt of this information
Sheriff Reed at once telegraphed to Mr..
Talmage, at St. Lotus, asking him if b,
wanted Sweeney. An afir alive answer
came from Furlong requesting Sweeneys
apprehension, and saying that he Was
wanted for robbery and other charges.
About Z O'Clock Thursday evening the
sheriff and his deputy proceeded to the
Sweeney farm, which is located in the bot
tom, about four miles below Missouri City,
arriving at the house sbouts12 o'clock.
They went straightway to the house and
raped on the door, Barney, who was
sleeping down stairs, asked who they were,
and came to the door with pistol in his
hand. The officers having told him their
names and what they wanted, Sweeney i'm
medistely fed up stairs, followed by the
officers, saying 10 them, Don't CINE up
here. / have six men we'll armed with me,
and we will kill every one who comes in
the house." A light was procured, and
when the party reached the top of the stair
way they found him with Colts No. As
pistol in his hand and in good shooting
order He was secured and taken to Lib
erly, where be was placed in Jail, and yes
terdsy morning was turned over to Mr..
Furlong and deputy sheriff of ST. Louis,
who had accompanied him on the trip.
A BAZOO reporter took look at the
noted criminal as he sat in the smoking car,
and it would be difficult to picture more
repulsive looking individual
Sweeney, according to Mr.. Furlong's
statement 70 the BAzOO man, is the same
party who was charged with the murder of
John Fuller, in Clay county, in 1878. An
indictment was preferred against him at
the August term Of the court Of that year.
He was tried at the February term, 1879.
The evidence was entirely circumstantial,
and the circumstances we're of such q ma
ture as to give him the benefit of q doubt,
and after tedious trial, which asted more
than . week, and which was both ably
prosecuted and defended, he was acquitted.
He was for some time thought BY many
to have been connected with the James
gang, but the light of recent events
has removed any suspicion OF this kind.
Subsequent to his trial in Clay county he
lett for the Indian territory, where he re-
maiued until his difficulty near Vinita, at
which place be represented himself to the
railroad officials to be . member of the
James gang, and feigned information of
stnpendous train robbery, which proved TO
be all bosh. His killing of an innocent
man on that occasion will be remembered
by readers of the BAzoo. He was arrested
and taken to Fort Smith, Ark but on be-
ing tried was acquitted.
About two month ago he returned to Clay
county, and has since been living with his
father at the place of his recent arrest. He
says he is not guilty of the charges preferred
against him--that it is spite work, and that
be has done nothing for which he ought to
be arrested. He does not specifically de-
nye that he did send NJ. Tslmage letter
demanding pass over the road, or that he
did ask him for $500 for services rem
dered the road. 1T can, however, be proven
that he wrote Mr.. Talmsge that If his
wishes were not complied with be (dr. Tai
NJ aee) would not fare vell,n