Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-03-30
HOUCK IN HOG.
The World Renowned Criminal
Gagged.
The Story of His Double Crime and and Long
Flight From Justice-The Diff
cuIties Attending His
Arrest.
REMARKABLE DETECTIVE WORK

reared in the REGISTER, passed through tnls
city yesterday, in custody Of Detective John
T. Norris OF Springfield, Ohio. The career
OF this man is so wonderful that he is re-
garded as one of the most noted criminals
this country ever produced.
He is known not only in every State IN
the Union, but all over the world, and mas
Justly acquired the title Of "The Three
Card Monte King"
Hosck is thirty six years old, and in ap-
pearance is a very progressing man. de
is about five feet eight inches in height, OF
dark complexion, with black hair and dark
gray ewes. His ewes are very remarkable,
being piercing aud searching, and seeming
to read every thought in the soul OF his In
terlocutor. He has the reputation OF being
the best short card player in the united
States, and especially clever in the three
card monte business.
His whole career has been that OF gam
bier, and during the course of his opera
tions throughout the country it IS known
that he killed two men. The murder for
which Houck is wanted in this State was
committed over FIVE years ago. The clr'
| cumstances of the crime in brief are as loi-
lows:
On January 81, 1873, four persons occu'
| pied the smoking car OF train which was
approaching the town OF Delaware, In Del
aware county, Ohi2. VI this NUMBER tnree
| bad been playing cards. Their names
were Paul Lohman, Of Cleveland, Lou
Houck and man named Houghton, who
was a whisky drummer. 1t appears that
Houghton was playing "capper,' II. e., de-
COW to Lou HOuck, who, even at that
| time, had become one of the recognized
leaders of the gambling fraternity OF TINS
| continent. During the game Lohmsn lost
| about SO, and, as the trio rose at It's con.
clusion, he accused his two companions OF
| having robbed him. Words became hot
1t an instant Houck drew his revolver and
| fired. Quick as thought the gambler
sprang to the door of the car and leaped
| from the platform of the moving train.
| His victim lived but few hours, stubborn
| ly refusing to make a dying statement,
| though urged to do so, even while III the
throeS of death.
The entire influence of the company on
whose road he was slain (the Columbus,
| Hooking Valley & Toledo Railroad) was put
out to secure him,
Dead or Alive:
| Dut from lndl IdlhI INO ySaio az 'AiA
| Monday before last the murderer had sue.
ceeded in eluding the utmost vigilance and
pursuit. At last he was houndedl down
| by the unerring sleuth hounds Of justice,
| and, tracked to Los Angeles, CAL. and
secured Such is brief outline OF the
| history of the crime. The subsequent
career of Houck, now fugitive from JUS
| tiCe, reads like romance. Within few
days after the murder Houck was playing
poker in Washington City. His pal,
| Houghton, had been arrested, examined
and tried as accessory to the murder, and
| sentenced to two years in the penlten-
| tiary Since serving out his sentence his
| has been ruined life. Step by step he has
gone down the ladder, till now he is
creature lost to every sense OF decency and
rcspectability. AS for HouCk, he played
his game in the National Capital until his
wife and father could come to him.
| At this meeting no human pen can write
what transpired. All that is known is that
Houck went room Washington to Rich
mond, thence to Norfolk, and thence set
sail for Key West, Florida, from which port
he hied himself to Hay ana, Cuba. At this
time he managed to absolutely throw his
pursuers from the track, and they believed
that he had crossed the ocean and gone to
the Worlds Exposition, Paris, France.
Not so, however. From Havana he went
into Texas, where Mr.. Norris fell upon his
track. From this time on Norris played
the game of hide and seek with Houck.
| From town to town he chased him, but
each time was bafiled by the shrewd
gambler. Untiring in the accomplishment
of the duty which his employers, the rail.
road company, on whose road the crime had
been committed, imposed upon him, Norris
for more than three years followed close
upon the heels of his victim. He was on
the point of catching him several times,
but his prey each time escaped him through
the influence OF warm friends that Houck
made wherever he went. The detective
finally
| Lost His Trail
for a period. At this time Houck had
gone into Mexico, to Chihuahua. Here
the gambler became involved in another
scrape, in which the life of a fellow crea
tune paid the penalty of the game. In this
affair however, Houck seems to have had
right on his side. 1t appears that he had
| PLAYED cards with a Mexican and had man.
| aged TO win some four hundred odd dollars
from his prey, who at later day engaged
HOuCk in second game, locking, however,
the door OF the room in which they we're
l'playing. The dead only can tell what hap
pened on that eventful night of last Sep
tember. II is known that the Mexican was
killed, but in such way that Lou. was
acquitted after trial which cost him a
mimic money. From Mexico he wan.
dered over TO the American side. His wife,
who is said to be most lovely and esti'
mable woman, was at this time living in
Tucson, Arizona. Here Houck bore an ex-
cellent reputation; so good, in fact, that
the sheriff Of Pima county lin which Tucson
is situated) went to chihuahua to testify,
at his trial for II urder, as to his character,
and the slayer was acquitted on the ground
OF self defense, although it was proved that
HouCk had wrested the Mexican's pistol
from him and killed him with it. After
this episode the mans whereabouts again
become
Wrapped I'm Mystery.
In the fall of last year, q few weeks after
the occurrence recited above, our hero is
found in Yuma, where, with four deft-
handed comrades, he was taken in charge
by a deputation from the Vigilance Com.
mittee, and. with ropes around their necks,
were marched across the railroad bridge at
that point to the California side OF the
river. Here they were allowed to escape
with their lives, providing they left Yuma,
The next morning none OF the party were
to be found in the place. But here it may
be stated tn Houck's universal reputation
is that OF manly, brave adventurer. True
TO his friends, merciless to his victims and
his enemies, and untlinching in the face of
danger; one who never spared a foe and
who never betrayed friend
His Final Capture.
Detective John T. Norris informed a
reporter this morning that he has been
after Houck for five years. Several weeks
ago the detective became possessed OF the
information that friend OF Houck's was
living in Texas. Norris left for that State,
and finding his man had him arrested on
suspicion. \ letter was found on him
written by lIouck, and dated at LIS
Angeles, California. Norris had then Sc.
cured clue 10 his man, aud after over
coming many obstacles in the way of his
| arrest secured him.
On the morning of Februruarv 26th
| Under Sheriff Burdick, Of lbs Angeles. re.
ceived q telegram from Norris dated at
Deming, New Mexico, in which he request
ed the arrest of Lou Houck, alias Dick
| Davis.
Immediately upon reading the telegram
Deputy Sheriff Gard started out in search
of his man. When passing saloon he OBJ