Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1884-11-27
NICK AMES.
Capture Of The Notorious
Outlaw.

Private Detective Charles Bennett, ar
rived in this city Monday afternoon with
the notorious Nick Ames, who has per-
haps committed more crimes than any
other boy of his age in the state.
This notorious criminal, according to
his own statement, was but eighteen
years old Oct. %, 1884. When but
fifteen years old he was sent from this
county to the penitentiary at Waupun
for term of three years for burglary.
pleading guilty to the charge, and re-
ceiving his sentence from Judge Nc
Gonigal
On reaching the city Monday, Mr..
Bennett took his prisoner, Cf we may
call him a prisoner, for Mr.. Bennett had
no warrant for his arrest,) Immediately
to the formers residence. THE HERAED
reporter called at Mr. Benefits resi-
dence Monday evening, but was in
formed that the detective and his priso-
ner had retired to bed The reporters
visit was repeated Tuesday morning,
with better results, although sneither
Mr.. Bennett nor his prisoner were in
we succeeded in cleaning from them the
following: Mr.. Bennett said that he had
been employed at two dallars night by
parties in this city as night Waterman,
about the time-some three or four
weeks ago-when SO many burglaries
were being committed here and acted
as such for few nights, when his SER
vices were dispensed with; and he then
set about to effect a capture of Nick, on
his own responsibility. He went to
work Systematically, and had devoted
all of his time for the last nineteen
days and nights, to the work. Last
Sunday, having obtained clew which
led him to believe that his game was
hiding in the vicinity of the river bot
tom between Dickeyville and East Du-
buque, he was searching in that vicinity
when night overtaking HIM he was
making his way on horseback to the
latter place to find Accommodations for the
night. Passing vacant house on the
Bishop place ON the bottom, he observed
light as from smouldering fire, pro-
ceeding from the cellar. Dismounting
from his horse, he approached an open
ing which had once been a cellar-way.
and looking down, saw Nick standing
over fire which he had lighted on the
ground in the cellar. The rest Of the
story is better told by Nick himself who
informed us, that a few minutes before,
while trying to keep warm by his fire,
he heard dog bark. and thinking some
farmer was coming to drive him off the
premises. he went outside to look around
but discovering no one, went back to
his fire, when suddenly Bennett slipped
through the hole, and coming up to the
fire shook hands with him, and asked
him "what he had been doing to get in
to all this trouble With inimitable
sa,aq froid, Nick said that each party
was looking for the other. Charley
wanted him, and he was looking for
Charlie, wanting him Charley to cap
ture him. He knew that he was going
to be captured, and wanted Charlie to
be the one to do it.
The two then started for Dickeyvills,
taking turns riding the horse. When
it was Nick's turn to ride, Charley
kindley lending him his overcoat and
arctic shoes, and also allowing him to
carry the two revolvers with which he
had armed himself when he set out to
make the capture. They arrived at
Dickeyville between twelve and one
o'clock that night. The hotel was
closed, and the landlord on being routed
out, and Nick announcing who he was,
refused them admission. Going to the
saloon, they routed the proprietor up
and were admitted. The saloon-keeper
on learning who they were, sent out
for constable to watch them; and all
parties sat up by the fire until morning.
The constable dozed off to sleep, and
it was a hard matter to restrain Nick
from going through his pockets. Mon
day morning Charley and Nick walked
to British Hollow, and hiring convey
ance to take them to this city, arrived
| here as before stated
The reporter was permitted to see
| Nick on the conditions that no attempt
should be made to interview him in re-
| gard to the recent burglaries, as Mr..
| Bennett informed us that he had an OBJ
ject in not having anything published
in regard to those matters at present
| Nick was inclined to be communi cative
| after he had thawed out, but was re-
strained by his host. He said that at
the time of the organized hunt on the
part of the citizens of this place for him,
one Saturday afternoon and Sunday, a
number of weeks ago, he was concealed
in straw stack watching the gentle
men who were so anxious to shake
hands with him; but being naturally of
modest and retiring disposition he
wished to avoid any public demonstra-
ton on the part of our citizens, in his
honor, and consequently remained con-
cealed in the straw stack. Tuesday
morning he informed his host that he
had left buffalo robe, horse blanket
and a number of other articles, con-
ce2led in a straw stack on the Carter
place, half mile southeast of town,
near the cemetery; and the latter went
out and brought them into town. The
property was stolen.
When questioned in regard to his ex-
perience in the Penitentiary, Nick said
tho officers treated him wall xvban ha