The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-03-03


The murderous bandit made his escape. This
was late in June. On July he came to ST.
Louis and secured loan upon a vaise filed
with medical books which he had expressed to
st. Louis He then returned to Illinois and re
newed his depredations In the meanwhile the
whole country side was aroused, and officers of
the law in every county were on the alert for the
terrible being whose revolver belched forth
sure death. Heavy rewards were offered
for him. Frank Hitchcock Of Peoria.
thieftaker of national reputation took the
field, and soon secured an accurate description
of the desperate. He traced him through his
bloody wanderings and learned of the aliases to
which the boxes of plumber had been shipped,
To have called for any one of the boxes would
have been to be apprehended.
A DESPERATE STRUGGLE.
On the morning of Nov. IS, 1877, FRANKIE
Rande walked into Wright's pawnshop, on Vine
street, between Third and Fourth streets, and
inquired for the valise which he had pawned on
July T. Wright recognized Rande by the de
scription which had been furnished him, and
making pretense for delay sent his clerk. Hess,
out for an officer. The clerk returned, closely
followed by Officers John S. White and Tom
Hefernan. They knew nothing of the desperate
character of the man with whom they dealt or
they would have given him no chance for de-
Tense. They simply understood that he was
wanted at headquarters. White so informed the
dark -muzzled trampish-looking individual who,
quick as Hash drew revolver from beneath
his coat There was an immediate clinch and
struggle, and both men went down Rande's
pistol was discharged, and ball from it passed
through the officers left femOral artery Rande
fought like tiger. He cooked his pistol
ond time, and pulled the trigger Just as Officer
Heffernan grasped it, and saved White from inn
mediate death, the hammer falling upon his
thumb. Here the clerk, seeing the desperate
strait of the officer leaned over the counter and,
taking deliberate aim, shot the writhing despe
ado through the right breast Then a fearful
struggle ensued between Rande and Heffernan
for possession of the pistol which the bandit still
held, and it was once more discharged, passing
through the bandits leg. Other officers arrived
at this juncture and the bleeding combatants
were separated. White sent to his home on
Fourteenth street, where he died under an am
putation two days later. Rande was taken to
the city hospital, where his worthless life was
saved by the skill of the physicians. When he
was convalescent he was brought to the Four
Courts, where for upwards of a week he
was visited by hundreds of people daily.
He seemed to keenly enjoy the notoriety
he had achieved, and presented at all
hours most insufferable exhibition of
braggadocio and conceit. He talked big about
what he had done and would do when he got
out vowed vengeance upon his enemies, and
wrote illiterate scrawls to the press and dog
gerel poetry. as is the custom of exconvicts.
AS it doubtful whether he could be con-
victed of anything but manslaughter in Missouri,
he was reluctantly turned over to the Illinois
authorities, and sent to GaleSburg, under
strong guard, the idea prevailing that he would
! be lynched. Rande's conduct on the train was
! full of insoence and bravado. The next day
after being jailed he induced the sheriff to allow
| him to have his photograph TAKEN with his ter
rible revolvers strapped upon him. He was
| tried at the February term of the court in 1875
! and. although the defense of insanity was put
up he was found guilty of murder in the second
| degree and sentenced to the penitentiary for
! preparation of The Life and Adventures Of
Frank Rande, the Bandit Of the Wabash This
| interesting volume consigned to the flames
| by the warden upon his arrival at Joliet
! who grimly remarked that the State
| would furnish to future generations such data as
| to his life and adventures as would prove of in
| terest Rande proved most unruly prisoner, and
once attempted TO incite insurrection, and be-
| fore attempted the life Of DEPUTY Warden Nc
| Donald, who was the special object of his insane
| fury. He was employed in the manufac-
ture of ladies sidesaddles and was most skill
! full workman, He morose and kept aloof
| from his fellow prisoners, who disiked him, as
| they feared his treacherous nature.
He however, imagined himself hero among
| them, and on the occasion two years ago. when
| he suddenly Sprang from the lines as the men
were entering the cell houses, and waving his
| hat, cried to them to follow him to liberty he
| seemed much discouraged that his leadership
was rejected When visited by the warden in
| the solitary cell, next day, Rande said that he
had received manifestation of the presence of
Jesus, and what had been mistaken for
mutinous utterances were simply relg
ious transport. The warden replied that
any person who had been 30 highly
! favored certainly should desire time for reAec-
| ton upon such a remarkable experience, so he
| kindly left him to solitude for six weeks, from
which the bandit emerged much subdued His
inventive bent took the form of naval cannon
and siege guns of irresistible force, and he made
one or two suggestions of value regarding ma
chinery used in the shop where he was employed.
While awaiting trial at Galesburg, he WIS visited
by a brother from Ottumwa, Ia, who, however,
gave very little information as to Franks past
| The career of tie man has been more that of
mad dog than of desperate, for he killed with
wanton cruelty and seemed possessed of an in
carnate spirit of revengefuness. He has always
kept mp his habit of writing doggerel verses de
scriptive Of the hard lot of prisoners. McDon-
aid, the keeper whom he has killed, was a man
of remarkable nerve, and much feared by Rande,
after the first unsuccessful attempt to kill him,
made shortly after his readmission to the prison.
An Adventure in indianapolis.