The Southern herald., 1885-11-28
CAPTURED AT LAST.
IAs AEEezt ef s PFosPszogs EarmsF fur ths
MURDER of Iaeab Akara h IsEs-Fhs
etary 81 q Hideous Crime
Fhs Wetlm's YFldou.


A4 A1l2 4A1 HAlAl4 Jacob A4Arls nv
Ing about ten niles south Of Paris, vas
Waylaid In the woods whsre be vas max.
ing boards, aud shot down By concealed
assassins. Circumstances pointed strongly
30 a neighbor named Robert 7. Alexander,
and his son John Alexander, as the authors
o. the eowardly deed. There had been an
old grudge between the elder Alexander
and Akand, and shortly afterward old
man Alexander boastsd 70 another neigh
Dor that be had shot the old man, and Il
was also learned that bis son was with hin
at the time Of the killing. A warrant was
issued for their arrest, bat they fed the
country, and for years were lost sight Of
They went to the swamps Of Louisiana
and there led a precarlous existencs, lum.
bering. hunting, officiating, etc, and
when the war bfoke out both father and
son en- cred the Confederate ssrvice. The
close OF the war left them stranded. with
other debris OF the conflict in Arkansas,
and here in Texas the murder Of Akard
was well-nigh forgotten.
In 1873 it was learned where Robert
Alexander was. The old indictment was
brought forth from its sleep of twenty
years and an officer was dispatched foE
him. He was captured and brought back
half-blind, broken-down, gray-haired
old man. He was placed on trial, and the
evidence against both father and son was
damaging. It was proven that they erept
up to their victim in the woods and shot
him in the back. Robert was sentenced tc
be hung, but his attorneys appealed the
case 70 the Supreme Court, and the case
was reversed and remanded for a new
trial. The excitement was intense.
Mrs. Akard. wife of the murdered
man, testified that she heard a gun
shot in the woods and know
ing OF the trouble between her hus band
and Alexander, went out to where he was
at work cleaving elapboards. On the road
she met the two Alexanders, the father
armed with a rife. She asked him where
her husband was, and old man Alexander
brutally replied that he had shot him, and
would do it again IL it was necessary. The
dead body Of Akard was found, partly
covered with leaves, with bullet hole In
the back. Robert Alexander was put up
on his second trial, aud this time was SEN
fenced to the Penitentlary for life. He
was taken to Huntsville and put at hard
labor, but his twenty years Of fugitive life
told heavily on his once powerful consti.
tuition, and he dropped day by day. He
became entirely blind, an imbecile in both
body and mind. Through the interposition
OF powerful friends he was, after about
eighteen months confinement, pardoned
out by Governor Coke and brought home
to die. He fingered for about three months
after his release, and again the murder Of
Jacob Akard dropped out OF sight, for it
was supposed that John Alexander had
either been killed or had died in the Con.
federAte service.
Early last spring some United States de.
tectives, while looking around in the noun.
tains Of Western Arkansas for Illicit whis.
Ky dealers, ran across an old farmer living
near Nevada, Polk County, Ark, whose
name was John Alexander. Inquiry re.
vealed the fact that he was identical with
the STRIPPING who. thirty two years ago, in
Lamar County, Texas, went out into the
woods with his father to kill Jacob Akard.
Aga n the pigeon.holes in the District
Clerks office were ransacked, and again an
indictment, yellow and stained with age,
was brought forth. Another warrant was
issued, and Deputy Sheriff J. A. Burris was
commissioned to arrest the fugitive Of a
fVsA af A a Al
Governor of Arkansas was obtained, and
Burris started to get his man. The near.
est railroad point to Nevada is a station
on branch road leaving the st. Louis &
Iron Mountain Railroad at Hope, Ark.
From there Officer Burris rode eighty
miles through the mountains Of Nevada.
He found Alexander plowing in his field
He hal a small but well.tilled farm, and q
family consisting of a wife and three OF
four children. When Officer Burris read
the warrant, Alexander entered no protest
but meekly gave himself up. Within an
hour the two were en- route to the railroad
When Burris arrived at the railroad will
his prisoner, he found that they woult
have to remain over night for the train
Tney took lodging az the only boarding
house in the place, and occupied one bed
the officer fastening the prisoners wrists
to his own by means Of handouts and I
chain. Officer Burris was tired out witl
his long ride, and fell fast asleep. WheI
he awoke in the morning his bedfellow hat
flown. leaving both pairs Of bracelets will
the officer. The disgustsd officer imme
diately remounted and struck back for th
wilds Of Polk County. A ave-days' search
in which hO was assisted by the officers q
Polk County, failed to mateIialize th
missing Alexander, and he returned hom
to report his bad luck.
Saerif J. M. Hopkins, Of Polk County
however, kept close watch for the fugi
tive. and Alexandet's house was kept ur
der constant surveilance. The result wa
that last Wednesday Alexander's hors
was found hitched in the woods near hi
house. A posse Of men were placed Z
guard it, and about daylight Thursda
morning Alexander was seen approachin
1t from the direction OF his house. He wa
ordered to surrender, and threw up hi
hands without a word. Sheriff Hopkiu
reached here with his prisoner Saturday
and turned him over 70 the proper author
ties, thus ending the second act in q TRACED
begun third Of q century since.
The prisoner is now man Of about fft
Yeas old, and bears quite visibly th
marks OF time, care and suspense. He
very reticent, refusing TO talk to anybod
about the tragedy except his attornev
He states that since his escape from Il
officer last spring he has been Foamin
about from place to place, hiding in Il
woods and paying stealthy visits to b
family at long intervals. He had grow