Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-11-05
A FUGITIVE FOR THIRTY YEARS
Captured at Last and Charged win
the Murder of an old Man.
nrr Ant1haN 1GSE

In 1898 man udutu d dCOu Ahdl u
living about ten miles south OF Paris
was waylaid in the woods when he
was making boards and shot down by
concealed assassins. Circumstances
pointed strongly to neighbor named
Robert I. Alexander and his son,
John Alexander, as the authors of the
cowardly deed. There had been an
old grudge between the elder Alexan~
der and Akard, and shortly atterward
old man Alexander boosted to another
neighbor that he had shot the old
scouudrel, and it was also learned that
his son was with him at the time OF
the killing. a warrant was issued Tor
their arrest, but they fed the country
and for years they were lost out OF
sight. They went TO the swamps oil
Louisiana and there led precarlous
existence numbering, hunting, Hat
boating, ETC., and when the war broke
out both father ana son entered the
Confederate service. The close of the
war left them stranded with other de.
bris of the con fict in Arkansas, and
here III Texas the murder OF Akaro
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 dispatched
for him. He was captured and brought
back a half blind, broken down gray
haired old man. He was placed on
trial ana the evidence against both
father and son was damaging. 1t was
proven that they crept up to their vic
tim and shot him in the back. Robert
was sentenced to be hanged, but his
attorneys appealed the case to the Su~
preme Court and the case was revers~
ed and remanded for a new trial. The
excitement was intense. Mrs. Akard
wife of the murdered man, testified
that she heard a gunshot IN the woods
and. knowing the trouble between her
husband and Alexander went out TO
where he was at work cleaving clap
boards. Ga the road she met the two
Alexanders, the father armed with a
rifle. She asked him where her hus-
band was and old man Alexander Dru-
tally replied that ne had shot him and
would do it again if necessary. The
dead body of Akard was found partly
covered with leaves and bullet hole
in the back. Robert Alexander was
pat on second trial and this time
sentenced to the penitt ntiary for life.
He was taken to HuntsA lie and put at
hard labor, but his twenty years OF fu'
gitve life told heavily on his once pow
erful constitution and he dropped day
by day. He became entirely blind
and imbecile in both body and mind.
Through the lnterposition of power
full friends he was, after about ieh-
teen 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 drop
ped out of sight, for it was supposed
that John Alexander had either been
killed or had died in the Confederate
service.
Early last spSing some United States
detectives were looking around IA the
mountains in Western Arkansas for
illicit whisky dealers, and ran across an
old farmer living near Nevada, Polk
county, Ark, whose name was John
Alexander. Inquiry revealed the fact
that he was identical with tie strip
ling who thirty two years ago. in La
mar county Texas, went out IN the
woods with his father to kilt Jacob
Akard. Again the pigeon holes in the
District Clerks office we're ransacked
and again ar indictment, yellow and
stained with age, was brought forth.
Another warrant was issued and Dep
uty Sheriff j. A. Burris was commis-
stoned to arrest the fugitive ola third
of century. a requisition from the
Governor of Arkansas was obtained
and Burris started to get his man. The
nearest railroad point to Nevada is a
station on branch road leaving the
St. Louis and Iron Mountain Railroad
at Hope, Arkansas. From there Officer
Burris rode eighty miles through the
to Nevada. He found
Alexander blowing his field He had
a small hut well titled farm and q
family consisting of a wife and three
or four children. When Officer Burris
read the warrant Alexander made no
protest but meekly gave himself up.
Within an hour the two were enroute
to the railroad. When Borris arrived
at the station with his prisoner he found
out that they would have to remain
over night for the srain. They took
lodging at the only boarding house in
the place ard occupied one bed the
officer fastening the prisoners wrists
to his own by means of hand cuffs and
chain. Officer Burris was tired out
with his long ride and fell fast asleep
When he awoke in the morning his
bedfellow had flown, leaving both
pair of bracelets with the Officer The
Disguised officer immediately remount-
ed and struck back for the wilds of
Polk county. A five days search, in
which he was assisted by the officers
Of Polk county, failed to materialize
the missing Alexander, and he return.
ed home to report his bad luck
Sheriff J. NJ. Hopkins, of Polk county
however kept a close watch for the flu
gitive and Alexander's house was kept
usder constant surveillance. The re
salt was that last Wednesday Alexan
der's horse was found hitched in the
woods near his house. A posse Of men