Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-09-18
ORCUTT'S CONFESSION.

The Young Man OF Viiiainous In
stincts Arrested In Rock Island
Tells His story of Crime---Tratn
Wrecking and Other Diaboitcai
Plots.
circuit, the young burglar and train
wrecker run in by Officer Meenan in this
city week ago, and now in Jail at Iowa
City, where he has been wanted for some
time, has by the confession of his own
lips demonstrated that he is a VILLAIN of
the darkest stripe. Since revealing his
own wickedness and devilish plots he has
become extremely nervous, and acts as
though he were being pursued. In an in.
terview circuit stated that associating
with bad company got him into his pres>
ent trouble. He states there was tough
lot of boys in Iowa City couple of
years ago, and he went with them. His
own story of the attempt to wreck the
train shows how desperate he was. He
says:
81 wanted to make some money. l
talked over with the boys the idea of
wrecking the train and getting lot of
cash. We would have been successful, but
they all went back on me, and l concluded
to do it myself. One dark night went to
the tool house east of the depot, broke in
and got set of tools that would open
the rails. l carried them in a round about
way to the west side of the river and
picked out the best place, taking q
point Just where there is sharp curve.
| intended after the wreck to show up
as had happened to come along like
any one living near there Had
gone anywhere else my presence there
would have given me away, but took
that place because could be there when
the crowd began to gather and | could
have gotten lots of money by getting into
the express car in the confusion and lots
of people would have been thrown out or
fallen under the cars whom | could have
robbed. knew that the train always car
ried lots of express money and lots of
people who had lots of money.
We'll, when l got there it was late. |
went to work and got the fish bolts partly
unloosened when thought | heard some
one coming down the track. l was mis-.
taken in this, but lost lot of time.
went to work again and was just getting
the rails loose when | saw the express:
coming. OF course had to stop then
and l hid myself in lot of bushes.
thought had done enough to throw the
train, but she went over sailing and moth
inh happened at all Then | took tn,
tools and hid them in a good place Abou
a week later tried the same game on tn,
east side of the river, and had, thought
plenty of time, but when I had Jus
started | saw train coming a GOO
way out east You can see a lonl
ways east of the city on th
track. I had to stop before l had
as wanted it. l was trying to loosen
rail right over the first culvert east of tn
city. The train came along and it to
went over all right. saw then that it wa
freight train and thought that | woul
60 al it again, but the track walkers cam
so soon after that. When | started again
saw the express coming from the east an
gave it up for bad job. But hid ii
tools in or near Rsgan's nursery and de
termined | would try it later on. Mr.
Raglan found the tools and informed ii
company and after that could not g
any tools
circuit is indifferent as to his fat
He says he is in for it and expects to O
at least fifteen years in the penitentisl
for his crimes. When asked what !,
l MIN W HINT MS CuuiCSEluu Ht hUSWtEt
why when Detective Ray got me fro
the Rock Island police soon saw that
had been watching me long time, al
some of the fellows had been runni
with were really detectives in disgui
and they pumped all out of me- l mig
as well own up when they had the ey
dence."
circuit says bis mother died when
was very young; he does not rememt
much about her. His father has alwa
been good to him, but he had the trai
wrecking ideas in his head and he co,
not rest until he tried to carry
schemes into execution.