St. Paul daily globe., 1889-02-19
A Plucky Sheriff Lands a Pris-
oner Captured Across
the Water.
Fearful of Mob Violence, He
Is Surreptitiously Taken /!
to Jail.
Vigilantes Seize a Town I'm
Order to Fight Horse
Thieves.
Sensational Breach Of Prom
ise Suit Instigated Against
a Wealthy Man.

Special to the Globe.
MADISON, Wis.,, Feb. 1S.-John
Kuhni, the alleged Primrose fiend, is at
last behind the bars,of the Dane county
Jail. United States Agent Estes arrived
with the fugitive on an early morning
train, which stopped at crossing some
distance from the depot, allowing the
officer and his charge to alight there for
fear of mob violence at the depot. where
a crowd of several hundred curious clti-
zens had assembled. Kuhni was taken
to Jail along the back streets, ana the
rival was when he appeared before
Judge Keves this morning and had his
examination deferred until Saturday.
The crime with which Kuhnl IS
charged is one of the most diabolical
ever perpetrated in Wisconsin. On the
night of Dec. Is last he touily murdered
his roommate William Christen. a
Swiss cheese-maker, dragged the BODY
to a tub and chopped it into small bits.
and after sinking the head. liver and
intestlneS in creek, close by, made MS
escape. The accidental discovery OF
the head and entrails a week later. was
the first clue to the crime. and Kuhnl
was traced to Philadelphia where he
took passage for Queenstown. He was
arrested immediately Oh landing and
Sheriff Estes started for him with the
necessary papers. The circumstances
attached to the crime and eXtraditlen OF
Kuhni have made the affair one OF III
ternational notoriety.
Sheriff Estes is the hero of the hour
after his tedious but successful trip IN
bringing the alleged murderer back TO
Madison. Great difficulty was eXperi-
enced in securing the eXtraditiOn, 1t
being necessary to send here for
personal acquaintance to go to London
and identify Kuhni, and the sheritf'S
stories concerning his struggle with the
eSting book. The prisoner showed the
first signs of nervousness before land
ing at New York, when he seemed to
realize for the first time that his game
was up. From the time of landing
until placed in jail Kuhni was hand
cuffed to the sheriff to prevent any pos
Sible chance OF escape. The presence
of crowd of people anywhere on The
route seemed to strike terror to Kuhni's
heart, and the slightest allusIOn to
crime caused him to tremble from head
to foot. Kuhni is twenty-five years of
age, of medium height, but very muscu-
Ter. has british, prominent cheek bones,
and his entire face is characterized 10y
an expression of the lowest animal
type. The evidence against the ac-
cused is most damaging. being body gar
ments from his satchel; and other
equally convincing evidence, will tell
against him. The most damaging evil
dence of all was discovered this after
noon, when, in looking over the pic
lures of the Christen, taken just prior
to his murder, it was found that the
clothes now worn by Kuhni were ident-
ical with those shown in the photo
graph. The feeling has nearly died out
now over the affair and fears of mob
violence have almost subsidized. There
is universal lamentation, though, that
Wisconsin has no capital punishment
law, as prison life has apparently no
terrOrS for the accused. ~