, 1889-01-17
A LONG CHASE.
Tracked Through Two States
and Four Territories.
David Irwin, Charged With
Many Crimes, Arrested.
Caught st Davenport and Brought
to This City.

David Irwin was brought 10 the cit
last evening from Davenport BY j. w..
Norton, chief detective Of the Chicago 4
North western Railroad Company. Irwin
10 "a years old and is married and has two
children, but scarcely looks TO be more
than 1S, and one can hardly beiive that he
is guilty. Of the many and helnous crimes
he Is charged with. He was turned over
to Sheriff Glispin and locked up 10 one OF
will be taken 10 Wisconsin for trial.
CLEANED the following facts connected with
the arrest:
I'm February l. 1883. the coal sheds of
the Chicago \ Northwestern railroad at
Evansville, Wisconsin, were burned by in
cendiaries, with loss of 835 900 TO the
company. A few months af,erward the
freight warehouse and fonr cars were
robbed and burned at Baraboo. with loss
of $65, 900. Up to this time we had been
unable to get any clue TO the perpe' traitors
OF the crime. About month ago the
jewelry store of John Rankin at Lodi.
Wisconsin, WAS robbed of $1,000 worth Of
got clue and soon had four OF the gang
behind the bars. This man Irwin owned
and ran barber shop In Barsboo. and on
the arrest Of his confederates fed. VI the
men arrested, one was conductor, one q
switchman, one brakeman and the other
town rounder. Two Of them confessed
and gave the names of their eonfederates.
The gang had a cave near the city In
which they stored their plunder. nearly al!
OF which was found there. subsequently
another OF the gang was caught at Rock
Island and two in Wisconsin.
"a month ago started on the trail of
Irwin. tracing him 10 st. Paul, Minne-
apolis, back TO st. Paul, then 10 Livings-
ton, Mont from there to Helena and 10
Spokane Falls. where he worked day or
two. From here he went TO Sprague.
where he worked while and then went
over to Medical Lake, where he spent q
dsv. On Wednesday he weot to Daven-
port and got work in a barber shop under
the name Of John Millin.
''lt was long trail and WAS lost many
times, but hard work and perseverance
won at last. arrived In Davenport yes
terday and as approached the barber
chop saw my man for the frat time.
had photograph Of him and knew him ip
u moment Knowing be was o wicked
fellow got between him and the razors
and asked him ii his name was Irwin. He
became confused and ! slipped the brace
let's on him before he could count three.
He then acknowledged his name was Irwin
buv would say nothing more
Are you sure you have the right man,
asked the reporter.
mo question about IL. His pals dis-
crioed bin so perfectly that any one would
know him on sight. He is good for If
teen years behind the bars for these crimes
and when he 10 through with that SEN
tence he will have to defend himself
against q charge of murder and burglary
made by the Chicago officials"
On being questioned in regard 10 the
murder the detective declined to give any
particulars about it for fear, he said, that
1T might interfere with the ends OF
justice.
Irwin is well dressed, has rather pre-
possessing face and is small of stature.
He was asked If he had anything to say
and he remarked with significant smile:
1--WE got nothing to give up to newspa-
pers." Afterwards he said he had been
IN Spokane eight years AGO and went from
the coast 10 Wisconsin.