The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1889-01-11
THE MURDERED PAYMAsTBR.
''RED NOSE MIKE" ARRESTED AGAIN
MAKES CONFESSION or THE CRIME.
now DETECTIVES RAN HIM DOWN.

now DETECTIVES RAN HIM DOWN.
One of the men who aided IN the
murder of J Barney aAfcClare, pay
master, and Hugh Flanagan, stable
boss for j. ,MeFaddeps contractor of a
new branch road of the Lehigh Valley
from Pleasant Valley to Fairviewyin
Pennsylvania, a short time ago, and
robbed them of $4,000, has been ar
rested and has made confession. He
is an Italian aud is known as "Red
Nose Mike t oH
He was previously arrested near the
scene Of the murder on suspicion, but
there was not sufficient evidence ito
hold him. He then went to Pough-
keepsie and got work on new rail
road connecting with the Poughkeep-
sic Bridge.
A Pinkerton detective disguised as
an Italian laborer got work alongside
of him. He got enough information
from Mike to warrant his re-arrest and
got him to visit Philadelphia, the two
going there on Wednesday night Of
last week. Then Mike was arrested
and he made the confession of the
crime, giving names of two other ltal.
ians connected with the murder.
How tue Crime was Committed.
| THE SHOOTING ON THE LONELY ROAD
| THE DISCOVERY OF THE BODIES.
| ~ ~ al 81
1 Friday, October 10, Paymaster Nc
Clure, accompanied by Hugh Flanna-
gan, appeared at the Wyoming Ma
tional Bank in Wilkesbarre and drew
$4,000 with which to pay the railroad
laborers some 5000, mostly Hungar.
ians and Italians. After obtaining the
money they jumped in an open buggy
and drove to Miners Mills, little sub
urb of Wilkesbarre, on the road to the
contractors headquarters. There they
stopped at the Post-office, got their
mail and chattei with Postmaster
Quigley, finally resuming their journey
10 The headquarters known as the
"Commissary," three miles distant.
That was the last time they were
seen alive. The road through which
the paymaster was forced to drive ID
lonely and unused, winding up into
Wilkes-barre mountain and at point
mile aud half from Miners Mills
leads into a wilderness of trees and
brush. 1t was there that the crime
was done, and it was first discovered
by Contractor McFadden himself
While on his way TO the station tc
take the IL o'clock train for Wilkes
BARR, and riding on the same lonely
road the contractor was surprised &c
zee the horse and buggy he had given
the paymaster in the morning st lndinl
in the roadway. There was no one in
the vehicle, aud beneath the vehicle h
found the dead body of Paymaste
Mcclure. McFadden was excited a,
first, and thought the horse had rul
away and there had been an accident
He hurried back to the "commissary,
!; and getting Alexander McQuinn, an
other boss, returned to the scene.
A glance showed that the paymas
ter I'd been shot and that he had ais,
been robbed of the $4,000. Abou
$50 yards further down the road wa
found the body of Hugh Flanagan
He had also been shot through tn,
body and temple. The horse hac
been shot seven times.
The theory of the crime was that th
point of the attack the robbers steppe
out on either side of the road a
!, though to let the buggy pass. A
j they did so they fired three shots a
!, Flanagan, the bullets entering hi
neck, temple and heart, another rot
+ ber at the same time firing at Nj
< Clure. The horse ran away, Flaun'
L gan fell out and Mcclure evidently a
+ 50 fell aud was dragged half mile
'' When the robbers came to Flanna
gau's body they struck him on tn
d skull. Judging from the time it too
g the robbers to overtake the bu"g
n they must have secured the money bU
Q twenty minutes before Contractor Nj
o Fadden made the discovery.
"Red Nose Nike" the Italian, h;
% been under surveillance almost sint
the discovery of the crime. He W;
l. arrested at Miners Mill late on Il
day of its commission, and Pinkerton
y men after examining him had him r
leased, but kept h m constantly und
)" watch after taking him around wi
1t them. 1t was said that he and a
Is other Italian were looking at Wi
chester rifles few days before II
r tragedy and purchased on also tn
IN he was on the road when the atta'
D. was made. Several Italians were all
seen passing up the road about half
he hour ahead of the paymaster's bugg
l On October 27 "Red Nose Mike
d, was again arrested at Wilkes Barre
nr two local detectives, aud he ackno
~ lodged that at 1910 on the morui
Ill of the crime he left Miners Mills f
the ''commissary" over the same ros
en- Pinkerlon's men again secured his
al lease, and, as shown, have been alor
ou side of him everv since.
)u
| .1l A.