The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1890-11-11
The OtteryilIe Train Wreckers
Located, and their Capture
Predicted.
John Huffman, a Wide Awake
Farmer Furnishes Most
Valuable Information.
Clever Detective WOrk-It is
Probable That the Williams
will be Arrested This
Morning.


complished their fendish work near
Otterville, early last Friday morning,
the detectives of the Missouri Pacific
railway have baen hard at work in
their efforts to arrest the criminals,
and SO closely have they followed up
the Wilkins that it is highly probable
that by sunrise this morning
the whole gang will be wearing hand
cuffs.
Detectives Tut, Dickey aud De-
Long went to work on the case early
Friday forenoon, and they have sue
ceeded in running the wreckers to
earth, and it looks as if there was no
possible chance for them to escape. If
they do, it will only be through some
stupid bluDder Cd the part Of the
oficers-a thing which is not likely
to happen.
Early in the hunt the officers con-
cluded that their game was hiding N
the woods In the vicinity of the
attempted robbery. and so closely did
they follow the trail that the wreckers
three In number were, so to speak,
penned in AMI forced to lay low. On
Friday night the wreckers b oke into
the Mt. Etua school house, located
two and a half miles northeast of
.tRobbers Cut" They evidently got
there late at night, and being
thoroughly worn out by fatigue
and loss of sleep, they overslept
themselves and did not get out of the
school building until shortly after sun
rise Yesterday morning. Just as they
stepped out of doors they were seen
by John Huffman, a farmer who re-
sides In that vicinity.
The wreckers put on a bold front
and approaching MIR. Huffman asked
him which way they should take 10
reach Upton. The farmer pointed
out the way and passed on. The
vreckers went only a short distance
in the direction ofTipton-uutil they
had passed out of Mr.. Hufman's
sight. A half an hour later he was
surprised to see the same men walk
ing hurriedly in directly the opposite
direction from Upton. This aroused
bis suspicious and going to the school
house he found that the door had
been forced, and he also came upon
some valuable evidence which would
prove the dodgers belonged to the
criminal class. Mr.. Huffman. to
whom belongs the credit of positively
locating The men, proceeded at once
to notify Detective Frank Tut OF his
discovery. He furnished the officers
with an accurate description of the
wreckers and The still warmer por-
ton of the trail was at once taken
up, and at 3 o'clock yesterday after.
noon the lines were closing tightly
around the would-be murderers.
Shortly after Detective Tut
received the above information
from Farmer Huffman the wires were
kept hot sending out notice to all
depot agents, trainmen and section
men along the Boonville branch of
the Missouri Pacific informing them
of the route the wreckers were taking
and instructing them to keep a strict
outlook for the fleeing criminals. The
instructions were sent out as mere
matter of precaution in case the
wreckers should give them the slip
and succeed in crossing the branch
before they could be dragged into the
net that was spread for them.
1t is believed from evidence in the
possession of the BAzJo that the
wreckers will be captured in the Vi
oinity of Bunceton about sunrise this
morning. The pursuers would not,
they say, make any effort to capture
their men, during last night as it
would be q difficult task to accom-.
piish sitter dark, while the arrests
would be a much easier affair in day
light.
The wreckers are well dressed and
belong to the desperate criminal class.
1t was rumored shertly after the news
of the wreck was published that one
of the parties in the gang was John
Oscar burlington and with
accomplices wrecked the train
out of a spirit of revenge fol-
being the primary instrument of his
Incarceration behind the bars in the
Pettis county jail. The description
of the wreckers killed that theory.
burlington hsd no part in the william
GUS deed, and the object Was not re
venge or spite. The purpose of the
men was to secure money, even il
every life on that long train was sac
rifced. Why all were not killed Oh