The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1890-10-11
A Clever Capture.

The arrival in this city, at 9:30 o'clock, o..
m. last Saturday night. Of j. Milton Crowder,
constable of this township and Special Agent
Frank X. Tut, OF the Mo. z. secret service
having in their custody HOratiO S. Hines, u
shrewd Young lawyer, and Frank Hoffman,
an all round tough and u desperate man with |
many aliases, who the officers claimed were
beyond a reasonable DOUBT two OF the three
men who stopped tram No. 3, on the Mis-.
souri, Pacific, near Otterville. In Cooper
county, Sunday morning. August II, and
robbed the express car. created considerable
excitement and nearly oil night long the
officers were surrounded by friends eager 10 !
congratulate them upon their success and to
learn Of the particulars. The prisoners were
safely lodged In jail and the officers spent
most OF the night and all day Sunday telling |
the details of the capture to their friends
The first clew, 1t seems, was struck by Con |
stable Crowder. He had been Oh the look
out for the perpetratOr of d highway robbery
in Ray county and suspected Hoffman, who
was In this city two nights previous TO the |
Ottervilie robbery, keeping company with
two women,-a mother and her daughter,-
named Plnnager. The night previous to the
robbery OF the train. Mr.. Crowder knew
Hoffman 10 have been on his road to "a point
IN the direction Of Ottervllle, and when the
robbery occurred he felt confident Hoffman
was implicated. He began working the
women at this place. then, to lind out Hof. |
mans movements. From them he could
learn but little, but sufficient to convince him
that they knew Hoffman had helped rob the
train. Matters moved along slowly for Il
few days, when Hoffman appeared In this
city and persuaded pretty Miss Pinnager TO
leave her mother and go with him to the
home Of Hines at IN out the place village
called Elmira, on the Chicago, Milwaukee
and 81. Paul railroad, In the northwest
corner of Ray county, near the Caldwell
county line. Mr.. CrOwder gave what he
knew TO MIR. Tatt and together they began
the looking up of evidence against Hines and
Hoffman, these two men In the meantime
being allowed to remain at the home of
Hines without being molested, The move
ments OF the men were traced from this city
to Otteryille: from Otterville into Jasper
county; from Jasper county Into Johnson
county; from johnson county to Lexington.
and from here to EImirs, While thus tracing
their movements the officers collected evil
dence that their men had been over the same
route two weeks previous 10 the robbery and
arranged to produce witnesses TO swear th,y
had not been near Otteryille should they be
arrested for the robbery. Wednesdsy night
Of last week these two officers went to the
home Of Hines and began watching for a
chance to catch he and Hoffman together
and arrest The n. They lay In ambush
patiently waiting for this chance until Sstur.
day morning ut daybreak, when they decided
that Hotiman had ''smelled the nOuse'' and
had skipped and they being completely worn
out decided to close In and arrest Hines alone.
AS soon rs II stir WAS made by the occupants
OF the little cottage In which Hines resided
Mr.. CrOwdrr went 10 the rear Of the house
and secreted himself In tho exceedingly
heavy brush about lity feet from the rear
door and Mr.. Tut walked up to the front
ioOr and raped upon 1t. Hines came to the
door and was quietly put under arrest, To
which he made no resistance. Mr.. Tut then
stepped TO II window and called out. In order
to see II Hoffman was there. that If he did
not come out he would shoot through the
WV n pipoShSo "oo AhNu
learned by him calling out 'Where 10 my
gun" He then told Mr.. Tut TO wait until he
could slip Oh his boots and he would come
out. Instead Of doing this however,
he put his pistol in his pocket and slipped
out the back door aud made Il desperate dash
Tor the brush but encountered MIR. Crowder,
who covered him with ms pistol and
demanded II surrender. It was with
reluctance that Holman complied with
the command, and would not have lone
no had Mr.. Tut not arrived upon the
scene, when Hoffman realized the uselessness
of further resistance. The prisoners were
then put In irons and marched up the rail-
road track toward the station. They had
only gone about two miles when Detective
Furl0ng and u posse were met with coming
after these same men, evidence against whom
Mr.. Furlong had worked up on an entirely
different clue. tie shook hands with the
successful officers aud congratulated then,
aud then lett for his home feeling confident
the right parties had been arrested. Property
by which the men can be identified has been
found In the possession OF the men and u
conviction Is almost sure TO follow. The men
were taken 10 BOonyIlle and lodged In Jail
Sunday night. The rewards amount 10
about $500 and will! go TO Mr.. Crowder.