The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-08-18
AyORANGE MOUNTAIN GANG.
,ur LEADER POISONED HIMSELF
plTBER THAN 90 TO PRISON

n
.s..,.,.doss known as the Lizard gang. has
..,rorizsd tho peaceful residents Of the
n..ng.s II 10 not likely. however. that he will
20 acain terrortzo anybody. 40 he 10 at pres
", bovsrinp between life and death In tho
Memorial Hospital at Orange.
Fdmonson was born and brought np In West
o,.,gs and since boyhood has boon bad. On
yniv last he was arrested for stealing horse
w., samuel Jones OF Orange and In the local
lit. court was held In 5000 bail for trial He
souldn't raise the necessary amount to FREQ
him.,lf and his family. who are respectable
n.ople, at first refused to have anything further
70 do v th him. He worked on his old mothers
.vmpathies. however. by pretending to DO sick,
and shs. in her alarm lest he should die. raised
,ha amount OF tho bond and tho young man
vss liberated. As he left the jail no remarked
10 the lai'or:
n they should each me 1t Will mean ona or
two deaths probably the latter"
r,mop.on refused to 20 homo despite his
,o,har's eptreaties. but went instead to the
h..I,uarters OF the Lizards in the mountains
sber,ly a,,er midnight on Sunday morning
po,ic.nan Frank McCiu.k OF tho West Orange
roli,e was ratrollinG his boat along tho Valley
,oad vhoa ho saw Michael Burke. better known
as sleepy" Burke. notorious Lizard.
.,.;nc in a supicious mhnasr. McGuirk had
o,rsst.d Durhe befo.s Gna the young tough
haA ,hr.ntencd 10 get SQUARE. McGuirk made
Mvs for the man iIurxe saw him coming
and ran up the rond lenvinS tas officer way
behInd The later had given up tho chase and
was returning whom he saw man on the other
aide OF tho street with bundle under his arm.
Tho man was making fer gate that opens
from the street inio a lot. on the other side OF
Las S,4
oueat McGurk walked ieisurely along and
nretsplel not 10 see the man until
h. was almost upon hic;. He then made q
sudden dash forward. but the man heard him
eoming and. dropping his. bundle was off like
a shot lie ran down Valley ronl to Joyce
str,st and then turned in the direction OF
Orange. McCiuirk overlook tho fugitive. thrust
his foot forward and trirped the man ur. and
when lie fell he Jumped uron him. Getting
Inn s0S 10 f Is ,s SH he dssovered for " tho
iirsi tlmc that his prisoner was mono
9 hor ,n"n the notorious captain OF tne
about an hours hard work and literai use OF
linn back TO wncte no had drorrel his bundle.
lie ;ound It was hanns.me clock. Ho then
st.r,ei on for the station no, non.e; holding
ten fee, when Edmcnsop began TO neht
subdncd him. Edn onson was too. weak. TO
make much resistance after this. When tito
taken it'ni 10 n . cell and loessd Sp. :, "'
About fl,e minutes later he led for drink
NcGuirs. who wa. still in the station. He
emplied white powder In It and then drank
IT,, A little while aftsrward he called Tor an
oiher drink. and his mother. who had In the
10 i Jim Is beio,s, he smp,I"i White powder
lis moih"r VIII" was leav ne the cell:
Mamm.o. see me drink this; SEQ me drink
lilo then drank the wnter down In gulp.
Ma Edmonson screamed for help and Me-
Guirk and tho sergeant ran to see what was the
poisoned himself and MeGuirk threw open
he cell door and snatched tue cup from Ed
SoGon wig w.. sar sa the wet oWdsr rH
tho clerk ,here told him II was Rough on Rata
oasS ss n'Is begged him t to on her
knees When the cell door was locked again
ssn s0 lis bF Fsa to Out a es 9
linel With sheet. iron and Edm Monsoon kept
panchinE his head against the SIDES at q ter:
Sis Brains vle nn VOID came from oranre ,as
stealing a clock from. jnmes George. an I.al.
ian living on South Jefferson str et 1t was
learned that the Two Lizards hat been ~
soil the Italian a coat lie refused o buy it. and
then vent 20 the rear yard 10 get symethEG.
did leave immediately. but took the mans
il was, abou' O'clock whom Officers German
and Deck took EumOnson to Orange and de-
liyerel him up. Whom tre prisoner got there
no was surprised TO find that his accomplce.
burke. was already in custody. The latter had
been brought in by some Italian friends OF
George.
Ia "a . or In Il
monsons cell Going to Investigate he found
the prisoner foll,ng IN conyu.i"n-: After
swallowed poison and lha, le was d, ing.
Then IVY Physician Ietr"ault was summoned.
who O. after an sXamninHton ordered the man
1t was 81. o'clock in ile morning when he
tteaehed the hospital, There pr. Mitchell gave
man WAS taken two or three times with violent
spasms. AM n noon tho dctors told him he
mu.t de l:smotner and rriest were sent
lor and arrived Ia,"r III tho day.
He wa. still nli'e yesterl lay afternoon. but
Dr. Mitchell tod SLY renor,er tina, there was
nE nope ,I,g inr MN and that no would not DO
The L'zard i i In.:. of which Edmonson wa.
trSo 60. has Dron the terror OF 'tizens o;
mo oran.ts pr he pnst six N"nr-. 1t was
ssd "a M E's2 sn2sS
and and, w"r. "a E9t drinking ii. Tney were
I mIhdy ."nl,lsd for THIS oTencSS and when
% oease on o Sor,c cave sooH in MderGns
as: .,a regular den, and hid in il their plum
w v.ts houses in 10Th Orange and West orange
were broken into with IMMUNITY aud
sooaS carried OF. Citizens were held mp and
r0bbed IN broad day light on lonely roado.
;niehael Ereor and ro.her of Burli" then
Joined the gang. and for n time III" Lizards
scarr sI things IN high hRud. The police
!ouhu i imI s>ibo /. catch hem ami no one
MS able to disco or The cave. II q policeman
Giu ert on TIE rail o! n Lizard tie man would
!.,nmeaiatriy wahs tor Orange and always
ttSS sm 10 succeed n crossing the limo before
wu,ne night however. lmonson was caught
wv WNn stolen horse and nuggy in his possess
sm a'a, he was arrested. rrred. ard sentenced
i.IHr years IN state prison. but WAS par
nonru. II vas only short tim" alter this
n"n i"n escaile NM lie, ioIe'nsr with two COM
H n,n,s; entered Tao nous" o! Frnnk ThrocS-
dvr.on IN orange. and when that genticn an
u,1mahdrd t. know what they wanted they
cn ,ue ~, a IN On the head, rendering him uu-
me Lizards captain was sent to Jail for this
si out Wa again pardoned and went tack
rotIsu!u TICKS again, and robbery followed
cSUnoIy. ,ne day Il detective discovered the
49,, ahi drove tho gang out. They found
~. u"gr cave further IN in the mountans and
" "ese HfI'rn IRON that also. They rot new
ShHattS agaln. though. and for II time the
RnmnTs w'rr ba0'od. one night. however.
io S%1 seam ass factory. John Finans sa-
On a., aai u iGy goods store Kept by u Mrs
Nn WHra nil bIOk into N tha snina