St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-02-15

as his man seemed very swilling to go
back to his former stamping ground.
Spelman seemed pleasant sort of fell
low and quite companionable. The
trip, usually disagreeable one for both
officer and prisoner. was more like
holiday excursion, Spelman told sto-
ries, they smoked goodc igars, and when
the outskirts of Chicago were reached
on Friday evening both began to regret
that it was soon to be over. Shortly be-
fore Clybourn Junction was reached, at
$50 o'clock, said the Chicago Tribune,
aud while the train was speeding along
at a regular cross country gait, Spelman
remarked to Donahower:
BE back in a minute" and went to
the closet. That was the last seen or
him.
Donahower says that Spelman did not
seem to be at all dangerous character,
and he did not think it necessary to
handcuff him. When he went to the
closet his hat, overcoat and valise were
left in the seat with the officer, who
was entirely at ease concerning the
prisoner until several minutes had
passed. Rather laughing at his own
fears. he went to the door of the closet
and knocked. There was no reply.
Then he called, but could get no an
SWer. The passengers grew curious and
the officer thoroughly frightened. he
sent passenger after the conductor,
and when the latter came the train was
slowing up at Kinzie street bridge. The
door vas opened and the closet found
empty. The window was raised, show
ing clearly the manner of the escape.
Spelman jumped from the train prob
ably before it reached Chicago avenue.
if I,o
without exciting suspicion. lie had
money in his pocket. and could have
bought some kind of hat from the first
tramp he met in the railroad yards.
The officer came direct to Inspector
Stuart's Office. and delivered all he had
of the prisoner-the hat, OvercOat and
valise. Inspector Fits at once detailed
two deputy marshals to accompany the
officer to the spot where Spelman left
the train. D0nahOWer was inclined to
believe that that the prisoner must have
been manned in jumping from the
rapidly moving train, and that some
trace of him could be easily discovered.
The crime for which Spelman was
wanted was stealing two mail pouches
at Washington, H., July 2, 1890. The
day following, it is charged, he went
to Bloomington, where disposed OF some
OF MS plunuer, ana llldl HlSilG IetuiIu
to Peoria, where he stole a third pouch
of mail. Young Spelman is the son of
Edward Spelman, the wealthy Peoria
distiller, whose peculiar shortneSs OF
memory while witness during the
Cronin trial was much commented upon.
The young man began his career OF
crime little more than year ago. Many
houses i'll Peoria were being burglar
lied, and night after night the police
unavailingIy watched suspicious char
acters, and endeavored TO solve the mys-
terry. The burglarieS continued, and
the police were apparently powerleSs.
Finally they arrested young John Spell
man, creating a big sensation in the
town. The evidence was conclusive.
lie had been caught in the act.
He was promptly released on bail. and
his guilt strenuously denied by the fam
lily. While he was out on bail he was
caught again while burglariZing a store
in another town whittier he had gone.
He escaped the penitentiary by being
declared insane and sent to the kanka-
kee asylum, where he renamed for only
short time. His fathers Clan-na-Gael
influence and money have thus far
saved him from wearing prison stripes.