Los Angeles herald., 1892-05-30
Doc DAV|SS Capture,
More Details Of an Old
Story.
How John T. Norris Captured Lou
Houck.
a Chasc which Covered Seven Years
and Thousands Of Miles-How
sheriR Gard Made the


of Bryant B. Crandall, who has beer
mourned ~ dead for over six years b.
numerous benefit societies, recalls I'd
mind another arrest, also made in Lol
Angeles, some seven years ago by
United States Marshal Gard, at that
time sheriff II the county.
Il was the capture Of one Of tbe most
determined desperadoes that ever fln-
4 gered cards out in the west, murderer,
whose friends in the gambling profess
sion were legion, whose means and
those Of his partners never fell short
when 1t became necessary to help him
evade justice. They and he were a.
willing to resort to violence "a to bri-
berry, in order to preserve him his lib
erty whom that was jeopsrdized.
The man whom Sheriff Gard thus ar-
rested in front Of his Office on Spring
street, was Luther Hauk alias Lou
Hauck, alias Dock Davis, who was
wanted In Ohio for the murder, in 1873,
Of Powell Lohman. Although George
=. Gard made the capture, he was not
the man who had worked up the case,
and although his connection with the
bringing to justice Of Dock Davis was
merely casual, yet it drew upon him the
mortal hate Of the prisoner, who swore
that he would some day have the life of
the officer. While Gard was in Ohio
last year he visited the penitentiary,
and though he had forgotton the feat
ures of his Quondam prisoner, H0uck or
Davis remembered his captor's face we'll
and reminded Gard Of the ciHcumstances
Of their meeting in Los Angeles.
The man who was mainly instrument
al In landing Houck in the penitentiary
was John 7. Norris Of Springfield, Ohio,
detective in the employ Of the Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad company. The
chase alter his quarry lasted several
years, led him over S8 600 miles Of ter
ritory and cost $12, 900. Norris, who
remained three months In Los Angeles,
will probably still be recollected BY the
officers Of the law O. stout, grizzled
man, about 50 years Of age, having the
general appearance Of : well-to-do
granger. His game leg. that struck the
floor ct each step with 8 funny thump,
would readily have called attention to
him. Norris is good natured, COM
paniopable man. and hardly looks %
one who would have the tenacity to
make the capture Of single criminal
almost the whole business Of aoiife time.
There is no confidence man, crook or
nence in the United States, who is not
acquainted with Detective Norris and il
mot afraid Of him.
Lou Houck in 1878 was some 35 years
Of age, and conceded to be the most &C.
complished crook in the United States,
and one Of the leaders Of the skin gamd
fraternity. Strictly temperate and ex-
traordinarily ahrewd, he was g popular
man with all his crooked associates.
Gambling was his mania, and it caused
him, when still . youth, to leave the
home Of his respectable parents at Con-
nbrsville, Ind.
1On the Slst Of January, 1873, Lou
HOuck, his capper Brocky Haughton,
and stranger named Powell Lohman
were playing poker in smoking car on
: Columbus, Hooking Valley and Toledo
railroad train. When nearing Delaware,
Ohio, Lohman, who had lost steadily,
detected the others cheating him and
throwing down his cards refused to play
any longer. A dispute was followed by
the drawing Of pistol by Houck which
he fired of at Lohman, who died few
minutes later from the effects Of his
wound. Houck leapt from the train and
escaped in the darkness.
The chase after the murderer by Nor
ris commenced twenty-four hours later
and was never stopped until Houck had
been tried for murder, convicted and
sentenced for life. That Houck IL now
no longer q prisoner 10 not the fault of
Norris. The influence Of friends was 1t
work to secure the convict's release
from the day he entered the prison and
IL was successful as the last official act
Of James E. Campbell, governor Of
the king of the three card monte, alter
he had barely served ak years for his
foul murder.
The night that Houck escaped from
the car near Delaware inaugurated q
very Odyssey, during which he visited
Canada, Cuba. France, the Bahamas
and Texas. The detective was on his
trail, but lost it time and again, but
finally, when Norris reached Fort
Worth, his quarry WAS still there and
dancing on that evening in one Of the
ball-rooms of that town. When Houck
saw the detective and the city marshal
entering the door, he escaped through
window, carrying sash and glass with
him. Both officers fred shot apiece,
but the game escaped unhurt. The
story was circulated that Houck had
been shot and that he died of his
wounds, but that was done BY his
friends to take Norris of the trail.
HesWas heard Of in tho Indian terri
tory after some time had elapsed. then
in New Mexico, and finding that Neme-
els, in the shape Of game-leg old Norris,
was still pursuing, Houck fed to Old
Mexico, where he could not be touched,
but the murder Of man in the land of
Montezuma drove him back into the
states, and he drifted to Yuma. where
ne had as companions big Ed,' Burns,
who was also we'll known IN California
and who inflicted his unwelcome pres-
ence upon Los Angeles and Santa Mon
ica some years later, until be was driven
away BY the anthoIit Iities, after swindling
lots Of people outof m6ney BY ringing
in cold decks on them.
They all went to Tucson and here Lou
Houck blosgomed out as the genial
Dock" Davis, owner Of faro, roulette,
keno and poker Ramea. His wife. the
adopted daughter Of State Guperintend-
emit Of Pubic Works Lane Of Ohio.
joined him here and lived with him one
year. remaining loyalty itself to him
throughout al his troubles.
Morris had again discovered Houck's
whereabouts and when be arrived at
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