The Van Buren press., 1893-01-21

Last Saturday, City Marshal
Houck and Deputy Sheriff Baxter,
made what they think will prove
some very important arrests. The
arrests we're made on evidence
contained in a letter addressed to
one "Foster" and wrongly given
TO j. S. Foster, better known as
"Windy," a we'll known railroad
employe of Mo. Pacific. Mr.. Fos-
ter read the letter and it was
turned over to the above mention.
ed officers. The letter was from
a party in Alma and disclosed q
plot to rob a man of money he was
to receive for cotton that day in
Alma, and alluded to the starting
of the fire which consumed almost
a block On the night of Dec. 18th.
Officers HOuck and Baxter imme-
diately left for Alma and arrested
j. H. Mounts charging him with
arson aud Will Pagan charged with
larceny. Later on Jack Davis, a
fOot-racer, the party TO whom the
letter was supposed to have been
sent and n. j. Smith, of this city,
were arrested. Smith gave bond
and the other three in default of
same were committed to Jail. The
parties were arraigned before Esq.
Ferguson Tuesday, but not being
ready for trial the examination was
continued to yesterday.
Since writing the above we have
learned that the letter was adj
dressed to j. s. Foster and deliv.
cred to J. s. Foster, but the wrong
Foster. We have also through
the kindness of Mr.. Houck secur.
ed an exact copy of the letter
which we give below as per copy !:
ALMA, ARK,
January 10, 1898.
Well pard, l sect my SET tn drop you
fu lines tn ANGER your Letter got the
other day. it was long Letter but it
had only too things in it that give a
d to here about, one was that bob
was gone an nowd nothing about that
thing, never like bob allus thaught
he would give way If he could. The
other thing was that there was no
Suspicion about that. had give you
ont could not here from you. What
ID the h are you doing that you
Lad not get any thing yet. Where
md you go that night, fnever saw you
afterwe parted out there, but thought
saw you go in back door of that old
woOdee-ieg dutchmans resterant an j
got skeered an nearly backed out /
thought maybe you was going to
squeei. l wish had backed out for
that d old -- - has paid in
only S. on the $25 he promised. he
said was a d fool for starting
where did, be sed ever thing was
saved out of that old lawyers office,
an he ses he won't pay me any more
for that SIS is throwd a way, think
he is lying about them papers being
saved: If they was it was your fault
for you had been staying in town 2 or
8 weeks, an did not noe nuthing
about the d - place only what you
showed me that evening an night, but
never mind will get even with him
before leave Arkansas. Well Jack
have got a nu pardner but he don't
noe nuthin about this, him an me has
got plan to work as soon as the old
man wee stay with sells too bales of
cotton, think the plan will be worth
S75 or $50 may be hundred. Jack
want you to cum down here as soon
as you can, now b. be sure an
come have got a pritty ticker an my
nu pard has got d fine fiddle we
want you to take them off, don't want
to go off my SET for feer the ola man
might suspicion me of something rong.
When you come bring some kloryform
If you got any left If you amt got it
try 10 get some, and bring some whis-
ky fixed up like that was in Spring
field. you must be shy with that fid-
die my nu pard got pulled about it
put ne was 50 d sharp he got out
OF 1t, now D. you must come
for gods sakes git little life in you
an come down, amt fooling about
TINS my nu pard needs the money for
that fiddle or to work our plan for he
Is d bad sick, If you are feered
to take the fiddle an watch be sure an
send me the kloryform by express all
whisky too If you can, but /
ruther you come. When you git to
Alma inquire for Cheetham on the
reck ter farm, you may mete Cheetham
himself If you do, tell you are hunting
work but don't let on you noe me.
wen come or send kloryform for am
feered to try to by any here.
Yours truly, John -.