Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1893-11-15
HUNT FOR JIM SMITH.
Ashland Authorities Securing the Forests for
an Alleged Train Wr0Cker

an Alleged Train -Wr0Gk9r.
ASHLAND, Wis, Nov. "a would be
train wrecker has been leading the au-
thorities Of Ashland and Bayfield, coun-
ties merry chase for several months
past. Probably the officers have never
had anything in their official business
before that has caused them such deep
chagrin; for this same criminal who at
the present time SO successfully eludes
their every scheme for capture twice
escaped from the grip of justice, and
now Wanders, seemingly, at will from
settlement to settlement through the
pine forests with no Northern Wiscon-
sin officer smart enough to take him in
tow.
This man for whom the officers are
searching is one jim Smith, who sever
al months ago gave the crew of a Du-
luth, South Shore & Atlantic train such
scare. Alone he planned a daring
train robbery-at least a full investiga
ton of the case has divulged no accom-
plices-and it was to be robbery of the
Jessie James order, too. He planned to
wreck the passenger train first, and dc
his pilfering during the commotion
which followed. Unless he is sometime
captured and forced to make confess
sion as to actual facts, it will never be
known why his plan for Wrecking the
train did not materialize.
Upon the day of the proposed rob-
berry "NO 49'' came laundering along
the high trestleWork of the South
Shore road near Sanborn, when the
engineer caught sight of man through
his cab window He acted like mad,
and frantically signalled the engineer to
reverse. The train came to a stand
still 50 suddenly that the passengers
were thrown forward and over each
other like participants in q juvenile
"pig pile" Smith affected the role Of q
here. He told, halfincoherently, a story
of how the track was torn up a few
feet farther on at one of the high tres
ties. Inyes tigatiCn revealed the TACT
that the track had been SO arranged as
to form perfect death trap. At the
speed with which the train was tearing
along nothing could have prevented the
terrible crash which would have sent the
human freight to an awful death. The
track was repaired, and the train sped
on to Marquette with the newly-found
hero. Smith enjoyed his new honOrs
with proper dignity until the matter was
investigated, when he was arrested at
Marquette upon the authority Of tele-
gram sent from Sanborn. 1t was found
to certainty that Smith himself had
torn the track up, and planned the
wreck Sheriff O'Brien, of Ashland
County, went over to Marquette and
hauled down the hero's colors. But
Sheriff O'Brien did not have very flat
tering success in landing his train
wrecking protege. At Sanborn,
on his return trip from Marquette, he
alighted from the train with his
prisoner to change cars for Ashland.
He LETT Smith in the care of the station
agent while he went across the street
for lunch. The next moment rustling
of footsteps brought O'Brien to the
street door of his restaurant just in time
to catch glimpse of the vanishing form
of Smith, the train Wrecker. The
sheriff took three shots at the retreat
ing criminal from his point of standing,
but his aim was too low and only served
to add to the clouds of dust the ener-
getic Smith was raising Sheriff O Brien
came back to Ashland empty handed.
A month after, he was informed by
his deputy at Sanborn that Smith had
been seen at a neighboring farmhouse.
Sheriff O'Brien and Deputy Mars went
out one night and caught Smith nap
ping in deserted barn. He slept with
a double barreled shotgun at his side,
but had no chance to use it on his cap
tors. This capture of Smith landed
him behind prison bars. The authori
ties of Bayfield, County wishing to get a
crack at him first, he was transferred to
Washburn and incarcerated. After
three days confinement he knocked
the jailer on the head and made his es-
cape to the woods.
1t is since the last escape that Smith
has played such happy game of ''hide-
and-seek" with the authorities. Sheriff
O'Brien has made several trips out in
the woods, where it was reported Smith
had been seen, but without success.
Bayfield, County authorities have also
been foiled in many similar expeditions.
Enthusiastic under sheriffs and dep
uties have endeavored to capture the
train wrecker, but they have always re-
turned empty handed.
This man Smith is now "bug- bear
to the officers. Their theories regard
ing his effectual Disappearance are al
ways crushed by the sportive criminal,
who appears in public just long enough
for his features to be recognized, and
then disappears again in the dark
forests, only to emerge again after an
interval of a few weeks at some other
quarter within a radius of ten miles.
Smith has been hiding in this way for
three months, and not once has he
seemingly gone out of radius of fifty
miles Of forest. 1t is charged that some
settlers are harboring him, but close in
vestigation has failed to disclose any
harborings. The odd antics of the
criminal are certainly leading the Off
Gals on many wild-goose chase.