The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-06-23
THE DEsPERADo.s CAREER OF CRIME.

Has Been u Criminal and Bad Man Ever
Since His Childhood.
Lon Henderson's career has been such an
one as 10 found on the inside of the covers
Of yellow backed novels, ana his life has
been one of crime almost from it's begin
ming. When but boy be lived with his
parents on Maple street. HIS father was
one-armed pensioner. and did not bear the
best of regulations. and his mother and sis
tors. while nothing distinctly bad could be
said of them, did things which. at least.
could be considered odd. AS soon he
was old enough TO get away from home. be
took to the life on the streets. backing
boots and doing such odd jobs as he could
get. Even then he was known as q bully,
but. unlike @ bully. he would fight IL the
occasion offered. and he often made the
occasion. His first steps in crime were In
the stealing of small articles. and for this
he was sent to the Reform School where
he stage until he was of age. He W as then
released. and soon came TO be recognized
as q local bravado and bad man.
Sergeant Hagerdorn. of the police force.
said that shortly after that time when he
was living in Cumberland. Ind, his house
was burglariZed, and 1t was afterwards
proven that IL was done by henderson. lie
then became known In connection with a
number of burglaries and was finally sent
10 the peDitentiary for one OF them. When
released there was q short time that he was
straight" In the verDacular OF the police.
He travelled over the country considerably.
as q bartender most of the time. and work
Ing in and around saloons and gambling
houses.
He has always been known as an ever
ready man with his pistol IL was during
this last period of his Lfe while at DOWN
rr.rx lab ind hsnR m N a0
that, one night. stepping TO the door to
look. he was shot in the leg by some I'M
known person. In telling about 1t Hen
derson said that he pulled his own pistol.
followed that he had brought some one
down. but said that he did not take enough
interest in the matter to look up VINO the
person might have been.
He returned to this city after seeing near
" all of the country and il was not long
until he was at his old tricks again. lie
was arrested by Chief Splann for burglary
which occurred on Cook street and there
again helDed TO sustain the reputation he
had for being "a handy man with gun.
Chief Splann entered the house In when
he was by the front door and Captain
Quigley by she rear one. No sooner
did ha see Splann than be
pulled q revolver from his pocket;
pulled the trigger. The fact that Splann
had presence of mind enough TO put his
thumb In between the hammer aud the
cartridge was all that saved his life. and
then Henderson was only CAPTURED after
desperate struggle. He was sent to the
penitentisry for this otfense. AT another
time. when wanted by the police for some
minor Ofenso, he was caught by ofncers
Colbert and Quigley in Q common and ran
around q tree a half-hundred times or more
and was then brought TO terms only when
the officers drew their revOlverS on him
and Threatened To shoot
Henderson Is @ man with some superst-
tiOn in him. 1t ie said that he never went
out TO commit q burglary unless he wore .
certain checkered cap which he owned.
whenever they could find him with that
cap on they were certain that there was
something going on that ought not TO. His
last desperate battle was with detectives
Thornton and McGutf. when they
s ar s,s b o% At S Ss" % Gays ps dSS
street. How be and his mother and sister
fought the officers is still fresh in the
minds of the public. Henderson. in speak
ing of this encounter. says til at he did not
believe when he first saw the officers that
they had any idea that he was the man
who killed Tarpey, and that he was sure
that they could not prove that he bad
committed the burglary on South Meridian
street w here be had received the wound In
the forehead. Believing this, he
did S., not intend to resist them
him. thinking that he would got clear OF
any charge they might bring against him.
He said that when Thornton opened the
door the first thing the detective did was
to hit him over the head with a mace. and
him fight so desperately. He also says that
his mother did not take any hand In the
acrimmage until he had been knocked
do wn and the officers were beating him.