People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1894-09-21
BACK FROM CALIFORNIA.
Shriff WOOdcOck Returns, Bringing Talbot
the Man Accused Of the Murder Of
like 1eagher.

Meagher in Caldwell in 1881. and for
whom he made trip to California.
The sheriff was accompanied on
his trip west by Bill Lee, in 1881 a
resident of Caldwell. They went by
way of Ogden and reached Ukiah, ll3
miles north Of San Francisco, in
county, a week ago. Tai
bot was being held on a charge of
a man in a fight in MendO-
cinO county. He had put five bullets
from revolver into the man, but
owing to the circumstances of the
fight, 1t was thought that he could
not be convicted and the officers were
therefore willing to turn the man
over to Sheriff WOOdcoCk. The
country around Ukiah is settled,
being in the mountains and remote
from other settlements, by a tough
class Of people. Talbot had been
heard to say that the officers would
have trouble getting him out Of the
country, but the sheriff aided by
Sheriff Johnson Of MendOcinO county,
took the prisoner away suddenly one
night about 10 o'clock just after his
attorneys had, been consulting with
him, they suppOsing he would be
kept there all night, and drove 81
miles over a rough road at s miles an
hour to Santa Rosa, where they took
the train for Sacramento. Friends
of the criminal thought that the
prisoner would be taken no farther
than RoSedale, just outside the
county, to avoid habeaS corpus pro-
ceedingS, but he was taken through
there and they had DO opportunity to
get together and rescue him. At
Sacramento he was quickly and
secretly taken from the train, put in
hack ordered by telegraph and kept
twenty-fOur hours, when the train
was again taken and he was brought
safely through Colorado to yelling
ton. Friends of the criminal kept
the wires hot notifying their friends
along the line and into Colorado, but
by stopping over and performing
other maneuvers, the sheriff out.
witted their attempts 10 locate him,
but did not breathe safely until he
had reached home.
Lee was able to identify Talbert
Immediately on seeing him and the
sheriff knew him from the photo
graph. Talbert. or Sherman his real
name, at first refused to admit that
he was Talbert, but finally did so. In
an interview for publication he said
"YeS, | was in Caldwell the day OF
the fight, but did not kill Mike
Meagher. | knew him and did moi
see him during the fight. | will tel
you how | came to be mixed up in the
broil. / was at home and some Of
the boys came to my house and tOlC
me TO come down in town, that there
was going to be trouble. | went out
and climbed on a truck wagon that
was passing and rode down to the
scene Of the trouble. | had no arms
with me at that time. When WI
arrived at the corner where thu
trouble was brewing | stood up or
the wagon and appealed to the meI
for Gods sake to let the matter drOI
and not have trouble. Some Of TIT
COWBOYS and Others seemed inclined
to listen, and | believe the trouble
would have been avoided if 1t had moi
been for a man by the name of Viii
son, who drew two reyOlvers anC
pointed them at the head of a COW
boy and told him to hold up hi
hands. Rolls, theWichita jailer, here
put in and said: Eyes that is right
and John Rays brOther-in-law after
wards killed Wilson, and parties whit
were present told me about vol
coming down on the wagon"
There was an old man who Joined
with me and tried to prevent TIT
trouble" continued Sherman. 50
think his name was Chalice. But
when Wilson made that break thu
ball opened. There was shooting
everywhere. George Speers fel. with
in three feet OF me. He was unarm
ed. My wife came down and crieC
out, My GOdl are you going to stanC
there and be shot to DEATH? Just a
that time some one handed me {;
gun, but | waited long enough t
turn SpeerS over. when / found h,
was already dead. l heard the bal
strike Speers and when | lOOke(
around he said: %, my GOdr ant
then put his hand to his breast
turned half around and fell to tn
ground on his face. / then found on
that they were firing at me ant
several balls tore through my clothes
There were some fellows firing at M
from an up stairs window.
Then you returned the fire."
Sherman did not deny that bu
said: "All the shooting | did was il
self defense. | would have neve
been in the trouble if | had not gon,
there as a peacemaker and cam
very near preventing the fight. Tha
Is about all have to say, only that
want to add that Sheriff WOOdcOcI
and Captain Lee are very gentleman
ly Officers and they have treated m
very nicely since my arrest"
Talbert, when he reached here, wa
dressed in dark pants and vest an
flannel shirt. He is about five fee
10 inches in height with auburn hal
and mustache, blue eyes and rathe
high forehead. He talks pleasant
and is quite intelligent and takin
him all round he is the last man tina
one would suspect OF being desper
ado.
When asked where he was born b
said:
~ was born in Ray county, Mi,
souri,, and my name is James T. Shel
man. Talbot is my middle name an
the boys used to always call me Ia
bot. | have a brother in Denver VIII
is in the livery business and owns