Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-03-28

Romance In the Lie OF . Had Citixen-A
Missionary Girl Falls in Love with Him
While Saving souis-Later She Marries
HE Pal, and Now the Oath-wouid-H3e
Train Robbers Given Fatal Doses Of
Lead-Story Of the Fight.
CHICAGO. March 2S-Dyer Scanlan, one
OF the most desperate criminals who ever
operated in Chicago, has been just re-
leased from Joliet after serving ten
years and ten months, less the time de-
Quoted for good behavior. The crime for
which this sentence was imposed was
committed May 10, 1855. immediately
prior to it n large number of burglarIes
had been committed on the south side.
and Scanlan was accused Of being con-
nected with them all On the night Of
the day mentioned Officer Martin Nolan
was passing n house on Twenty-second
street, near Purple, when he heard shots
and found Scanlan and a man named
O'Neill quarreling. Scanlon had been
shot in the leg. but on the officer pre-
senting himself both men turned on him
and Scanlan shot him, and for q time It
was supposed that he had fatally wounded
him. The officer ultimately recovered
Fortified Himself in . House.
Next day Inspector Of Police john Bon
field, accompanied by Detectives Ben Will
Jams, William Thorpe, and John Hanley
and a squad Of patrolmen. surrounded a
house on Twenty-second street, near
Wentworth avenue, where Scanlan was
In hiding. When the police reached the
house they found it barricaded, and when
they showed themselves Scanlan opened q
fusillade and kept it up for half a day.
In the room in which he had shut himself
Mollie Mot: loaded up the revolvers as
fast as he fired them off. 1t was only after
his ammunition was spent that he was
captured. Scanlan was tried for assault
with intent to kill Officer Nolan. He was
convicted July p, 1888.
Romance In the Life Of a Thug.
But the most interesting part of the
matter and the reason this story is told is
n romance connected with Scanlan's ca
reer mt this period. About the time Of
his arrest Minnie Crosby came to Chicago
from Grand Rapids, Mich, with the in
tcntion of devoting her life to reform
work among the lower classes. In her
frequent visits to the Jail she met Scanlan
and was strangely attracted toward him.
Snc tOOh u uetp III HIS aiio
before his removal to Joliet promised
that on the day of his release she would
become his wife. From that time till a
few months ago she had appeared TO be
true to her vow, but about eight weeks
ago she was secretly married to Frank
Mead, who ut one time was Scanlan's
lieutenant, and since his arrest is credited
with being the leader of his gang.
swears Vengeance Against Mead.
When Scanlan heard of the ficklenesS of
his bctrothcd and the perfidy OF his friend
he refused to believe il, and not until a
copy of the marriage certificate was
shown him would he be convinced. he
then registered n solemn vow that he
would kill Frank Mead as soon as he Sc
cured his liberty. Frank Mead is believed
to have been formerly associated with a
noted criminal named U Brien in many
burglaries committed in Hyde Park.
O'Brien was killed by policeman
and then Mead is said to have Joined him
self to the Scanlan gang. Ii is very
doubtful, however. IL Scanlan will be af-
foried an opportunity of carrying out his
threat. Other crimes are laid ut his door
for which he will have to answer before
he regains his full liberty.
Confessed to Set Another Free.
One of these is the murder of Officer
O'Brien, committed in 1857. After his in
carceration in Joliet Seaman made writ
ten confession Of this murder, and it is
now proposed to make him answer for it.
The confession was made under peculiar
circumstances. He had not been sus-
pccted of the crime. One Timothy Grady
was accused of it, arrested. tried and con-
victed, and sentenced to twenty-fiv years
Imprisonment in Joliet. When Grady
rsaohed the penitentiary Scanlan was be-
lieved to be dying of consumption. 1t was
not thought he could live to finish his
sentence, and SO a confession was obtained
from him by means Of which a pardon for
Grady was secured from Governor Fifer
Four Other Murders Against Him.
Should he escape from that charge
through some technicality Of the law
there are four other murders for which
he will have to answer. John McNahon,
treasurer of a division of the Ancient Or
der of Hibernians, was killed at his home
at Thirty ninth and Laurel streets. He is
believed to have been one of Scanlan's
victims Another was Owen Miller, q
saloon-keeper on Archer avenue, who was
killed while trying to protect his place
from a raid of burglars The other two
were employees of the Panhandle road
named Hanlon and Cassidy. Scanlon has
been a criminal all his life. He was con.
victed of robbery at the age of 10.
DIDN'T HAVE TINE TO REPENT.