Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1895-02-07
Printed For What Il 10 worth.

Printed For what IL IL Worth.
PIERRE, S. D., Jan. S1-Taylor will
aot be caught. Such Is the opinion of
tho best observer here. He Is now
undoubtedly in South or Central
America, probably the latter. That
he could have been caught two weeks
ago is undoubtedly true. But the clue
was not followed up and the chance
Is gone, in all probability.
A chain of evidence is now at hand
which is clear and logical and which
has convinced most of the people here
that the missing treasurer left this
country about the 18th Of this month.
The last known of him was in Chicago
On the 9Th, when he Was in consuita-
ton with Lawyer Tenney. That
gentleman has stated that he per-
suaded Taylor not to commit suicide,
but to escape, and that he gave him
some good advice on the method OF
doing SO. He left Chicago at about
that time and went to Indiana. On
the leth he and his brother-in.law
Benedict, were on the south bound
train nearing Memphis. A short
time & Col. Billiard, Of this city, re-
ceived a letter from his son, a man
well acquainted with Taylor who
stated that he was on this train and
met Taylor and Benedict and that the
former was very DRINK. The treas
urer was not a drinking man, but it is
known that when under great ex-
element he would drink heavily and
become unmanageable. Col. Billiard
wired his son TO know the date and
received a reply that 1t was on the
10th.
The following day the chief of
police of Memphis wired to the chief
here that he had under surveillance a
man answering Taylor's description
and that he had on him letters and
kilograms from Pierre directed To w.
w. Taylor. This was evidently the
man. The state officials wired to
arrest him, but the next day received
word that be had been released AS he
was q negro. This story vas absurd
on it's face, but 1t did not lead TO any
special inquiry. or course the man
under surveillance was not colored.
The police there knew that the fugitive
was not of that color and no such
nan could have had the letters and
kilograms Described.
Two days later the authorities re-
ceived a telegram from a man in
Pensacola, Florida, stating that
Taylor was there and sending an &C
curate description Of him. He also
stated that he was accompanied by a
woman. A few days later q lette:
WaS ranaiupI frnro u Inr nnstpnar LaA
Pensacola. This came to a personal
friend of Taylor and was not known
to the authorities until recently.
1t is also known that Taylor had in
Memphis a close business friend, a
man who had been as late Al Decem-
Der intimately associated with him in
certain deals for the disposition of
the property of the Redheld mortgage
company. This man was shrewd, re-
s%ourceful true to his friends and
familiar with sharp practice and with
getting favOrs from officials.
The theory held by those best in
formed here IS that Taylor left Chicago
under the instructions OF Lawyer
Tenney and accompanied by Benedict
with the intention Of taking the boat
at New Orleans or Galveston. On
b way south, overcome by his
troubles, he drank heavily u thus
lost control of himself and was unable
to avoid exposure. He was readily
discovered on his arrival in Memphis
and was arrested and his identity dis.
closed. Then knowing that this close
friend was at hand he sent for him
and he with his knowledge of such
things saw the police and succeeded
in releasing Taylor and in spriDging
the story of the negro, not a very
plausible tale, but the hest n that
could be hit upon at short notice. The
refusal of the chief to tell anything Of
the incident is a piece of c~0ntributory
evidence. Taylor was then obliged to
change his plans. To follow his
original plan after the publication Of
the arrest was to invite capture. So,
disguised, he turned aside and went
over to Pensacola, where he was seen
by the detectives. But before the
state communicated with them he
went aboard a small steamer for Key
West, the stopping place for the
steamers which ply between the
the northern ports and Central AmsTi-
Ca, aud there embarked for his desti-
nation. That he is now far beyond
the reach Of South Dakota or the
United States is generally beiiev we'd
here, and though the detectives may
find trace, o: him they will not bring
him back.
AporopriatIops,