Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1895-11-21
KILLS THE WRONG NAN.
Frank White, Innocent, MISTAKEN
for His Brother, a
Burglar.

Chicago. ILL.,, Nov. 15.-EdWard Dlx,
tho nriyate detective agency employe
who shot and killed Frank White IN
carriage on the west side last night,
was interviewed at the central ponce
station this morning, but said that undef
orders from his superintendent, Charles
Mcdonald, and the attorney Tor ms
agency he must decline to say more than
that he thought the man shot was Clar"
enco White. q man who has been sought
for months under charge of burglariz-
ing the residence of Norman Is. Ream,
the well-knoWn board of trade man.
Dix admitted that he may have been
mistaken. The officials of the detective
agency decline positively to talk. Inc
police department has detailed several
detectives to thoroughly lnvestlgate the
case.
The agency has for several months
past had charge of what are known here
as the porch climbing cases-the resi-.
dences of several wealthy residents OF
the south side having been burglarlzed
nv a gang which, it is alleged, was head
ed by Clarence White, a brother OF the
murdered man and well known to the
police. He was arrested several months
ago by another agency, but managed TO
secure release on witt of habeas corpus.
The city police arrested hlm ana Sc
cured his Indictment. but he was dls-
charged for lack of evidence. A private
detective agency captured his partner,
Butch Smith. and convicted him, send
ing him to Joliet for eighteen months.
Other members of the gang were also ar
rested and sent to the penltentlary.
Since that time the agency, whose en-
ploye Dix is. has had charge of the case
and has constantly been looking 1or
him.
The agency has had a man watching
the residence of Mrs. White, mother of
Frank and Clarence, and yesterday even
ing received word that Clarence had
come to the house, apparently to pay
visit. Five detectives were at once sent
over, but by the time they arrived the
spy announced that two men had driven
away from the house in buggy. The
detectives followed the route named and
met the buggy at the corner of Polk and
Latin streets Dix, who claims to be in
timately acquainted with Clarence, rec
ognized him as one of the men In the
buggy, jumped to the bride of the horse
and called on White to surrender. The
agency people assert that one of the men
in the buggy Immediately drew re-
volver and fred shot. Dix returned it
and his companion also began shooting
Dix dropped the bride and the buggy
was driven rapidly away.
Some time later a man residing IN
teenth station in buggy containing the
corpse of the man later identified as
Frank White. There were several bull
let holes in the box of the buggy and in
the bottom were found five bullets of
large caliber. The man who drove the
buggy to the station said he saw the
horse running west in Polk street and,
thinking it was a runaway, stopped 1t
and climbed into the buggy. He then
found the corpse. Clarence had evident
ly left the carriage as soon as he sue
ceeded in driving away from the private
detectives. The body was taken to
morgue, where it was soon identified by
the mother as that of her son Frank,
who is said to be a good citizen and
an employee of a large commercial house
in this city. Mrs. White declined for
the present to talk on the subject of the
alleged visit of Clarence to the house
or as to whether he had departed with
Frank in the buggy. No trace of Clar-
ence has yet been found.
The shooting has caused great deal
of discussion among attorneys and citi-
Zens generally as to the assumption by
private agencies of authority to arrest
men without warrants and by several
prominent attorneys much Indignation is
expressed. The case promises to become
a celebrated one in this line, as it is
asserted that in no state but Illinois are
private detectives allowed such latitude.