The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1896-10-17
NOW SAFE IN JAIL
THE SELF. CONFESSED MURDERER Al
FAIRMONT.
The Feeling in Sherburne Seems to
BE Dying Out and the Authorities
Think III Prisoner VIII BE Safe
He Is Identified as n Former
Farm Hand in South DnkOtn-
The Dead Murderer's Identity.

~ ''>hs
Wash Hill of Martin county arrived
here at 9:4j with the self-confessed ac-
complete Of the la who was killed
at Gilmore while resisting arrest for
the double murder and bank robbery
ut Sherburne. Sheriff Hill vas as
sisted by Sheriff William Mitchell OF
I'reeborn county, Sheriff; Sandy Nc
Donald of FariDault county and Mar
shall Ruby of Lake Mills, Iowa, who
captured the young man. The sheritfs
had intended to take their prisoner to
Blue Earth City, but received Il mes
sage on the way that the feeling in
Sherburne was dying out and that
there would be no danger in taking the
prisoner to Fairmont, the seat of Mar
tin county, and so the plan was
changed.
1t became quite generally known
along the line that the prisoner was
en- route and the depot platforms We're
crowded all the way along. No
demonstrations were made, however,
at any of the stations. the people gen-
orally remarking mt the prisoners
youth and commenting upon his ap-
pearance. At the Fairmont depot the
platform was slightly more crowded
than at the other points. The sheritfs
had prepared for trouble, although
they did not anticipate any, and for
precautiOn the prisoner was removed
to the rear coach. Sheriff Hill had tel
ephoned for a closed carriage to be at
the station in n position to make the
distance short from the e a of the
last car to the conveyance. The coach
was stopped with the ear steps right
opposite the carriage. Sheriff Hill and
his deputies, with their prisoner, We're
in the carriage and being driven rap
idly toward the Jail before more than
half a dozen people knew that he had
left the train. They had expected that
the sheriff would get off the middle
coach and pass right through the
crowd on the platform.
No Demonstration
was made, however. Sheriff Hill had
expected Il large crowd from Sher-
burne, but a happily disappointed.
About fifty men and boys came over.
But few farmers visited the city, and
there appears to exist no II for
alarm. The people seem to be salts
fled that the remaining alleged rob
Der has been caught and are perfectly
willing to let the law take it's course
although they assert that had he been
causit in the vicinity of Martin and
Faribault counties on the night of the
killing of Marshal GALLON and the
shooting of his alleged accomplish at
Gilmore. the consequences might have
been very serious for the prisoner.
Now that the excitement has cooled
down the people are becoming milder
in their views of the situation. Sheriff
Hill j; confident that no attempt will
be made to lynch the prisoner: but in
order to make assurances dOubly ure,
the sheriff had five or six deputies
scattered through the coach on the
train from Sherburne. 1t was intended
to have Deputy Sheriff Dunn of Jack
son county drive the prisoner to
Worthington and place him in the Jail
there in case it was apparent that
mischief was intended by the citizens.
But there were not more than Il dozen
strangers in Fairmont when the train
came in and pulled away. and the
services of the deputies were not need
cd. The prisoner al guarded by the
usual Jail force with one extra deputy
sheriff on watch.
Makes Another Confession.
Inside the Jail the prisoner vas put
through a systematic course of CROSS
questioning. He told his story Of the
crime exactly as it was given yester-
day, and when being piled with Il
multitude of questions, admitted that
it was himself and companion who set
fire to a building at Heron Lake with
the object Of attracting the attention
of the bank officials and drawing
them away from the bank by the I'M
usual occurrence of n fire.
I'VE, were successful i'll getting them
out of the bank" the prisoner said,
land our plan would have succeeded
had not the bank, officials taken the
precaution to first lock up all the
funds. We got into the bank all right
but got nothing. We made up II
minds then that the plan would not
work in the future and tackled the
Sherburne job, which had been previ-
ously planned, but given up because
we thought it was too risky. We
finally decided to try it, however"
Being asked why he rode boldly
through Lake Mills, the prisoner said:
lob. l had ridden through several
places like that and was only stopped
twice, and then they asked me if I
had encountered the man for whom
they were looking. and did not seem to
suspect me. When we separated out
of Sllerburne 1t was agreed that we
should meet in Albert Lea on Oct. Is
to divide the money and plan some
thing else."
In regard to himself, his name or
place of. residence, the prisoner still
refuses to make and statement. He
said when questioned closely OH this
point: II have a Christian mother and
a Christian sister. l will not bring dis
grace upon them if I can help it."
In the train coming here the prison.
er and a cowboy just in from Mon
tana recognized each other, the recog-
milton being mutual. The cowboy said
that he worked on a farm les Water
town, S. d., q year ago with the pris.
oner He could not remember the
name beyond the fact that he was
known as ".Jim." The fictitious name
given was ':.Jim McMullen."
Mason City, Iowa, Oct. 14.-People
here have no doubt that the bank rob
Der who did the shooting at Sherburne.
Mimi, and who shot himself rather
than be taken alive clerked in this city
all the summer. He bore the name
here Of Jesse Lake, and that was prob.
ably his true name.
|s ~