The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1896-12-16

and shotguns. but Could Only Look
Hopelessly On-The Desperate and -
Companion First Capture Three Farm
ers Who Had Attempted to Arrest Them
and Made "a Fort of Their Prisoners.
Corning, Kan, Dec. 14.-After a des-
perate battle. i'm which a mothers sto-
len babe in the arms of a safeblower
kept at bay and helpless an angry mob
OF citizens. two men were arrested and
safely put behind the bars in the Sene-
ca Jail. They are held for safeblowing
at this place. One is an old man. said
to resemble George Taylor. the Meeks'
family escaped murderer, and the other
Is barely more than youth. They
steadfastly refuse to disclose their iden-
tity.
The safe in the office of the Jackson
Grain company, at this place, was rihed
and the schoolhouse broken into, where
two muslin curtains were torn down
and carried away. The first clew TO the
perpetrators was brought here by coun-
try schoolchildren who reported having
seen two tramps along the railroad west
OF town.
stOOu Ou OnceTs.
Deputy Sheriff Charles Andrews and
City Marshal Bensing at once took
buggy and went in pursuit. overtak-
ing the pair about five miles out. The
men were accosted. but made no reply.
Andrews again asked them to wait
moment, when both whipped out re-
volvers, covered their pursuers, and
hastily retreated to the timber. The
and with the aid of the children soon
got the inhabitants up in arms.
Meanwhile two jealous corn huskers
espied the robbers in their corn field,
and with shotguns and rifle command
ed them to surrender. The pair meek
ly submitted until the farmer lads, con-
fdent of their game. approached, when
q fusilade OF shots from the revolvers
OF the besieged made them the victors
and the farmers the prisoners The
owner of the farm drove up with his
wagon TO carry off the outlaws only
TO be himself made captive. At the
command of the robbers. enforced by
drawn revolvers. all mounted the wag-
On and were driven to the farmers
house. Here they were confronted by
the officers.
Used Farmers Forts.
But the law had no terrors for two
desperate men, fortified behind three
husky farmers bodies. -..ler consider
able parleying and shifting for advant-
age the younger robber became sepa-
rated from his companion and quickly
became the victim of Sheriff Andrews.
The elder robber compelled his living
fort to retreat to the house and enter.
% he trin raj re
and made them lie down on the floor,
threatening death TO the first who
should try to see what was going on.
AS they were marching up the stairs
at the point of revolvers the robber
stopped over the cradle in the room be-
low and snatched a 5-months' old babe,
telling the terrorized mother 10 hasten
him some supper and as she loved her
child to tell no one that he was in the
house. The officers brought their pris-
oner to Corning and took back a large
posse.
Posse of 400 Took Him.
BY o'clock the farmhouse was sur
rounded by 400 men. armed with Win
chesters, shotguns and revolvers. The
outlaw, in the face of all this demon
stration. ordered a light to be put on
the stairs so that he might see his crowd
and eat his supper. With three citizens
and the baby in his clutches his orders
were obeyed.
One Of the posse requested him TO
surrender He replied that he would
if he be allowed to keep his guns. After
some consultation his proposition was
agreed TO. and the old robber lies safe
in the Seneca Jail with his young con-
federate. Several sets of burglar tools,
a camping outfit, and eight gold watch
es were some OF the plumber recovered.