The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-11-22

5s~y b-nk zr@ F>A sFse life az country
1snsflord He Was finally Traced there ~
sh@rsr Dan Farrell OF sidney. Farr~fl
sts<sars@S 80 arrest him ard 3 fight o.
cured IN sbe dfusrg room Of ire hotel
Both rr~r drex r~xo1vsrs ~ the same
tine. wells shor first hitting Farrell Ia
ths head Tae sheriff feH AMI Wells
ssgrav~si ever his fsody and ran for the door.
THE BAL had simply grss@d th* ssalpt ssd
IN xa instant Farrell wHs Oh mis- feet ard
xhos wells. wfss turned back. They then
s.gsrsh.ss k~ass arfax ss rapidly ~ possible
wei. aax shot in the wrist. tunr ard
s,aaS The two men fell ard Farrell got
- tn~, ne People rushed in and we're
nsuysst - rnob Farrell Hs exclaimed.
Il ar, the sheriff Of Mills county. Ia
This man - a fugitive from justice"
In a heipieSs condition they were both
carried from the battlefield. In few days
tf,ey were ahEe 20 60 hsick TO lows. where
= few weeks isser Wells was convicted
Of bank rosb4ry ard sentenced 10 eight
years At Fort Madison. while serving
,bsx s~rtsnre Wells ard a convict named
COOKE administered chloroform TO guard.
causing death. Wells planned the crime.
bsss Cooke committed the deed The latter
was a hospital steward and knew the
,,Aa ~ chloroforyn which Wells did not.
owing 10 hfs physical weakness Find
Ing that the guard was willing 10 drink
he told hinn one day that he did not want
the whisky and gave II 70 the guard aft
or IL had been loaded with chiorcform By
Cooke. Then Wells and Cooke threw a
cloth saturated with the drug over the face
OF the guard. and mad their escape In
= f~w minutes the guard died.
Wells was captured a fe~ days later IN
q peculiar manner. In fleeing across the
country he took refuge In q farmers hay
loft Presently the farmer came 10 toss
hay 20 his cattle. and unwittingiy jaooed
the sharp prones OF the pitchfork into
Wells body. a howl of pain betrayed his
presence. The farmer had heard OF the
reward offered for Wells. and suspertins
his identity held the outlaw with his
pitchfork until he got assistance. Nehs
was taken back TO Fort Madison. where
he received life sentence. II WAS In IN
that the pen.fentiary lock clicked behind
him to fmnrison him until he died
During Wells career in the far West he
acquired the reputation of being a dead
shot. and was known a. the boy snoot
er" He said that he had killed score or
Indians. but only one white man. ana that
Ia seif-defense. This man was his uncle
AT Sail Lake city He further said that
ne always aimed only 20 wound while de-
Tending himself. that the reason that ne
shot SO many people was TO Keep up MIS-
reputation. In doing this he vas quite
successful. especially In Southern Mis-
souri,.
In issi Wells wife got a divorce on the
ground Of desertiou and was married 10
her lover warneke. The couple kept up
their acquaintance with Wells Dni often
urged him TO abandon his wicked ife and
settle down. They liked him toe we'll TO
beiray him TO fhe officers, who were con-
stantiy looking for him. although tempting
rewards To- do 50 were offered. Wells
said that many people of good reputation
IN Iowa and Missouri frequently offered
him friendly shelter when he was hard
pressed by the sleuth hounds of justice.
These kindnesses ne invariably rewarded
With money or presents 10 the children of
the family. II has been said that when
ever Wells was in trouble women befriend-
ed him. and on numerous occasions saved
him from capture. Wells boasted that he
was always on intimate terms With train
mea. and that conductors frequently
stopped 70 let him on or OF trains. Just
hefore his death Wells related the follow
ing story:
'In the fall Of lsTs shortly after the
famous Union Pacific train robbery at Big
Springs, Neh.. by Joel Collins and his
armed crowd. | undertook he mosr daring
and devsiish scheme OF my life. joined
gang a; Medicine Bow station. Wyo..
for the purpose Of kidnapping jay Gould.
When Gould< train arrived there IL was.
by reason of $he recent robbery heavily
guarded ard was. Of course. allowed 10
PASS unmolssted. Then II vas proposed TO
ditch II on its return eastward. but oh
1eeted TO this. and the gang. after a gen
ersi row. In which I came near being kill
ed. dissolved The captain. who was once
New York capitalist. claimed that Gould
and Jim Fiske had. In 1879 robbed him of
his fortune In some railway speculation.
Flsks being dead he proposed to wreak his
vengeance on Gould. and make him paw
the entire amount back for his release
My objection TO the wreckage OF the train
spoiled the deyilish plot. I was always
rroud or n1y course In that case. | Ger
sasnly saved tho great magnafs 4 large
sum OF money. for II he had been cap
tared he would have had TO pay she full
amount 90 this man or lose his iIfe''
In December. 1913. Wells health was
completely broken down. owing to his
many soussis and long Incarceration. He
petitsoned Gov. Jackson for pardon saw
ing he had been sufficiently punished. and
had but ;aw months 10 1--WE lie ave-red
that the ehloroform had not heen admir-
Istered 10 tha guard with fatal intent bat
TO render him unconscious that his accom-
piices. including Cooke. had ali been par
-
serviiude he had never broken the prison
rules. and WAS thoroughly broken In
heath and strength. The warden Endorsed
his petit on. and saia no cons dered wells
thoroughly reformed man. A. GOV.
Jackson had but Two weeks 20 serve. he
declined 10 grant the pardon. The mat
ter was left for the incoming governor.
Drank who also refused pardon. But
few protests were flied against the par
don. and none from the section OF the
country where Wells had committed most
% his crimes, Wells friends pe;fiionesl
the legislature for his pardon. hat IL was
MOI granted.
After consumption rad closed the check.
cred career Of the bandit, MS body Wa
incsossd in A long. heavy pine box and
shipped 10 81. Joseph, Mo. in a baggage
ear. Il was taken 20 the central medica
college ga a farm wagon, and placed sr
she picking vat. TO he d.ssected wher
ready. A.hsrg Warneke, who married
Wells wife. offered the corpse 20 Or Pot
ter ~ the coll1se. in these words
~ d0n't want 70 sell Wells body hu
after the dissection ] wsnl the hears ane
skeieton-the latter 20 be placed together
~ it was icined IN ufe. | also want &
witness She dissection
These conditions were agreed TO, an
( Vnrneks VIII he ssnt for when the stu
4 dents begin on she eody.-New York sun