The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-04-13

Peacock of Attica j. W. Copp of Chicago.
III. B. Darling OF Laporte, J: B; FauIknor
City. w A Bray OF Michigan City. F. w;
Quimby, trainmaster OF the Monon, anu
representatives OF three Indianapolis
The prison train was given the. right of
way over the Monon tracks 10 indianapolis,
j., NJ * /. tracks TO Jeffersonviue- IeIe-
grams were sent 10 the Governor AT tle
Statehouse. from every telegrapn statlon ga, OH
The wrecking train at Monon, with It's en-
gine fired up and its men on duty, were
ready TO start out at an instants notice IN
case of any accident
INDIANAPOLIS CONVICTS.
OF the POI convicts on the train the ma
jority consisted of first-ohense prisoners.
Some are men whose names are well known
in police circles. First among these was
Claud St. Clair, whose right name Is
Henry Mosher. a criminal born and bred.
and one of the most desperate men ever
imprisoned at Michigan City. He was the
only man on the train who wore hand
cuffs as we'll as shackles, and the one man
on whom the guards kept vigiiant gaze. He
is now serving term for highway rob
berry. He sand-bagged and robbed the
paymaster at BurIords store in Indian
the man who made a desperate attempt 10
break Jail and almost succeeded.
well known in Indianapolis were Fred
Fifer. the leader of the opium gang, who
confessed TO thirty-five robber1 Colonei
Weaver, an all-round thief and slde-part-
ner of the notorious Whit Starr, who re-
Gently escaped from Jail and is now fugi-
tive from justice; Lawrence Corriden.
George Hogarty and John Hulen all con-
victed of grand larceny; George Pursley,
the negro burglar and a seven-year man;
Albert Kinchlow, sentenced for two years
for attempted murder and George Merritt.
the coiored porter who got into trouble re-
ceiving stolen goods. But perhaps the
most interesting of all the prisoners was
Frank Won Berg. Austrian count and Of
ficer of the Austrian army" according TO
his own story, sentenced "A few weeks ago
for swindling in Indianapolis. His is
ii such recent date that il is fresh in the
minds of all Indianapolis newspaper
readers.
During the trip the prisoners were per-
mitted TO converse freely. and they made
number of them had saved up" their al
lowance of chewing tobacco in anticipation
of this day off. and they used the weed
lavishly, to put il mildly. They gaZed from
the car windows with rapt attention
the train sped past the woods, farms and
numerous streams, and doubtless some of
them felt a thrill of excitement, if not of
sorrow, as their prison on wheels hastened
through the very villages and towns where
they had left saddened homes and broken
hearts oehind; 1t was the first time for
some of them in many day that they had
seen the broad open country. Despite the
TACT that the utmost precautions had been
taken regarding the secrecy of the exact
day of the great transfer crowds were
gathered at many of the towns along the
line to watch the prison train rush past
AT Monon, where a half-minute stop was
made. a good-looking girl came hurrying
down the road toward the station. her face
flushed and one of her arms extended while
she frantically waved her hand 10 one of
the convicts. There had. evidently. been
some previous understanding arranged by
letter between the two. But the girl was
too late. BY the time she had reached the
track running with all her might the train
Idu pulled out again and SDQpdinR
It's way taking with ii the young man she
ionged to speak to. her sweetheart or
The first change of engines took place at
Guerny The stop was brief and the train
lore There was large crowd at Delphi.
warden Harleys home. when the train
passed through at 1880 o'clock. ard the
PLATFORM waved their hands and handker-
chiefs until the train was out of sight.
MEETING OF THE TRAINS
The most interesting incident of the trip
was the meeting of the two prison trains at
Carmel, north of indianapolis The train
from the north sidetracked at that point at
12:Ol O'Clock and the southern train steamed
up alongside. The stop was for about two
minutes only, during which time Warden
Harley and Clerk Whitiker. with Lieuten-
| ant McCrea's company Of militia, were
| transferred to the train bound for Michigan
NityS nliitC w dlutil ileTI ana Company IL,
under command of Captain Coleman, from
New Albany, took up their quarters in the
| south-bound train. Mr.. f.. w. Quimby
who had managed the trip of the south
bound train to this point, now took charge
| of the train bound for Michigan City and
| Superintendent Bonebrake and General Pas
& l., came over to the southnbound train TO
| return with ii to Jeffersonvile. As the
| convict coaches slowly passed. one TO the
north and one to the south the inmates
eyed each other through the car windows
with much curiosity. Suddenly, as if moved
| by the same wild instinct, both trainloads
of convicts burst into an uproar of shout
| ing and boisterous language, which lasted
until the two trains were good distance
apart. Aside from this sudden explosion of
| pent-up feelings, which soon changed,
| among the colored convicts especially to
! the singing over of all the songs they knew
| there was no misconduct whatever. and. to
| all appearances. nothing seemed further re-
| moved from the minds of the convicts than
| any attempt at an outbreak.
In view Of possible trouble while passing
Indiana polls, Warden Harley had not dis
closed the route to the j., NJ. * /. tracks.
He purposely allowed the impression TO
prevail that the train would run around the
| Belt. Instead this train run over the
MonCn tracks through the city. passing
MASS m th avenue ana washington vas
| Union Station, where the switching 10 the
j.. NJ. & l. tracks was hurriedly made. After
another change of engines the train was
( again speeding on its way to Jeffersonville
| Only one stop was made between Indian
apolis and the Reforma tory, the train going
| through at rapid time schedule. When
ever a stop was made the soldiers left their
car and stood guard half of the company
on each side of the tracks. The rations
| served 10 the convicts on the train consist
| ed of bread and butter, bologna sausage
and headcheese; all they could eat
| At 3:45 o'clock. the train arrived at the
] great red brick walls of the Reformatory
/ and with an engine at each end the long
| train went around the big curve, through
the gateway and into the. prison yard. "A
crowd, mostly negroes living the
| TO see the unusual sight The gates swung
to the rear engine puffed into the yard !;
| a guard with gun in hand stepped out on
| the wall from the watch tower. and the
long journey from Lake Michigan to the
Ohio river was at an end II was matter
| of two hours before the shackles were re-
| moved and the convicts locked I'm their new
| cells. The time consumed in the run from
| Michigan City TO Jacksonville eight
hours and twenty minutes. only five stops
| being made.
| PASSING THROUGH THE CITY.