Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-02-03
RAILROAD ROBBERS.
Trunks of Travellers Opened py
Means of Skeleton Keys.
jail EMPLOYEES DONATE THEIR FEES.
4 Rubber Plant Destroyed-A Girl hoas~
an Optic by Her Curling Irons-Fatsi
fight-,Jail Delivery-Organ
4 Factory Burned.

SAN ANTONIO, Tex, Feb. BY the
arrest of II. NJ. Seekins and T. \. Nc
Cabe, two Pacific express messengers
here, one Of the most gigantic and sys'
tematically conducted railroad robber-
les OF recent years has been revealed
The line of operations Of the thieves
extended from st, Louis to San Antonio
and covered a period of three years
At q boarding house were found large
quantity OF wearing apparel, jewelry
and other articles Of value which have
been missing from trunks OF passen-
gers between St. Louis and San Ar
tonic. McCabe broke down yesterday
and made a full confession. The plan
Of the thieves, all of whom were OK
press messengers and railroad men,
was to open trunks OF travellers by
means of skeleton keys and take one or
two articles OF value. Other arrests
will follow.
JAIL EMPLOYEES DONATE THEIR FEES.
CINCINNATI, Feb. 9.-Charles Man
lin, the alleged wheat thief, was
acquitted by Judge HOLSTERS
jury yesterday afternoon. lie is the
man who starved himself in jail In
order to give food to his wife. Before
the trial Juror Robert Carr, a farmer,
said that Miller Nagle, to whom Man
lin sold the supposed stolen wheat,
had approached him on Saturday with
the story that Manlin said he traded
horse for the grain, whereas on the
witness stand Manlin said he traded q
watch for 1t. Carr reported the matter
to Judge Hollister. After the verdict
oil the jail employees gave their wit
ness fees to Manlin, and the latter
offered the amount to Attorney Hiram
Rulison, who refused to accept 1t.
A RUBBER PLANT DESTROYED.
NAUGATUoK, Conn, Feb "A fire
which broke out in the fourth story Of
the retaining plant OF the United
States Rubber company shortly after
ten o'clock last night practically de-
stroyed the entire plant, entailing q
loss Of more than $500, partly Gov
cred by insurance. The building was
Of brick, four stories in height, about
u feet wide and 400 feet long. It was
the largest retaining plant In the
country.
A GIRL RoAsTs AN OPTIC.
LANCASTER, Pa, Feb. miss Ella
Detterling, prominent society girl
Of Wilmington, Del, who is visiting
relatives in this city, lost the sight Of
her right eye last night by the use Of
curling irons. Miss Detterling WAS
curling her hair preparatory to going
TO social reception when she thrust
the iron into her eye, roasting the
optic, the iron being red-hot. She has
been unconscious since the accident
FATAL FIGHT OVER A POST OFFICE.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala, Feb. 9.-W. J.
Biddell, clerk Of the circuit court, and
D. +. Garden, prominent business
man, fought at 0pelika yesterday over
the post Office. Siddell attacked Car
den with pocketknife, wounding
him badly In the head. Garden then
drew revolver and shot Siddell fatal
", completely paralyzing him. Car
den Is in Jail.
A JAIL DELIVERY.
NORFOLK, Va, Feb 2.-Shortly after
Blk o'clock yesterday evening there
was wholesale delivery from the
Norfolk county Jail, nine men effecting
their escape by saving through the
bars OF the rear basement window.
AN ORGAN FACTORY BURNED.
CLINTON, Ont, Feb. 1.-The Dough.
erty organ factory, with all its con-
tents, was burned yesterday. Loss,
CSC, 600; insurance, $50, 200.