The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-06-30

ally intended to walk to Cairo. For some
reason he never explained he purchased
team in a little river town and, stocking
the outfit we'll with the liberal allowance
supplied by his father, started on a long
trip through the Missouri foothills. His
last letter was dated April 20. in a little
town not far from the Mississippi. Moth
ing was heard from him for more than a
week, when the father, who had let him
go with the greatest of Qualms, yielded
to the frantic entreaties of the mother
and started out to trace him. He follow
ed the wagon by the description he had
of it by letter, and discovered that at
Warrensburg, Mo, the team had been
seen after dark on May 2. It had been
driven slowly through the village by a
boy whom the father recognized as his
son. On the seat beside him sat a coun-
tryman, who, Mr.. Gates ascertained after
considerable difficulty, was one Gilbert
Jester. a farmer living in the vicinity.
Here the trail disappeared.
JESTER SUSPECTED.
Gates became convinced that the mys-
FERROUS Jester was the murderer of his
son and Immediately set about to appre-
bend him. He had not been seen since
the night of May 2, although, as he was
in the habit Of doing business in the river
towns, there was nothing especially sus-
picious in his absence. He was a small
trader. the citizens said, and would be
gone for weeks at a time. His farm did
not amount to much, and was run on
shares by a neighbor.
Mr.. Gates went over to take look at
the Jester farm and satisfied himself from
the general air of dilapidation that the
man who owned 1t would be just the per-
son to waylay and murder a helpless
youth. He conferred with the local au-
thorities, but the sheriff refused to take
action on what he deemed such slender
suspicious. Mr.. Gates set out upon the
search alone, determined TO seize the man
wherever found. He traced him 10
Bloomington, ILL.,, where he had tried to
sell the very gold watch Mr.. Gates had
given his son the Christmas before. Here
the trail was again lost. Mr.. Gates was
about TO try the innumerable little towns
on and near the river when a Blooming
ton gentleman who knew something of
Jester. suggested trying sister. Mrs.
Cornelia Street. who was living in Wich-
! ita.
Mr.. Gates acted on this suggestion and
went to Wichita. where ne called Sheriff
Walker to assist him. The two formed a
plan to capture Jester. Mr. Gates went
! to the Jester homestead and looked at il
with the osteRsible view of buying it, He
began negotiations with Mrs. Jester ard
| offered a good price. One of the children
WAS seriously ILL., and the two circum-
stances induced her TO write to her nus
band, urging him to hasten home. She
| notified Mr.. Gates Of the day on which he
would arrive, and the trap was set.
In the meantime Mr.. Gates had employ
| ell Pinkerton detectives to trace the
| movements OF Jester from the time he left
Bloomington, H., until he reached Kan
| sas. They followed him step by step until
| they located him at his homestead near
SedEwick. At that time Colonel p. s.
| Ownby, now claim agent for the NIisso..ri
| Pacific. was a deputy sheriff OF Monroe
| county. Mo, and after the Pinkertons
had fled their report, the task Of arrestng
Jester was assigned 10 him. On May !.
! ISL, ne went TO Jefferson City ana OBTAIN
! ed a requisition from Governor Brown on
! the governor OF Kansas. Armed with the
| requIsition and warrant, he went TO Kan
sas and arrested Jtseer as he was fishing
at night in the Arkansas river and shor;-
| ~ after his return fro ma trip.
Mr.. Gates and Sheriff Walker saw him
| return, driving over the hill with two
| teams. one hitched behind The other. He
| drove into his corral jumped out OF the
wagon and went at once TO the bedside
| Of his sick child. Mr.. Gates. II IS cow
| said. at once recognized enc Of the teams
| as the property Of his son, and When
| Ownhy arrived everything was in -eldi-
| ness and he effected the arrest as stated
! When Jester was searched Gilbert Gates
watch was found on him and the gun.
| clothes and other property were found IN
| the wagon.
ESCAPED FROM JAIL.
Colonel ownby returned to Missouri
with Jester and lodged him IN tae jail at
Paris, No. A lynching party OF several
hundred men was organized along the
road taken by the ocers. who. setting
wind % it. hurried their prisoner TO Mex
leo There he lay in San for months and
5 alleged TO have made a confession. the
story OF Il being that he admitted the
! murder ana chat he carried the body TO