The Saint Paul globe., 1900-01-28
BELIEVE HE is BURKE
CAGO SALOON MAN THE ONE
WANTED
HAS BEEN 50 IDENTIFIED
Story of the Crime for which He is
wanted at Estelline = The POST
ofzsce Robbery and the Events
That Followed TT Until the Two
Suspects Were Arrested Sawed
Themselves Out of Jail.

SIOUX FALLS, S. d. Jan. 27-The
United States officials in this city believe
that James Francis, Chicago saloon
keeper, who was arrested by Col. gu Il
van, of st. Paul, several days ago on sus-
picion of being John, Burke, who, with
a comrade named Randall, in 1893, robbed
the postof1ice at Esteiline, S. D., and who
afterwards escaped from the Sioux Fails
jail, is in reality the man they want.
Frank L. Wade. who was a deputy Unit
ed States marshal in 1888, has returned
from Chicago, where he went for the
purpose of assisting in the identification
Of the man. He had no difficulty in pick
ing Francis out cf party of six, and is
confident the prisoner is Burke.
Postoffioe Inspector Fosnes, who was
stationed at Sioux Falls at the time of the
also in Chicago, and identified Francis a.
Burke, although he was not so positive as
Wade, and accordingly the hearing was
continued until next Tuesday, in order
that Peter Neary, of Spirit Lake. Io., the
officer who arrested Burke as he was at
tempting to get cut of the country, might
proceed to Chicago and endeavor to iden-
tify the man At the me Of the arrest
Neary was sheriff of Dickinson county,
Iowa. He believes he can readily identify
Burke.
A considerable quantity of stamps aud
a sum of money were taken from the Es-
telline postoffice. Descriptions of two sus-
picious characters who had been seen in
Estelline short time prior to the rob
berry chanced to reach the eye of con-
ductor on the Burlington railroad A day
or two after the robbery his attention
was attracted to the suspicious actions OF
two men who had boarded his train at
some point on the Watertown branch. He
finally became satisfied that they were
the men wanted for the Estelline robbery,
and telegraphed ahead to Sheriff Neary,
at Spirit Lake, to meet the train and ar
rest the men. Neary reached the depot
just as the train was pulling out, but sue
ceeded in boarding it.. The two men were
pointed out to him, and he also bscame
satisfied that they were the men want
ed. The men were on the alert They
were sitting facing each othar, so that
they could watch both doors Of the car,
and were evidently prepared to stoutly
resist any attempt to arrest them. How
ever, Wnlle the one VINO was sitting 1aC-
ing the part of the car where the sheriff
stood had his head out of the window,
the officer silently approached, and ia an
instant had both men covered with a
brace of revolvers A command for them
to throw up their hands was re'ueta nily
obeyed In answer to the call Of the sher-
If for assistance, travelling man, who
chanced to be In the ear came forward
and, taking two pairs of handouts from
the sheriffs pocket, soon had Burke and
his companion beyond the power OF re-
sistance. Both men wsre desperate char
acters and noted erocks.S@
Neary informed the men of the charge
upon which they were arrested, and
stated that he would be compelled to
search them for the purpose of recover,
ing the stolen property If 1t was In their
possession. The prisoners informed the
sheriff that he could find what he was
looking for in a grip, which stood on
the seat beside one of, the. men. The grip.
contained ali the stolen property. Burke
and Randall were brought to Sioux Falls
and lodged in the county Jail, but be-
fore the time set for their trials they
succeeded in obtaining possession of
saws. with which they made their way
to freedom. Notwithstanding that the
government officials have been constant
.ly on the lookout for them, no trace Of
either of them was secured and nothing
heard of them until the arrest few days
ago at Chicago
Burke or Francis has been engaged iii
the saloon business in one of the tough
districts of Chicago for the past three
years. When the case against him was
continued until next Tuesday. he was re-
quired to put up bond of $1,000 for his
appearance at that time. He did rot have
to look for bondsman, but took the
amount of the bond from his pocket and
deposited it with the court. 1t is said he
is in excellent financial condition, and
will make a strong fight against beirg
brought back to South Dakota to stand
trial for the Estelline robbery