The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-16
Detectives Traced the Desperate
to Florissant, Where He Board
ed the Wabash Train.
BULLET HOLE IN HIS HAT.
Headgear Is Found in Possession
of Negro-Fugitiye a Broth
er of Charles Wheeler
Barnes.

ceinpanleu by half q dozen ueteCti'es'
| armed with riot guns and revolvers. made
, a midnight excursion into st. Louis County
| and searched several houses and barns in
the vicinity Of Bridgeton and Florissant
early Sunday morning In quest of Jack
Nelson" the WickIine. Ky, train robber. The
effort to locate him was futile. but con-
siderable information was obtained which
Chief Desmond thinks will result in tho
capture of the desperate.
II was also learned that Jack Nelson"
is Claiming Barnes. and that he is a
brother of Charles Wheeler Barnes. his as
sociate in the train robbery. who IS now
under arrest. The Barnes brothers formerly
lived In Austin. Tex, where their father
conducts a profitable grocery. Chief Ues-
mond last night obtained a written confess
sion from Charles ". Barnes. duplicating
his brother and the Cairo prisoner. Conley,
and also learned where the valuable papers
stolen from the express companys safe
were hidden.
In the party which secured the county
were Detectives Eagan and McCumpsey Of
Chicago. Deputy Sheriff Osborne of StLouis
County. and Detectives Killian. Murphy.
Woodiing. Teschemacher and Roberts. Rep
resentatives of all the daily newspapers ac-
companied the officers.
The Search Begins.
The start was made from the Four Courts
at 10 o'clock Saturday night. and Fiorissant
was reached Just before daybreak. Every
officer In the party was determined TO cap
ture the desperate train robber. dead or
alive.
The Natural Bridge road was followed
to the F?orissant Valley Clubhouse, which
is tust beyond the city limits. There stop
was made, and the negro guide explained
that It was at this point where Barnes.
alias Nelson. Jumped from the bed Of the
wagon, exchanged hats with the negro and
babe him good-by. The man then walked
west toward Bridgeton. He was seen In
that neighborhood Friday afternoon, and
passed Friday night in barn near Fergu-
son.
From there he was tracked to the Wa
bash tracks. where 1t was learned he board
ed westbound freight train.
Other information was obtained which the
police will not divuige. but they do not
hesitate to say that the capture of Barnes
is only a question Of hours. Most OF the
officers took up the trail at F1orissant, and
have Instructions to follow II.
The wagonette containing the police and
newspaper men was met at Bridgeton by
negro boy named Bryance Wcolfork. who
directed them to a barn on the farm Of Her
man Brockhous. one mile west of Ferguson.
The barn was surrounded and Detectives
killian and Murphy, with drawn revolvers,
rushed in simultaneously from the north
and south entrances. 1t had been previous
ly agreed that. in the event any one was
found, signal should be given those guard
Ing the entrances. and a general rush should
be made.
Killian had been In the barn less than
one minute when the fash from his bullseye
lantern revealed the form of a man
stretched at full length on the hay. He
signaled Murphy. and the two held a con-
SITUATION. The Cuarda and the
men on the outside rushed in. Detective
killian covered the man with his revolver
ano almost instantly the sleeper awoke.
Tramp in q Barn.
Cttering an exclamation of surprise which
resernbled shrek, he jumped TO his feet
and iinplored them not to shoot. He was
seized and taken outside into the light, and
1t was learned that he was only a tramp
who had asked and obtained permission to
After this espianation had BEEN Syan rs
was allowed TO return to his bed OF hay.
The other wagonette loaded with officers.
to F1orissant, learned That Barnes had
boarded freight train late Saturday night
and was not in the neighborhood. Officers
yesterday morning those who did not con-
tinue the search drove back to st. Louis.
The cheap straw hat which Barnes wore
boaIding-horse Friday morning was OBJ
tanned from the negro to whom he had
the crown. Evidently he had carried It In
his hand while running through the alley as
the bullet entered from the inside
Cnief Desmond received information last
night from San Francisco that Barnes had
been sentenced TO thirty years imprison-
ment In California for completely in a train
robbery near San Quentin. He escaped while
new trial.
For more than an hour last night a rep
resentative OF The Republic talked with
Charles w. Barnes In the hoIdoyer at the
-Four Courts. He is gradually weakening.
subjected to in the last few days has had
telling effect on his nervous system He
talked freely of the ,bery and of the
plans laid in St Louis He denied that |
BarneS, alias Nelson, was his brother, bat
SAID they We're cousins. and ayowed that |
Nelson, as he called him. induced him to |
go into the robbery and promised him a
large ehare of the proceeds In lia,,idatton
OF debt OF several hundred dollars
Barnes declared that they got less than
$i.su from the express company safe, and |
that two packages of money, one contain
ing 800 and the other $400 were lost. He
received but $50 as his share. Nelson the |
balance.
He denied all knowledge of Nelson's Cali
fornfa pen1tentiary sentence. Barnes lost /
MS nerve several times during the interview
and wept bitterly when he spoke of his |!
wife, who departed last night for her Calf |
fornfa home. He declared that he would be I
unable to stand the terrible strain of con- /
fnement and would die In Jail before his /
case was called IN court.
Chief Picket and several detectives re-
turned from F1orissant and found n mes
sage from the Chicago detectives, stating
they were only three hours behind Nelson
and that his capture WAS but a question of
a few hours. VI