The age-herald., 1902-01-26
BELIEVE THEY WERE CLOSE ON
 DUNCAN'S TRAIL Officers Smith and Cole Have Exciting Chase Near Vil-
 Iage Creek
MEN EVIDENTLY TOGETHER
Officers Say They Followed the Trio Two Days On Descriptions Fur
 nished By People Where
 Criminals Stopped to Eat.

Policeman William Smith and Special Officer Paul Cole returned last night from an exciting chase after Frank Duncan, on whose track they have been for the past three days. Twice they dined in houses where Duncan, VanHorn and Bull lard had eaten the previous day. They lost track of the men in the neighborhood of Village Springs. about "A miles from Birmingham on the Louisville and Nash vile Railroad.
 Policeman Smith was reared in the neighborhood and knows the ground from Birmingham to the Warrior river He received telegram several days ago from a friend saying the men were cer- tainly in the neighborhood. With MT. Cole he left at once. They were joined by the Massey brothers, who live near Red Hollow, and every foot of the ground was gone over. Tuesday Duncan, Van Horn and Bullard are supposed to have eaten at the home of MT. Self near Red Hollow, It was here the trail was first taken up by the posse, and they followed it six miles through the toughest coun-
 try to the home of MT. Eugene Taylor, where the three escapes dined Wednes- day.
 Lost the Trail. From here on no trace could be found and 1t is supposed the three men went further into the country away from the habitation of man. Smith, Cole and the Massey brothers travelled the entire neighborhood on horseback. and every
 house between Pinson and the Warrior river was searched thoroughly.
 Several persons have seen the three men and describe them accurately. The
 descriptions tally exactly with those or
 the sheriff. and 1t now seems certain that | Duncan and his pals are in that neigh | borhoodA
 Policeman Smith, in talking of the
 search last night, said
 q believe the three men are VanHorn. | Duncan and Bullard The descriptions we have obtained are exact, including the eyes, shoes, clothes and neckties | worn by the men, VanIIorn is lame, ac- cording to the descriptions. and the fact
 that they travelled only six miles from noon Tuesday to noon Wednesday bears
 out the statement. His feet being unused
 
 to the rough, mountainous road after | confinement in the prison have become tender and probably blistered Travelled at Night. "The men are travelling slowly and
 mostly at night. They are keeping away
 from the roads and moving straight
 through the country. MT Cole and my self will probably return to the neighbor-
 hood tonight to take up the search again. MT. Massey and several others are work 1 ing the case and will notify me at once
 if they again find the trail.
 "The country through which the men I are travelling Is about the widest In | Alabama. For miles one can travel and never see a house or human being. Van-
 Horn and Bullard have many friends In | this neighborhood who are probably hid- ing them out"
 | A report reached the city yesterday of | the capture at Marion, Ala, of man
 giving the name of David King but who
 is supposed by the officials there to be George Bullard. This reported arrest was confirmed last night by special to the Age Herald from Marion. This Is as fol- 1 lows:
 Arrested at Marion. "David King who claims to hall from I Cold Springs, N. T., was arrested on the railroad track near Marion today as | suiting the description of George Bull | lard, who escaped from the Jefferson l County jail with Frank Duncan. When
 searched King had about him all the paraphernala of a tramp, and also
 pistol. King has dark complexion. dark hair, dark mustache, Is rather heavy,
 weighs about 160 pounds. measures six feet tall, is spare made and has black eyes. He says he last worked with J. E.
 & J. M. Connell, bridge builders of Coal
 Springs. N. Y., during November. He is about 3S years old. He gives discon-
 nected story of himself and can refer to
 no acquaintance since leaving the state of New York. He says he Is bridge
 workman by trade, that he passed through Birmingham last Tuesday but
 did not stop. No letters or anything were found that would identify him. King is in jail and the Jefferson County of fcials have been communicated with.' Marion is about ninety miles south of Birmingham in Perry County. No news as to the capture of King or concerning any of the escapes was ob- tainable at the sheriff's office last night. persistent rumor was circulated last night that Duncan had been caught at Greenville, Miss. A telephone message from Chief of Polce William Quinn of