Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1903-09-17
|POSSE CAPTURES
| VIM. HOFFMAN,
Slayer of William Brandt Caught
Near Belleville, Ill.
SHOWS NO REM0RSE FOR CRIME
Found Asleep by st. Clair County
Onicers and Makes No Resistance
Declares He Feared Father
fn-Lnw Would XIII Him.

Waterloo, H., Sept. 14.--William
Hoffman,. who killed his father-in-
law, William Brandt, at Maeystown.
ILL.,, last Monday evening, was cap
tured on the outskirts of Belleville, Ill.
Saturday afternoon. by a force of dep
uty sheriffs under leadership of Deputy
Sheriff Klamm.
In state of mental and physical col
lapse, he fell asleep beneath tree on
the side of the road, and when he
awoke 1t was to look into the muzzles
of two repeating shotguns and two re-
volvers. He made no resistance. as he
was unarmed He was delivered to
Sheriff Thomas Ruch, Of Waterloo, at
East st. Louis.
Lynching Threatened.
Sheriff Ruch and Deputy William
Tolin arrived at ten o'clock with Hoff-
mann, from Belleville. on the Mobile q
Ohio passenger train. Over four hun
dred persons were at the depot.
Several shouted, Lynch him! Hang
him!" but large force of police and
deputy sheriffs forced the people back.
Hoffman, was pale and nervous and
trembled at the large crowd. With his
hands and feet cuffed he was escorted
to a carriage and quickly driven to
the Monroe county jail, where he was
placed in cell No. 6. He refused to
talk to anyone. and lay down on his
bed.
Conscience Troubled Him.
"T am glad 1t is all over" said Hoh-
mann. my conscience bothered me so
much that haven't any nerves left.
am sorry only for the sake of my wire
and my children. 1t had come to such
state that one of us would be Killed,
and believed that he intended killing
me when l shot him.
81 was out squirrel shooting Monday
afternoon, and on my way home l
stopped at my father-in-law's home.
| held the reins of my mule In one hand
and with the other knocked at his door.
| NV father-in-law answered the knock,
and asked me what | wanted. told
| him that we needed some money He
got mad when / said this and said: 1
will give you money, turning on his
heel.
Claims SeIf-Defense.
81 thought he was going to get his
gun to shoot me- so fired first. | then
went home. told my wife what had
happened and stayed there until p.
N. Tuesday. l thought the officers
would come after me, but as they didn't
/ took $40 and bade my wife and chill
dren good-by and started walking
down the Mobile & Ohio railroad
| tracks.
| 81 passed through Burksville, Red
Bud and Sparta At the latter place
took a train for Cairo. where ar
rived at two o'clock Wednesday after
noon. From Cairo went to Metropolis
by boat. and from there to Paducah by
rail. From Paducah | came to Col
conda, Pope county, by boat. There
had my mustache shaved of.
| Reads OF Reward.
"I saw by the papers that big re-
ward had been~offered for my arrest,
and thought l would try to escape,
as my identity had not yet been sus-
pected. went to East st. Louis and
| registered at lne WleS hocoi riiuoy
night. got up early Saturday morn
ing and caught the first car for Belle
vile.
"I met a man driving a lumber
wagon, and he gave me a lift for
mile, and helped him unload his lum-
ber. then walked to the big tree,
where lay down to rest, as ! was very
tired. When | awoke the officers had
me surrounded with their weapons.
was surprised at first, but now do
not care | thought | was protecting
my life when killed my father-in-
1awD