The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-02-08

PoSTOFFICE INSPECTOR KILE's
STIRRING NARRATION.
How "Irish Billy" Was Tracked, Run
Down and Captured-ReaI-Life
Detective story.


known TO detectives of the United States
postal service as d. c. Irish. alias Irish
Billy of Louisville. KY. Barrett claims
TO live in Rome. Ga. He was confined in
the county jail on the charge OF breaking
into the postofice at Huntingburg. Ind.
last Wednesday morning at / o'clock. and
will be arraigned before United States Com
missioner Moores tomorrow. A physician
was called to the Jail after Barrett's in
generation TO dress a severe gunshot
wound IN his back The gunshot wound is
the result of thrilling experience the
postoffce inspector and posse of Hunting
burg citizens had with Barrett and three
other postoffice robbers last week.
After three days OF search and a we'll
planned surveillance of Barrett's haunts in
Louisville Inspector Kile captured him FRI
day evening at the corner of Floyd and
Main streets. Louisville, at the point OF
a revolver Kife knew that Barrett would
drift back TO Louisville from Huntingburg
10 secure attention for the wound received
in the fight with the posse when the attempt
at robbery was made on the postof1ce. de
went TO Louisville and with the assist
ance of deputy marshals watched the Two
gathering places OF crooks in that city
Tony Cribbins's and "Leany Gross
waterfront saloons. He had almost
despaired OF catching Barrett and had come
TO the conclusion that Barrett had oeen
killed by the pistol shot wound, but ne con-
tinued to watch the neighborhood OF the
two salocGs until Friday evening, Wnen ne
came face to face with Barrett at the cor
ner. Barrett was accompanied by LOUIS
Vile local tough, but neither or them
offered any resistance TO kiles commana
10 throw up their hands: kne tooa D snd
later brought Barrett TO this city over the
J., NJ & l. Railroad
DODGED ALL QUESTIONS.
On the way to Indianapolis Barrett did
not Weld to persistent and adroit question
ing as to where he had been wounded. He
denied that he had been shot in the fight at
Huntfngburg; that he had ever been In
Huntingburg, or that he knew where 1t
was He said he did not remember of hav-
ing robbed a postoffice, but was uncom-
municative in regard TO his history. He
showed himself to the inspector to be
shrewd criminal.
flee was but one of the offenses of which
Inspector Kile believes Barrett and three
OF his companions guilty. Kile thinks that
Jan p, that of the bank at St. Anthony,
Ind, and the attempt on the Duncan, lnd.,A
postoffice can be traced to Barrett. In fact.
the description of the men suspected of the
burglaries was the clew from which Kile
traced Barrett and the other three TO Hunt
ingburg.
Although the attempt on the Huntingburg
postoffice occurred last Wednesday, and
the fact published at the time, the thrilling
experience of Kile with the robbers has
describes IL thus: 81 was led to believe
from the operations OF the robbers that an
attempt would be made TO break into an
other southern Indiana postoffice before
the robbers ceased operations in that dis
trict. i sent requests for information TO
various Indiana postmasters, and also in
ions To hen tn nnrf to rhaxy
noticed the presence OF several suspicious
looking strangers in their communities.
From Huntingburg. Ind, learned that
four men posing as union laboring men
were behaving suspiciously there. / went
down there last Sunday and located the
men, and found out what they had been
doing. The old tactics OF sending ennis
saries to the postoffice to see how IL was
srranged had been followed by them, and
they also had found blacksmith shop of
easy entrance from which. inferred. they
The old housebreaker with the cumber-
some kit of burglar tools is no more The
places relies on success in shops and hard
ware stores for instruments with which he
practices his evil profession: The men To-
~ surmiSe they would not delay their at
tempt on the postoffice long. Afraid they
might change their intentions and rob the
little postoffice at Jasper / caused the
postmaster there to be on his guard and
sent to Indianapolis for help. Postoff1ce
Inspector Fletcher Joined me and together
We planned 10 capture the whole crowd,
but first to allow them to actually try the
robbery of the postoffice- wanted to take
look ct the men and in order that
might Know them should they escape our
vigilance and so looked for their residence
i found them living like tramps in a de-
serted railroad yards To get a closer view
of the men L secured a train dispatcher's
report and a marking pencil and started
through the yards checking off the car
numbers In my work came upon the
ted fire s<1Aw,e
unsuspicious or me. talked TO item,
noted each mans appearance and left them
after making them believe that 1 was
good fellow" From this meeting l am
now positive I'm my identification of Bar
rett.
II had almost begun TO believe that they
did not intend to rob the postofffce at Hunt
ingburg from their slow progress. 1 con-
tinued to guard the postoffice each night
and posted men at points of strategic value
around the building. In order to better
light the surroundings / had incandescent
lights put IN places where darkness might
interfere with our work and a switchboard
placed in a room in which / stationed my
self. AOn Tuesday night 1 had every
preparation made for the reception of the
robbers. My guards were on the alert but
nothing developed until about Ills o'clock
Wednesday morning. Then the robbers
appeared. We let them proceed with their
work as far as breaking into the front
starting TO work on the safe. When things
had progressed that far one OF the watch
erS, posted In house across the street
to get a better shot at them when they
came out. opened his window, trying to do
IL noiselessiy but making such a racket
that sentry in front of the Office sus-
pected his motive and fired his revolver at
him. Then the melee began. In the fusil-
lade OF shots three OF the four robbers were
hit.
ROBBERS FLED POST HASTE.
Evidently their wounds were not serious,
as they all scrambled to their feet and es-
capped IN the darkness. / only had one
chance to shoot and then my weapon, a
double-barreled shotgun of the elephant
killing kind, failed me- One OF the robbers
and myself met in a narrow passageway
barely fifteen feet apart. and I with my
shotgun and he with his revolver fired
Simultaneously. Both hammers of my shot
gun clicked with no effect on the two we'll
charged shells, and the bullet from his
revolver sped by my head scorching my
ear in its progress. / threw my shote1ln
aside and rushed at him. but he changed
his tactics and retreated IL was futile
TO attempt to find the .men that night and
q systematic search for them the next day
was fruitless. L concluded to search for
them elsewhere. and went TO Louisville
where / was partially successful In can
turing one, and / believe him TO be the
chief"
Inspector Kne said that when the safe
was examined II was found TO be primed
ming OF the nitroglycerin 10 be used-nitro-
glycerin Is extremely volatile-soft soap
had been caked around the combination OF
the old Hall safe. Gun az the knob Of