Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-02-18

maker to let him go. Fenstenmaker
grabbed him and there was just a
slight scuffle,. then there was a pistol
flash and Fenstenmaker fell forward
land cried, My God, don't shoot any
more
cat that instant / bolted down that
back stairway and out through the al
ley to Second street. When l got down
to State street Cackley was passing
the old blacksmith shop on the corner
where the mill now stands. The way
went down Second street, don't
think a greyhound could have caught
me-
81 ran home and told my mother
what had happened. You get right
into your bed this minute and if you
ever breathe a word of this to any
living soul I'll skin YOU
well, anybody that knew my moth
ier would know that she meant it and
would do as she said. i never breathed
to any one that was in that stairway
that night or that saw the murder
from that day until the time that
saw the account of the capture OF
Cackley Thursday evening in the Cou'
rier.
Good Will Is Lasting.
That Cackley won the good will Of
the boys of Pennington on that fatal
day and that that good will has stayed
with at, least one of them steadfastly
from that time to this Notwithstanding
the knowledge that Caclley commit
ted murder and was hunted fugitive
from justice is strongly evidenced
from the feeling displayed by Mr.. Nc
Grady in speaking of the matter to-
day. To the present time he feels
that Cackley was a good fellow, that
he treated the boys royalty and he be-
.lieves that there were extenuating cir
cumstances in connection with the
murder that at least should temper
Justice.
'If Joe Besan had gotten back to
town a little earlier" says he, there
would have been no murder. Ben
Wagner, to whom he had gone to in
form him of the arrest of Cackley and
whose horse it was alleged Cacllley
had stolen, refused to file information
and had sent Besan back to town with
orders to the constable to let Cackley
go. Before Besan returned the quar-
rel arose and the murder occurred.
Cackley killed Fenstenmaker with a
powder and ball single shot pistol.
CackIey Escapes.
cater the fatal shot was fired the
band boys and others on the street
ran to Fenstenmaker, picked him up
and cared for him. Cackley escaped
in the confusion and was not caught
till two days later at Oakland Mills by
Lee McCarson, Charles Manning and
William Robinson. They took him
back to Pennington and as they
brought him into town a man named
Nash followed the crowd down the
street calling out repeatedly Lets
hang him.
The day Cackley was brought back
to Pennington he was taken to the
home of Fenstenmaker and led into
the injured mans room.
There's the man you murdered"
said one of the party.
RUDE, | am sorry for this said
Cackley I am sorry this thing hap
pened. I did not intend to kill you.
/ aimed to shoot you in the leg so that
could get away from you. If there
is anything that could do to recall
this thing I would gladly do it,"
McCready wat at the bedside of
Fenstenmaker when Cackley was
brought in. He states that when
Cackley turned to leave the room
there were tears in his eyes and that
he was almost at the point of breaking
down,
Slipped Handouts.
"Cackley was taken back to the ho-
tel and the next day he was taken to
Keosauqua and put into Jail. Here he
proved to be hard prisoner to man
age. He was fastened in his cell with
handouts and shackles on his feet at
tached to six foot chain. On the
morning after he was put in he was en-
tirely free from his shackles. He had
slipped the handouts and broken the
chain into pieces. He was again
shackled and heavier chain was sub
stituteG with the same result. He also
made on unsuccessful attempt to es-
cape before he finally got away.
Fooled by Boy.
"At dinner time one day he suddenly
turned on the turnkey. knocked him
down and made dash for liberty. The
little son of the sheriff saw the escap-
ing prisoner. made run and grabbed
Cackley by the hair. He hung on de-
spite the efforts of Cackley to escape
and the prisoner was led back to his
cell.
"Cackley was confined in a cell with
wife murderer. In their cell there
was a chimney which would barely adj
init the body of man. The escape
was made one night--Cackley started
up first, the wife murderer pushing and
helping Cackley. When Cackley had
made little progress he would brace
himself and together they would work
the second man UP a short distance.
This was continued until Cackley
reached the top and was free man.
Instead Of ha1ninor his coll mata ar th ic