Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-04-04
Arthur Blackburn, Of Clemens,
Wanted For Rape, Is Final
ly Caught at Eldon
TRACED THRU HIS MOTHER
Twice EIuded Capture, and Followed
by the Officers For Over Two Years,
Visit From His Mother Brought
About His Arrest-Alta Pearl Scott
of This City, tho Complainant.

Sought by the officers for more than
from the clutches of the law, Arthur
Blackburn, of Clemens, wanted on the
charge of rape, preferred by Alta Pearl
Scott of this city, was at last run
down and captured at Eldon, Wapello
county, Monday night. Mrs. Ruth
Blackburn, the young mans mother,
was the unconscious instrument
which led to her sons arrest. She was
traced there yesterday and, suspect
ing she was to meet her son, the Ell
don police were notified. Blackburn $
arrest followed, and Deputy Sheriff
Cause left for Eldon this morning to
take the prisoner in charge. He will
return with him tonight
Since Dec 26, 1902, when Miss Scott
filed the information, the sheriff's Of
ficers have been on Blackburn's trail.
and his arrest bespeakes volumes for
the persistency and determination
with which Sheriff Hutson and his dep
uties have logged the footsteps of the
IIldIl. VICE SJWleIlll IIulSOli lhoot3hS AAS
had him, only to travel to Nebraska,
and again to Houston, Tex, to find,
in the first instance, that he had got
away, and in the second that the
wrong man was under arrest.
Blackburn's flight began with the
day Constable Leech stepped Off the
Story City branch train at Clemens
with warrant, which had been issued
in Justice Clark's court, for Black
burns arrest. The day before the story
had got out, and papers with an ac-
count of it reached Clemens on the
same train which carried the consta-
BILE. Before the officer could get to his
man, Blackburn's friends had warned
him, and he left. For a month no
trace was found of him, and the war
rant was turned over to the sheriff's
office. A long time afterwards Black
burn was known to be In Nebraska,
and the officers were notified to arrest
and hold him. He was arrested, and
Sheriff Hutson left for the scene Of his
capture. only to find upon his arrival
that Blackburn had "bluffed" the Ne
braska officials into believing he was
not the man wanted, and they had
released him.
During the two years Mrs. Black
burn has been watched closely, as 1T
was thought likely she would cores
pond with her son. Then came word
from Houston, Texas, last winter that
man answering the description, who
had with him letters from a Marshall
county girl, was in the city. The Off
GERS were told to arrest him, and Sher-
if Hutson started on the journey. When
he arrived the man held was not the
one wanted, and again, for time, the
chase was dropped.
Yesterday Mrs. Blackburn was in the
city. She was followed and left on the
Central train last evening for the
south Her destination, the sheriff s
officers learned, was Eldon. Suspect
ing she was to join her son, the Off
GERS at her destination were notified,
and later word was received from S. b.
Grow, city marshal, that Blackburn
was under arrest. Blackburn talked
to Deputy Sheriff Cause over the tele-
phone and said he guessed the game
was up, and he would return without
being sent for, but knowing him to be
so slippery the deputy instructed the
marshal to hold him until some one
should arrive to take him in custody.