The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-09-01
Vengeance Was the Motive
Which Prompted Him.
Story OF Love, An Elopement,
An Irate Youth.
Ii Landed JaiIOr ChiIders Be-
hind the Prison Bars.
From Tuesdays Daily.

From Tuesdays Daily.
La Crosse, Aug. 29.-Love, an elope-
ment, an irate son looking for revenge
upon the man who had ruined his moth
er and his fathers family-these, il
now develops, are the causes that led tC
the arrest of Turnkey Merch Childers
of the La Crosse county Jail late Sat
urday night, charged with voluntarily
permitting the escape of Andrew Gun
ningham and Homer f. Trainor from
the jail on Aug. l and Aug. D respec-
lively.
The two men, with another still in
Jail here, are alleged to be members OF
the famous Eddie Fay gang of postoffice
robbers, accused of over one hundred
burglaries of postoffices in the northwest
in the last two years, and the worst
gang that the American secret service
has ever been forced to contend with
Fay was arrested several months
ago and taken to the Jail at GAINESVILLE
Wis, but escaped, it is said, by the use
of $4,000 in buying the means to pro-
vide an escape, effected by the saving OF
prison bars. GAINESVILLE officers are sus-
pected of having been too friendly with
Fay, but deny that they received cash
to help i'll his escape.
1t was about six months ago that
Cunningham, Irainor and James c.
Crane were arrested at Winona, Mimi.
charged with holding up a man on a
Burlington train and robbing him of
$50. The trio were in bed at a hotel
when arrested and were taken SO by
surprise that kits of burglar tools were
found i'll their possession. Inspector
Fraser of the postoffice department had
worked up case against the trio foI
blowing the postoffice safe at Stoddard
nine miles from here, and asked that
they be turned over to the United States
authorities. This was done and they
We're placed in Jail at La Crosse.
On the night of July 80 Cunningham
escaped by saving through bars in the
corridor and dropping from the thir(
story window by means of an impro
vised rope made of his bed quilts.
was supposed at that time that saw
We're sent to him by mysterious wo
man, who had passed bananas in to hin
by permission of Turnkey Childers.
On the night of Aug. 10 Trainor es
capped by digging up huge rocks in tn
corner of his CELL an operation thai
must have taken heavy tools, and pass
ing down between the parts of the dou
BILE floor he made his way to the engin,
room and out into the world, a fire,
man.
When the second escape was mad,
Inspector Fraser set upon an inyestiga
ton. And here the plot involving tn,
elopement came in. He received wore
from st. Paul that son of a myster
lOus woman, who had visited the iai
here, had something of interest to say tt
him. He went there and was told that
the woman had told her son on July q
that she had arranged" for the releas,
of Cunningham and Trainor by the pay
ment of $500.
This statement was made bv the wo
man on July 81. The son noticed that
Cunningham escaped a few DAYS later
and then Tramor got away. and deciding
that his mother had told the truth. h,
informed the department, because. as he
put it, he would like to see Traino,
hanged" He did not wish. however. t.
have his mother prosecuted.
The sons story was to the effect thai
Trainor and his. pals dropped int
Clarksburg, w. Va, one day some year.
ago and entered the hotel and saloor
owned by the st. Paul mans father
Trainor had just been released from
prison at Columbus, as was afterward
shown. He first met the boys mothe
that day, and although they had n,
money, prevailed upon the father t,
allow the band to stay there in return
for some cheap jewelry that doubtless
had been stolen
The mother fell desperately in low,
with Trainor and he was given a jol
at the hotel. After a time daring rob
berry was committed in the town anC
Trainor fled. With him went the wifi,
and mother She has been with hin
ever since, living in the best quarters il
Chicago, devoting her life to Trainol
and helping him out of every scrap,
into which he has fallen
Her son has followed her continu
ally, seeking for chance to ''get'
Trainor and now it is believed he ha:
succeeded.