The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1908-12-05

earthed Great Quantity of
Loot Guided by the Crook
He Outwitted-All Guilty |
Ones Receive the Penalty, |
Through Work of Clever |
Sleuth-O vercomes All
Obstacles.
On the night Of October 10. 1879,
PAymaster Mcclure and his body
guard, Hugh Flanaghan. employees OF
Charles McFadden. railroad contract
~. were waylaid in the Luzerne noun
ta;ns, just outside of Wilkesbarre, Pa,
robbed, and foully murdered.
The two men left Wilkesbarre In a
one-horse buggy and arranged their
journey SO that they might reach
Miners Mills In time to pay on the
Italian laborers who were working on
the railroad near that place. They
had $4,000 In q leather satchel which
was fastened to the bottom Of the car
Rage with a couple of straps. The
thought of personal danger never en-
tered the minds of either of the men.
They knew every foot Of the ground,
and, moreover, were acquainted with
nearly every man, woman and child
within q radius of i've miles.
Their coming to Miners Mills was
always the occasion Of much Joy among
the Italian laborers and their wives
and children. In fact, Mcclure and
F1anaghan were looked on as minia-
ture editions Of Santa Claus, except
that instead of coming once q year,
they made their welcome visits twice
month. They were as punctud as
the clock itself. and the workmen
knew to the minute when to expect
the paymaster and his assistant. As
consequence, when they failed to APP
pear at the usual time on October 20.
the people we're very much disturbed.
A telegram from Wilkssbarre stated
they had left that city l2 hours before.
general alarm was sent out and .
delegation Of men started for the
mountains. Some of the most promi-
nent citizens OF Luzerne county head
ID tie searching rarty. They knew
tkat the paymaster and his assistant
nrr1ed q large sum Of money and
hey were also aware that certain
parts OF the mountain were as lawless
~ the most uncivilized section Of the
United States. Little wonder that
hey were filed with gloomy forebod.
1ngs- They had not gone far before
their worst fears were. realized. The
horse belonging to Mcclure and Elan
ashan lay dead in the road. The ami
NAL had been wounded and evidently
suffered great agony before 1t died
for 1t lay there weltering In Its own
blood. Some yards further up the
road they came to the broken shafts
Of carriage.
They continued their search. nefv
ing themselves for the shock that wal
still to come. 1t came only too soon
The dead body of Paymaster Mcclure
was found dangling from the bar o
the buggy, where 1t had been caugh
ard hung suspended for hours. Al
examination proved that the dead maj
had been shot in the back in four dis
tinct places. 1t was as If volley hat
been fred from ambush. The horro
Of the affair was increased ave min
utes later when F1anaghan was found
face down. PROSTATE in the road. life
less. He evidently had been shot AM
fallen from the wagon.
The inquest demonstrated nothin
Of value. The funeral of the mul
dered men. which took place fror
Miners Mills. was largely attended
All of the Italians who worked o
the railroad were present. One G
these was Michael Rizzolo. He SCENE
TO be very much affected. and. pullin
out his handkerchief. wept bitterl.
He cried out:
my goodness. who could have don
this awful crime? ] will have to hel
to run down the murderers, and whe
We get them we will string them u
without mercy"
Within "a hours Rixzolo was arres
ed charged with the murder of NJ
Clure and F1anaghan.
But. unfortunately. the arrest WI
made solely on suspicion. There WI
not q shred Of evidence on which !,
hold the man-un!ess it was the IA
that he lived in shanty on the mou
tain-side. The expected happene
He was discharged from custody.
In the meantime Charles McFadde
the employer Of the murdered men.
termined that the assassin should n
60 free. II plentiful expenditure al
the employment Of the best detecti'
skill in America could prevent it.
accordingly, he sent for Capt. Re
ert j. Linden.
Within "a hours Linden was