The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1908-11-14

Loot Guided by the Crook
He Outwitted-An Guilty
Ones Receive the Penalty,
Through Work of Clever
Sleuth-Overcomes All
Obstacles.
On the night of October 10, 1879,
Paymaster Mcclure and his body
guard, Hugh F'lanaghan, employees of
Charles McFadden, a railroad contract
or. were waylaid in the Luzerne noun
tains, 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 off the
Italian laborers who were working on
the railroad near that place. They
had $4,000 in leather satchel which
was fastened to the bottom of the car
riage 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 radius Of five 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
Flanaghan were looked on as minia-
ture editions of Santa Claus, except
that instead of coming once a year,
they made their welcome visits twice
a month. They were as punctual as
the clock itself. and the workmen
knew to the minute when to expect
the paymaster and his assistant. As
a consequence, when they failed to ap-
pear at the usual time on October 20,
the people were very much disturbed.
A telegram from Wilkesbarre stated
they had left that city u hours before.
A general alarm was sent out and
delegation of men started for the
mountains. Some of the most promi-
nent citizens of Luzerne county head
ed the searching party. They knew
that the paymaster and his assistant
carried a large sum of money and
they were also aware that certain
parts Of the mountain were as lawless
as the most uncivilzed section Of the
United States. Little wonder that
they were filled with gloomy forebod-
ings They had not gone far before
their worst fears were realized. The
horse belonging to Mcclure and Flan-
aghan lay dead in the road. The ami
NAL had been wounded and evidently
suffered great agony before it died,
for it 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, nerv-
ing themselves for the shock that was
still to come. 1t came only too soon.
The dead body of Paymaster Mcclure
was found dangling from the bar of
the buggy, where it had been caught
and hung suspended for hours. An
examination proved that the dead man
had been shot in the back in four dis
tinct places. 1t was as if volley had
been fired from ambush. The horror
of the affair was increased five min
utes later when F1anaghan was found,
face down, PROSTATE in the road, life
less. He evidently had been shot and
fallen from the wagon.
The inquest demonstrated nothing
Of value The funeral Of the mur-
dered men, which took place from
Miners Mills, was largely attended.
All of the Italians who worked on
the railroad were present. One of
these was Michael Rizzolo. He seemed
to be very much affected. and, pulling
out his handkerchief, wept bitterly.
He cried out:
my goodness, who could have done
this awful crime? will have to help
to run down the murderers. and when
we get them we will string them up
without mercy"
Within "a hours Rizzolo was arrest
ed charged with the murder of Nc
Clure and F7anaghan.
But, unfortunately, the arrest was
made solely on suspicion. There was
not shred of evidence on which to
hold the man-unless 1t was the fact
that he lived in shanty on the noun
tain-side The expected happened.
He was discharged from custody.
In the meantime Charles McFadden,
the employer of the murdered men, de-
termined that the assassin should not
70 free, II plentiful expenditure and
the employment Of the best detective
skill in America could prevent 1t.
Accordingly. he sent for Capt. Rob-
ert J. Linden.
Within "a hours Linden was in
Wilkesbarre. He had been given full
power and unlimited money. His first
act was to put Mike Rizzolo under sur
veillance. After that he made an ex-