The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-07-31
Man Wanted for the Murder of Little
Alma kelner in Louisville
Several Months
Ago.
CHASED OVER COUNTRY
Finally Captured After Two Months
Chase From Louisville to
the Pacific
Coast.
[Gate city Leased wire Service !


SAN FRANCISCO, July so.-The
capture today of Joseph Vending
French army officer, scion of a.
wealthy family, suspected of the
murder of little Alma Kellner of
Louisville, ends one OF the most de-
termfned pursuits by law officers in
the annals of American crime.
Vending probably will leave for
Louisville tomorrow in the custody
of Captain James Carney, former
chief of the Louisville police depart
ment, who was assigned to take up
the chase after Vending, following
the discovery of the girls body in
the cellar of st. John parish school,
OF which Vending had been janitor.
Carney kept on the trail of the fugi-
tive for two months, travelling H.
900 miles and communicating with the
police of nearly every large city in
the U. s., Germany and France.
From Louisville to Texas, from Tex
as to Mexico. from Mexico to Cali
fornia the clew led the Louisville de-
tectlve until Vending finally was
cornered in rooming house here, hid
Ing lii closet beneath sink.
The description of Wend'in fitted
the suspect, he himself admitted his
identity but the preliminary identifi-
cation had not been complete until
Captain Carney entered the city pris.
on and confronted his man.
Hello Captain Carney do you know
Eme?" Cody asked Vending, tive been
a following you too long not to know
you vending replied the detective.
The story of the pursuit and capture
OF Vending was told briefly by
| Carney. After describing how susp'c.
ion was directed toward Vending
Carney said The little girls body
was found May go | took up the
trail June l. For several days work.
led on Intangible clues Then a friend
wrote me. from Houston, Tex. giving
me the first lead When / reached
1 Hcustlan, Vending had gone to San
4 Antonio | jumped there and back to
& Houston
4 ON the second visit to Houston
intercepted letter to Vending from
Humemo. I sent an ANONYMOUS let
ter to Humemo, warning Wendling
i that detectives were on his trail. This
q letter was forwarded to Los Angeles
i The postal authorities Informed me Of
this and that was the first real clue
l Aiao VI llS ulSlJ WSSI.
II followed him to Los Angeles
and tnen jumped to San Francisco
! on the chance he would go there
He went to Rio Vista, in centra
!, California, then to Vallejo near Sar
Francisco and finally came to this
city. Then local police took hand
!, but Vending was shrewd and fled.
Il again took UP the trail. Wend
ling lodged back to San Francisco
thinking that the safest place H,
was captured two hours before re
turned there.
Il have Just talked with Vending
We have evidence enough to convic
him but of course cannot revea
what it is at this time The chas,
has been an expensive one, my owl
expenses being 500 day. | hav.
not yet thought how the reward will
be apportioned Vending has beel
cool since his arrest and denies EN-
, phatically that he was connected witt
the Kellner murder He aumits tha
he was ianitor of the ST Johns school
! Il left louisville because of trou
bic with my brother-in-law, Loui
Arnold said Vending Prom ther
; went to New Orleans then to hous
+ ton, Texas, and then to Vallejo.
worked at odd Jobs wherever coult
The murder of that little girl i
q Louisville was not committed by me.
! Vending was captured bv Detet
! tives RYAN and Burke of the loca
force. They received word that h
! had returned to San Francisco an
q was hiding in Bird street roomin
/ house. They went to the house an
i were told no one answering Wenc
' ling's description was there. The d.
tectives desired to search the hous
and found Vending coatless and 60
larless, hiding under sink in sma
closet in the kitchen.