Omaha daily bee., 1910-01-04
Hudson S Career
Filled with Crime
Man Who Drank Wood Alcohol in
P~enitentiary Shot Sheriff of
Johnson County.

TECUMSEH, Neb., Jan. ~3.-(special.)-
Few men Of his age have had a career
more filled with crime than has Simeon
Hudson, the young prisoner in the Ne
braska penitentiary who has just gone
totally blind from the effects of drinking
wood alcohol for the sake of intoxication.
Hudson, who is a tall, fine looking young
man, is but % years of age. He comes
from a good family in Iowa and is serving
a sentence of five and one-half years for
forgery, having been sentenced by Judge
William Kelligar in the Johnson county
district court in October, 1907.
In June, 1907, Hudson came to this city
to visit relatives living near town. He was
attired in typical cowboy dress and wore
a 44-caliber revolver in his belt. He was
sized up as a smart aleck, but turned out
to be a bad type of desperate. About the
time he came here he cashed two forged
checks in Tecumseh, one for 500, on the
Citizens National bank. and one for SIS, or
the First National bank. The checks were
made out to John Ziegler," and were
made over the forged name of e. w. Full
Ter, a lumberman of Vesta. Hudson en-
dorsed the checks and got his money. The
bankers became suspicious of the genuine
ness of the checks and went to look for
AANhoOAAs ~ III AlS lltdllllllhS "a kOIle
to Sterling, where he tried to cash another
check, but vas not successful. He hired a
saddle horse at the livery stable there, say
ing he wanted it for the day, but rode it
first to Cook and then to Burr, trying to
cash forged checks at both places, without
success.
A short time later 1t was learned that
Hudson was at the home of his uncle, John
Kramer, who lived south of this city.
Sheriff II. u. Miner went out to arrest the
young man, but Hudson put up a fight
and shot Miner in the shoulder with his re-
volver, making him helpless. At the muz-
zle of his rev Oliver Hudson warned the
sheriff not to follow him and he vent to
the barn and mounted a horse and rode
away. Miner returned to Tecumseh, where
he was given surgical attention, and the
report of the shooting stirred the citizens
into great excitement. A big posse was
formed here, and another at Pawnee City,
including dozens of men and boys, all heav-
NY armed, which proceeded to a timbered
spot some eleven miles south of here, and
a man hunt was engaged in for twenty
four hours, without success.
In July, 1907. Sheriff Miner got a tele-
gram from the sheriff at Casper, Wyo.,
saying that Hudson was in KineIey and
Nhoe nc IhS SASllll, WOulu uSlN6f MIN to
the Johnson county authorities of they
would meet him at Kinsley, and that he
claimed the reward of $500 for the appre-
henslon ot the man, which had been made
here. Requisition papers were applied for
and Sheriff Miner and a deputy went to
Kinsley, where they met Sheriff Shaffner
OF Casper, but here they were confronted
with more trouble. They found Hudson in
jail serving a fifteen days sentence for
carrying concealed weapons on the streets
Of Kinsley. Both the marshal of the Kan
sas town and the sheriff were aware OF the
fact that a reward had been offered for
Hudson, and they also knew they had the
right man. They refused to give him up
until the reward money was paid, and It
took a direct order from Governor Hoch to
enable the Johnson county officers to get
their man.
At the October term of the district court
Hudson was taken before Judge Kelliger
on a former charge. He pleaded not
guilty, but afterwards changed his plea
and confessed his guilt and threw himself
upon the mercy of the court. He was SEN
fenced as stated and taken back to the
penitentiary at once. 1t developed that at
the time Hudson came to Tecumseh he was
an escaped convict from the Iowa penlten-
tiary. He had been sentenced on a forgery
charge, paroled and broke the parole by
running away and coming to Nebraska.