The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-03-25
TALE OF OLD DAYS
Young Woman Seeks InfOrma-
ton Regarding Her Father.
Garrabrant Left Home Twenty
Years Ago for West.
HE WAS ON MAN HUNT.
As Detective TraiIed His Prey
for Many Months.
Shot to Dea tn in Oklahoma and
Was Buried Here.
HE WAS ON MAN HUNT.

Seeking information regarding her
| father who was shot and fatally
wounded, nearly 20 years ago while ar
resting a bad man. in what is now
Oklahoma, Lily Garrabrant of San An
| tonic, Tex, has written to the local
/ police for assistance. Miss Garrabrant
| has been told that her father was
brought to Topeka for treatment, after
his battle with the bad man. and
| that he died in a local hospital and his
| body buried here.
The story of Garrabrant's disappear
| ance and death reads like one written
| during the days Of the James boys. 1t
| tells of a man in the employ of a we'll
| known detective agency who left home
man. and after trailing his prey for a
/ long time, was finally killed before the
bad man. was arrested.
Eighteen years ago Ed Garrabrant
left his wife and four small children in
Nyack, N. Y, to locate and arrest a
man named Bryant who, a fugitive
from justice, had located in Oklahoma.
Adopting the name of Ed Short, the de-
widest section of the country. He
worked several months without locat-
ing the object of his search, but at
last found trace of him
Garrabrant so the story goes,
learned that his man was to pass
through Ponca City, Okla, on train.
He boarded the train, thinking to cap
ture Bryant when the train started.
But Bryant was forewarned and when
the detective entered the car shot him.
He then made his escape.
Garrabrant then was brought here,
according to the story, and died at
local hospital about a month later. He
was buried in one of the local ceme-
teries.
The above information has been col
lected by Miss Garrabrant. who, al
though believing her father was the
victim of foul play, could never find
from formerly of Ponca City people
that she learned this much concerning
the fate of her father. But shootings
in those days did not attract the atten-
ton they do now, and it was only re-
Gently that Miss Garrabrant could find
any trace of what had become of her
father after his being wounded by the
desperate. Then came the informa-
ton that he had been taken to Topeka
and had died here.
From the time he left home to ar
rest and return the fugitive from jus
tice Garrabrants people have not
heard directly from him. And it is
only since his daughter grew to wom-
anhood and could make a search that
any trace whatever was found of the
missing detective.
Miss Garrabrant wants a copy of the
death certificate of her father, SO that
she can collect for her mother the life
insurance which her father carried.
This she has never been able to do be-
cause she could not produce proof of
Garrabrant's death.
1t may prove a difficult task to Sc
cure for Miss Garrabrant the informa-
ton she seeks. Hospitals change and
undertakers so out of business and die
just as the rest of us. Records may be
found which will tell of Garrabrants
death, and again they may not. The
police are interviewing old settlers here
and seeking TO find from them wheth-
er or not anyone can remember the
death of an officer wounded in Okla
homa and brought here to die. So far
they have had very little success. Their
one hope is that the cemetery records
may show what disposition was made
of Garrabranr's body if he died and
was buried here.