The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-02-21
ARRESTED FOR
HIDING FUGITIVE

Ambrose Newsman: Considerable
excitement was created in this city
last Saturday night when Marshal Wig
announced that Will Miller. the young
man who was arrested the day before
on a charge of burglarizing Darling's
drugstore, had made his getaway.
1t seems that the marshal had left
Miller, as he supposed. safely locked
In the city Jail while he went to get
his supper but upon returning to the
Jail he found the cell door open and
the bird gone.
Investigation showed that the door
to the coal house had been pried open
and the prisoner had made his escape
from there through a small window.
Immediately upon the discovery of
Niller's escape, the marshal went to
the residence of Joe Vadnais, who
had been an intimate friend Of the
prisoner. There he was assured that
the fugitive had not been there. He
then went up town and gave the
alarm, and meeting Mr.. Vadnais on
street requested him to accompany
him home to search the premises.
This Vadnais refused to do. stating
that he knew Miller was not there.
Various other places in town where
Miller might be able to seek refuge
We're visited and thorough search
made but the fugitive could not be
located
Sheriff Nelson was notified and
watch placed over the Vadnais home
during the night.
ryyy.u
came UP from Noonan and with Mar
shat Wig went to the Vadnais home
and requested the privilege of search
ing the house. Mrs. Vadnais abso-
lutely refused to allow the officers to
enter the house.
Leaving someone to watch the
house, the officers went before Justice
Franklin and procured search war;
rant and thus armed with proper au-
thority, they returned to the Vadnais
home. Mr.. Vadnais was at home
and upon being requested by the Of
ficers to allow them to search the
house, readily consented. The house
Is a small two-room affair and a
thorough search failed to reveal the
prisoner. Finally one Of the officers
asked Vadnais If there was a cellar
under the house. He answered there
was not, but his wife corrected him
with the remark that there was a
small hole in the ground that they
only used in the summer time.
A piece of oil cloth was noticed
tackled on the floor and one OF the
officers proceeded to take out the
tacks. To this both vadnais and his
wife ron1a carfo11u aln{anffanc bt4t IN
on being read the search warrant,
which up to this time had not been
produced, they offered no further OPP
position to the efforts Of the officers
The oil cloth was taken up and q
trap door disclosed. The officers en-
tered the cellar and by lighting match
es discovered their man lying In one
corner under some old clothes.
The prisoner was taken back to jail
and Vadnais placed under arrest on
charge of aiding prisoner to es-
cape. He demanded an immediate
hearing and was taken before Justice
Franklin where he pleaded not guilty
Upon being questioned by the court
he admitted that he knew Miller was
in hiding there but he did not con-
slider it was up to him to assist the
officers In locating the fugitive
The justice bound him over to the
district court and he gave bonds for
his appearance for trial
The conduct of yadnais is sur
prise to everyone, as he was not con-
sidered one who would ever get mixed
up In deal of this nature. In fact
1t is thought he does not fully realize