The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-08-12
Nj. A. Low Could Have Been
Senator From Kansas.
Retiring Rock Island Attorney
Held Only One Office.
BREAKS UP JAMES GANG
Lays Plans Which Results in
Capture of Outlaws.
How He Built Rock Island
Through Kansas.

Commenting upon the retirement OF
M. A. Low. the Kansas City Star OF
Sunday says:
NJ. A. Low has been something of a
power in politics in his career as a
railroad attorney, but he held only one
of7ce-park commissioner of Topeka.
Once, when he lived in Missouri, he
was elected coroner of Caldwell coun-
ty, but declined to serve.
He might, if he desired. have been
United States senator from Kansas. In
the Baker-Burton contest in 1900 he
was the real deciding factor. He could
give the senatorship to Baker or to
Burton or take it himself. He gave it
to Burton.
Broke Up James Gang.
It was while Mr. Low was attorney
for the Rock Island Railroad COM
pany, with headquarters at Trenton,
that he devised the scheme which re-
suited in the disruption of the James
gang; He worked up the evidence in
the Winston train robbery case and
induced the presidents of five railroad
companies to offer a reward of $1u,-
900 each for members of the gang.
The reward worked as Low believed it
would The mem berS of the gang be-
came suspicious of each other and
quarrels were of common occurrence.
AS direct result of this reward the
deal with the Ford boys was arranged
for the body of Jesse James dead or
alive. Frank James saw that he must
change his mode of living or he would
go the same way and surrendered for
trial. Mr.. Low did not appear as an
attorney in the James trial because 1t
was feared the active participation of
a railroad lawyer might prejudice the
states case with the jury, but through
the agreement between the railroad
managers which he brought about the
disruption of the gang was accom-
plished.
How He Built Rock Island
When the Rock Island was building
through Kansas, tradition says that
Mr.. Low would march into town, meet
the committee and pull out his watch
and say In effect: 81 am building a
railroad down this way. NV terms
of way through your town, and site
for the depot. 1t is now half past 9;
by half past 10 I desire 20 know
whether or not you will accept my
town waiting" If the committee did
not come to time ny half past 10, Mr..
Low snapped his watch and put it
back in his vest pocket and that was
the last chance the town ever had
NJ. A. Low is q man who can keep
silent in all the known languages, He
had few IL any conf1dants. but hosts of
friends and about as many enemies as
a man of his class usually makes. He
never paid any attention to them. how
ever.
Mr.. Low owns several farms and
they always made him money His
home in Topeka is probably the hand
soonest in the city. It is at Thirteenth
and Fillmore streets and its chief
charm is its simplicity. A landscape
gardener assisted MI. Low who among
his other accomplishments is a botan-
list, devised the plans for the lawn
which makes it one of the citys at
fractions. When Topeka had a park
agitation Mr.. Low was induced to ac-
cept the only public Office he has ever
held-president of the park board. On
an opposite corner from his home a
small park is laid out and this, too,
is under his fostering care.