Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-02-26
NOTORIOUS CASE
OF KINAPP|NG is
BROUGHT TO END
Man Arrested p Months Ago as Supposed
k%idnapper OF B0bbie Dunbar in l0uisi-
n is Freed Because County Has no
Funds TO Fight the Case.

New Orleans. La. Feb. 2G.-At 10 o..
clock Friday morning thru the steel
doors of the parish prison stepped a free
man, William Cantwell Walters, arrest.
ed twenty-five months ago as the uppo
ed kidnapper Of Bobbic Dunbar of Opc.
'~lousas, found guilty "A year ago by an
|OpelouSas court. sentenced to life i'm
priSonment and still later ordered a new
trial by the supreme court of Louisiana.
-. Landry which found Walters guilty
of the kidnapping charge went heavily
into debt to obtain the first conviction
and recently announced il could not az
ford Ia finance "a new trial Therefore.
Walters was ordered released on bond of
$500 and the word of II. Landry parish
has been given that he will never be-
tried again.
Thus. Friday morning. "finiS" was
written Ia the history Of the famous
Walter Dunbar kidnapping ease. first
chapter Of which was gwen 10 the public
in August of 1912. when Robbie Dunbar
disappeared from a camping party al
the edge IF the Sway lake. near Ope
louSaS.
There was nothing &c excitement. ex.
cept that within the released mans con
SciouSne>S. when he walked from his cell
room down the length of the steel CORR
dor Of the prison house. down the series
of iron StairwaYS and at last out thru
the double steel doors into the air Of
freedom
There was ne formalitieS of departure.
\ scattering Of prisoners reached out
hands a. h. passed them and said casual
good bycS." 4 jail official stood in the
doorway and shook Walters hand. Scv-
eral newspaper men made up the rest of
the celebration committee"
II don't know where | shall 90" the
released man said ~ h. stood for a mo
mcnt on the prison threshold. the Spir
its will guide me"
Whcreupon. Il representative of a NOV.
ing picture concern hurried NJ the street
and guided Walters straight 10 the stu
Idio.
Walters has changed. lie has chan.
gcd since the day of his arrest - months
ago. when he was seized in the Pearl Riv
or county Of Mississippi, aud thrown in
t. Jail Ia await cXtradition on the kid.
mapping charge. Then. ~ later when he
was lodged a. the -. Landry parish Jail
10 await trial. he was %fllgrantlv talka-
tive. Then. ~ during the hours Of his
trial period ~ OpclouSaS. hc lost no Oh
portuniiy 10 dilatc on human injustice.
lie used to devote his every interview IA
PRAYER services and the singing Of rclig
iouS hymns. lie labnrcd with NEWSPAPER
men who came to ask him for statements
on the progress If the trial and tried DIES
relatively 10 convert them To his own
type ~ religion.
But when h. stepped from the parish
prison ~ New OrlcnaS TUESDAY. the jail
palcd face of the man showed little trace
Of desire to talk.
II rant tell YOU what Ill do" he said.
|"l want plenty Of time 10 prepare i state
mcnt for the public. Tomorrow ar next
day or sometime I'LL say a lot.
Well set together and talk business.
maybe" he suggested with the first
CLEAN ~ extreme interest he had shown.
We'll eel together and talk business"
Are YOU ever going back Ia Opelou
Sa>?" was asked.
The answer: iii 20 back il ever
nave business there. don't know whe.
thcr III have any business there"
\ few DAYS earlier Walter had insist
81 that some time after his release he i'm
tended To return 10 OpclouSaS and force
the father Of the kidnapped Bohbie Dun
bar 7" release IT, him the child which il
now IA the Dunbar home aud which the
DnhharS claim ~ their own. Walter
had promised 10 make il hot for the
Dunhar>. lie insisted that he would re-
gain the hoy that was taken from him IN
mississippi AZ the time Of his arrest. He
had grown passionate ~ h. asserted
That the boy was not Robbie Dunbar. hut
Brnrr Anderson
Bu with his release. Walters had
nothing 10 say of these previous threats.