The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1917-07-13
Sheriff's Posse Encounters
Men in Field After Long
Search.
SOUGHTFOR MURDER
OF BOY IN ILLINOIS
One Had Cape Registration Card
Believed to Have Held Up
Cape Youth.
Special to The Tribune:

Swain was killed and Wiley Zacher!
and George Green, desperate charac
tiers of Marion, ILL.,, were wounded il
a thrilling encounter with the police
and sheriff's posse this forenoon
near this city, when they attempted to
resist the officers, who had come upon
them in their camp between the Frisco
and Missouri Pacific tracks, a short
distance from this city. The wounded
men were taken back to the city, where
their wounds were dressed, and placed
in Jail to be taken back to Herrin, ILL.,,
where they are wanted on charge of
beating boy to death and holding up
bank.
The trio had been here for several
days. Friday morning the deputy
sheriff arrived from Williamson Coun-
ty, ILL.,, and asked for the arrest of the
three. They were located that even
ing, but escaped and left the city. In
the morning a posse was formed by
the Butler County sheriff to search
for the men.
At a point just outside the city,
where the tracks of the Frisco and the
Missouri Pacific are parallel, the posse
ran upon the trio. Before they realiz-
ed that they were surrounded, Assist
ant Chief Of Police Nance stepped
from behind a bush and ordered the
men to throw up their hands.
The men sprang to their feet and
made an effort to reach for their guns,
but before they could shoot, the police
and the posse opened fire. Swain ran
about 90 feet and dropped. He was
shot several times. The other two at
tempted to escape, but were brought
to a op BY the bullets of another sec
ton Of the posse, hiding nearby, and
surrendered. Both were shot.
They admitted that they had intend
ed TO give battle when ordered to
throw up their hands. Zachery remark
ID 10 the offers after he had been
captureG: eff l had not dropped my
gun, you surely would have had to
boil some lead to get me. / would
rather be where Swain is now. It's
all over with him, but with US it is
just started"
The trio have been sought for near
ly two weeks on charge Of staying
lad near Herrin. 1t is said they ap-
preached pond where a crowd of
boys were bathing, and for pastime, to
hear one of the youngsters cry, began
to beat him. An older boy resisted
the villains and as result was beaten
to death by the men.
The sheriff of Williamson County
early this week received information
that the men had crossed the river
and had been seen in Cape Girardeau.
He sent his deputy and son to investi-
gate. The trail led the officers to
Southeast Missouri, and gave them a
more definite clew, when the deputy
arrived here. His son, however, search
ed Scott and Stoddard counties, where
the men were reported to have been
seen earlier during the week.
All three were heavily armed with
revolvers and had several rounds of
ammunition. Green had a registra-
ton card, which was issued in Cape
Girardeau, while no evidence was
found on the other two to show that
they had registered, although they adj
mitted that they were within the age
limit.
The two captives declared they were
willing to return to Illinois without
requisition papers. They will be taken
back Sunday morning escorted by the
deputy sheriff and his son. The latter,
who has been in Cape Girardeau for
the past two days, is expected to meet
his father to help take the prisoners
back to Herrin. According to the
deputy sheriff, the men are the most
desperate characters ever encountered
in Williamson County.
Two men, believed to be the same
bandits caught near Poplar Bluff, are
believed to be the men who held up
John Kitchel, an employe of the Cape
Handle factory last Tuesday evening,
as he was walking along the tracks of
the Frisco in South Cape. He was
robbed of several dollars.
Young Kitchell told Policeman
Groce he was met by two men near
the intersection of the Frisco and Cape