Show I IThe J The Terrier and the Bloodhounds R r Stories of the Greatest Cases in the Career of i Thomas Furlong the Famous Famous Famous Fa Fa- Fa- Fa Railroad Detective Told Fold by Himself Copyright t by r W. W Q O. Chapman The murder of Conductor Frazier by bandits occurred while I was chief special special cial ial agent for tor the tho Missouri Pacific railWay railway rail way and Mr Hoxie the vice-president vice and general manager notified me to take action upon tho the case I Iva's Ivas w vas va's was s to proceed to Overton Texas where the attempted holdup hold had occurred and make my investigations immediately This episode happened in the year ear 1885 It was in the month of February February ary ry and about midnight The weather was unusually cold for that section and the ground was covered with about two inches of snow The train which was bound south from Longview LongvIew Longview Long- Long view to Galveston and San Antonio was in charge of Conductor Frazier Just as the train was about to pull pullout out of the small station of Overton the colored porter whose duty it was to see that no tramps or other Intruders hoarded boarded d it when it was leaving stations sta- sta noticed two men climb aboard what is i known as the blind end of I the baggage car from the north side Or Orr seeing them the porter boarded the baggage car at its rear end and as the baggage cars of that period all had doors at each end he entered the tha car carby carby carby by the rear door and opened the front door from the Inside thus coming upon the men suddenly from within The strain had not yet fully got underway and the porter peering out ordered the tramps as he supposed them to tobe towe ibe we to get off the train Immediately they turned upon him each man holding holding hold hold- ing two large revolvers The porter I then perceived that they were wearing masks and he was thoroughly frightened fright fright- ened Sl Slamming the door shut he fastened it and rushed back into the car where he met Conductor Frazier whom he informed that there were two tramps on the front end of the baggage baggage bag bag- gage car and that when he ordered them off oft they had pointed revolvers at him He did not tell the conductor that they were wearing masks how- how ever vever Conductor Frazier believing the themen themen themen men to be merely tramps who had got upon the car for the purpose of stealing steal steal- lug ing a ride concluded that he would Invite Invite invite In In- vite them into the smoking car out of the cold where they would be more v comfortable and put them off at the next station They would be more comfortable in th the smoking car than out on the front platform He went to the front end of the car accompanied by a bra brakeman eman named Powers He opened the front th-front f door and the men immediately immediately immediately im im- im- im mediately opened fire on him Frazier fell forward dead his body rolling off orr the train into hito a ditch The men now caught sight of Powers Powers Pow Pow- ers ers the brakeman who was behind the conductor As soon soon as the firing began began began be be- gan Powers turned to run back into the coaches He was shot in the body and seriously wounded wounded- The men then sprang from the train and disappeared Upon receiving my instructions from Mr Hoxie I I. I departed for Over- Over c I Iton ton as I have said I left St. St Louis early the tho morning following the attempted attempted at at- tempted up hold-up reaching my destination destination destination destina destina- tion some eighteen hours later Here I learned in addition to the facts I have given that there was a northbound northbound northbound north north- bound passenger train from Galveston that night There was a a. water tank about three miles south of Overton and here the north bound train was to meet and pass Conductor Fraziers Frazier's train I conjectured that the masked men had intended to steal a a. ride on tho the thoI I south bound train to the water tank and thero to board the north north bound bound train from Galveston hold it up and rob it between the water tank and Overton Owing to their discovery however and the unexpected shooting affray they left the train and taking a circuitous route made their way to Overton They could easily be traced back thus far owing to their tracks in the snow but when they reached the main street their tracks were lost among the numerous other tracks there I concluded that the men were residents of Overton and not tramps and continued continued continued contin contin- my investigations on that hypo the the- sis In the meantime as soon as the news of the murder became generally known a special train had been sent from the town of Marshall Texas to Overton with a pack of bloodhounds which were owned and kept by the Texas Pacific Railroad company and were in charge of a man named Mundon who accompanied the hounds everywhere they went Mundon brought a posse of several men with him in addition to t to the hounds and as soon as the train reached Overton all the citizens thronged to join the party The hounds were taken to the tho spot where the masked men men had leaped from the train which was about amile amile a amile mile and a half south of Overton Being unleashed they at once took up the scent following the tracks to Overton Overton Overton Over- Over ton where like the men they became confused by the large number of tracks on the main street However there was one wise old dog in the pack I named Lee Lee finally scented the I track in the street and began bellowing bellowing bellow bellow- ing and continued until he arrived at ata a high picket fence which surrounded the home of a man named John Price The hounds were being followed by a large crowd and when they arrived at atthe atthe atthe the fence which was too high for them to leap Lee kept up his howling until Mundon silenced him The hounds were then taken back to the spot at which Lee had scented the first track that led to the home of Price and after a good deal of barking old Lee scented another track which he be followed to the house of a certain John Knight Knight and Price were in brothers-in- law and both of them were among the crowd that was following the hounds so that the crowd burst into jeers and r R 4 i I 1 I. I i I 1 I II I 1 I t i I II I II y i II I kr THAT IS ONE OF THE MEN THAT WAS ON THAT TRAIN I laughter when the animals led them to their own houses As I have havo stated I was busy upon my own investigations in the mean mean- while While the hounds were following following following follow follow- ing still other tracks and affording sport evort for all the male population of Overton I was on my way to Palestine Palestine Palestine Pales Pales- tine a division and headquarters of tho the International Great Northern railroad some forty miles south of Overton Hero Here I found the colored porter a a. light and rather looking good mulatto He wore what were called sideburns and a mustache of ot which he was very proud He had stated that he would be able to pick out the themen themen themen men whom he had seen board tho the train at Overton providing they were w wearing wear wearing wear wear- arIng ar- ar ing the same clothing as on the night of the tragedy I was anxious to bring him back as soon as possible I believed believed believed be be- the guilty men to be bo in Overton Overton Overton Over- Over ton but I 1 was afraid that the tho hounds I would be liable to indicate some poor unfortunate but Innocent person who would be more than likely to be subjected sub jetted by the mob to violent treatment Before Defore proceeding to Palestine I had telegraphed to one of my men Mike McCabe by name to meet me th there rc which he duly did did- didI I took the porter whose name was Davis to a colored barber shop in Palestine where I had Davis Davis' whiskers shaved off off as well as his mustache The porter protested vigorously but I finally persuaded him into the chair I afterward had Davis Davisdon Davisdon Davisdon don the suit of a common field hand and a soft hat of the kind usually worn by the field hands in that Ac t tion After Davis had been shaved and dressed in his new clothes his own mother would not have recognized him I then placed the porter In the charge of McCabe who was unknown in that part of the country with the following instructions He was to take the first train on the following mornIng morning morning morn morn- ing as far as the water tank above mentioned mentioned mentioned men men- near Overton Overton- There Davis and ana he were to leave the train and they were to walk into the village and go around it looking carefully at every person who came near them In the event of Davis being able to recognize one or both of the masked men he was to inform McCabe quietly and McCabe McCabe McCabe Mc Mc- Cabe was to report to me at once I proceeded to Overton from Palestine Palestine Pales Pales- tine on a train that left on the ing night and waited for for develop develop- ments A short time timo after McCabe and Davis arrived they were passing a blacksmith shop when Davis suddenly recognized John Price as one of the bandits John Price who was inside the shop had an apron on and was shoeing a horse at the tho time It was then near noon and the bloodhounds with the mob following them were seen coming down the tho hill into the town evidently having had enough of the pursuit which after Knight and Price had been indicated by the animals animals ani ani- mals male had become an aim aimless ess wandering wandering wander wander- ing hither hither- and thither As the mob drew neat near near Davis Davis recognized Knight among the front rank of the crowd behind beLind behind be be- hind Lind the hounds He Ho told McCabe and my operative promptly informed me I then instructed McCabe to send Davis back to Palestine and instruct him to await further orders there Powers the wounded brakeman had been conveyed to the railroad hospital at Fort Worth Texas where he was supposed to be lingering between life and death from the wounds he had re re- re- re and I had been Informed that Powers likewise could identify the two bandits As Davis had bad already identified identified fied fled Price and Knight and his Identification identification cation vas was as corroborated by strong circumstantial circumstantial circumstantial cir cir- cir cir- evidence among which was that the bloodhounds I resolved to put the two men under arrest and take them to Fort Worth so that Pow Pow- ers era might have an opportunity of seeing seeing seeing see see- ing them I therefore telegraphed from Overton to Major Joseph Merron Merron Merron Mer- Mer MerI I ron general superintendent of the International International International In In- Great Northern Railroad Railroad Railroad Rail Rail- road at Palestine in a cipher code which we employed requesting him to send a special engine with a coach to Overton that night and to arrive about 11 o'clock by which time the great majority of the inhabitants would be in bed I also requested that he would send my man McCabe to me aboard this special train Major Merron wired back to me that he would comply with my request and that if I desired it he ho would come himself and bring another man with him bim himI I asked whom he intended to bring and he ho replied that he would bring Chris Rogers who at that time was city marshal of Palestine Palestine- Rogers had held this position for a number of years and was a terror to the evildoers evildoers evil evil- doers of tho the community having killed no fewer than seven or eight men during his term of office I wired to Major Merron that I should be glad to have him bring Mr Rogers along with him and requested him further to instruct his engineer to approach the station at Overton quietly and without ringing his bell or blowing his whistle as it was essential essential essential essen essen- that the citizens should not know that a a. train trai was approaching The train arrived at the time appointed appointed appointed ap ap- ap- ap pointed bringing with it Major Herron Merron Merron Mer Her ron Chris Rogers Rogera and McCabe I met them and took them at once from th the tho station to the house of John Jehn Knight ht where I rapped for admission My knock was answered by John Knight at once and he was immediately seized and secured When we proceeded to the house of his law in Price Wo We fully expected to have trouble with Price for he bore a very bad reputation having been mixed up uv in ina a number of shooting scrapes He was considered by the people of Overton to be a bad man of the community Arriving outside the Price house I sent Bent McCabe who was not a large man but was thoroughly game ame to the back while Rogers and I wont to the front fronto immo immo- A mans man voice door and rapped answered from within asking and what we wanted who o we were of the law and Wo We are officers arrest I have havo a warrant for your answered If that's tho the caso case Price answered I morning after can call in the have you you had bad my breakfast and if it I feel like like going with you I will do doso so but it If itI itI I with I dont don't feel like going you probably wont Price lived In a small story one-story shanty At one end of tho the sleep sleeping ng room was a large fireplace In which burning which heated a big fire was time illuminated the tho and at tho the same room room The fireplace in question was built up against the outside of the crack probably probably probe house and there was a ably half an inch wide wige extending along the chimney After Price had bad made his Jocular answer I left Chris Rogers at the door and went to the crack By the light of the fire wo could obtain a good view of the interior Interior interior in In- of the sleeping room room- The bedwas bedwas bed bedwas was standing immediately in front of ot the tho fireplace and facing it ft Over the head of the bed was a shelf extending along the partition and upon this shelf shelt Price evidently kept a Winchester Winches Winches- ter rifle for he was now sitting up in bed his Winchester in his hand I went back to the door and hurriedly told Rogers of this Price shouted Rogers through the thedoor thedoor thedoor door your house is surrounded and you had better put that Winchester which you have In your hands back backon on the tho shelf Come to the door and andopen andopen andopen open it at once or else let your wife and babies come out before we set fire to tho the place and burn you out You have been bluffing the people of Overton for a long time but you cant can't bluff us We are arc officers of the law and If it you come to the door and surrender surrender surrender sur sur- render we will protect you We heard Prices Price's wife pleading with him in agitated tones to surrender and att after r some demurring Price fol followed followed lowed her advice He opened the door and surrendered to us and we took both our prisoners to the special car carand carand carand and immediately started for Fort Worth arriving there late the same evening We went to the railroad hospital where I saw the surgeon in charge Powers was in a better condition by this time and we arranged to have him brought out of the small room which he occupied and placed In a larger one We then had a party of 25 or 30 railroad men and other men who lived near the hospital file into this room and form a half halt circle around Powers' Powers cot He He was placed in such a position that by merely I turning his head he could obtain a good vi view w of ot those who were lined up Knight was standing in the half- half circle near one end and Price was placed about midway between the center center center cen cen- ter and the other other end end of ot the line lino Their dress and general appearance were very similar to that of the others After everything had been arranged the doctor in |