Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 38, Number 84, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 July 1906 — WILD CHASE FOR A WILD MAN. [ARTICLE]

WILD CHASE FOR A WILD MAN.

He Exchanges Shots With Our City Officials. The suppbsed insane man or escaped criminal continues to bob up out around the stock farm and the excitement is reaching an acute Stage. Mrs. June Henkle, who lives at the stockfarm residence, an! alone there nights while her husband is away with the horses, has reported that she thought he had been spending his nights in one of the barns there. Accordingly Fri. night, Officers Parks and Vick went out to watch, for him. About nine o’clock they were near the southwest angle of the race track when they saw the fellow crossing the track, towards the river. They called to him to stop but instead he took a chance shot at them with his revolver, and then another. They immediately returned the'-fire, aiming where his gun flashed, for the night was dark at best and he was in the shadow of the trees arid underbush and they were in the open. In all they fi ed seven times, but evidently without result. Next morning these officials and policeman Zea, with a large volunteer force, all well armed, went out and thoroughly searched through the large extent of almost impenetrable thicket ot willows, wild hemp and |saw grass on both sides of the river. They found several places which looked very much like a man had been lying there but got no sight’ of the man.

Just before the last region was searched Dick Hartman came out in the buckboard and stated that the man had been located J* t tie “Brown House,’’ in the east part of town. A wild chase then resulted for that well-known domicile now empty, but the location of which seemed quite familiar to most of the searchers, but those in buggies, on horseback and in the auto got there first. When they arrived they found an inoffensive foreign-looking fellow sitting under a tree in the corner, and well nigh freightened out of his wits by such a crowd gathering around him. He had a little black box with him which he quickly opened to show that his business was to peddle stove polish, and cement, or something in that line. He was allowed to remain under the tree while part of the crowd went back to continue the sear ch around the stockfarm and the rest gave it up as a hopeless task. What is supposed to have been this man was first seen in that locality about nine days ago, in a man who stopped and asked for and was given his dinner at F. W. Bedford’s, and who as soon as it was finished betook himself across the race track toward the woods. Various persons have reported seeing him since, and according to some he acts queerly, such as rolling in the sand and muttering to himself. The reason why he is supposed to be sleeping in a barn at the stockfarm is because one of the doors is found open every morning, though always closed at night. The man who called at Bedford’s seemed rational enough.