On Saturday, Sept. 9th, a party consisting of A. A. Keller, Russell M.
Church, F. Martin and W. Rhine started across the country from Northfieid
to Faribault, and catching there the train, proceeded to Owatonna, where
they were joined by a party of some thirty well armed citizens.
Telegrams were sent to Waseca for a special train to carry them to
Janesville. Finding a case of needle guns at Owatonna for Brisette, they
took them on with them, arriving at Janesville at one o’clock. They found
Brisette and his men there. They had been on the track of the gang from
the first, often getting sight of them, and never for an hour losing their
trail till Saturday, when they failed to see them during the whole day.
Early in the morning the party was divided into companies and took to the
woods, determined to hunt the villains up. Besides the parties sent out in
squads to the woods, other parties were out in each direction up the
Winona and St. Peter R. R. on hand cars.
The whole country around Janesville was alive, and hundreds of volunteers
were rushing about in search of arms to join the pursuers. By noon on
Sunday there were at least three hundred men on the war-path, seeking for
the fugitives and anxious to secure some portion of the reward offered for
their capture.
The telegraph was kept in lively operation, and every rumor was sent from
point to point, and mounted messengers carried the news along the lines of
outposts, keeping the men well informed on the events of the day.
At about 3 o’clock a messenger came riding up to headquarters, his horse
reeking and foaming, and the man’s manner portending news of the utmost
weight and importance. Hurrying in to the depot he handed the telegraph
operator a paper containing the information that the fugitives broke cover
near Elysian and were making for Waterville. To inquiries he answered that
three of the robbers were seen and one was riding a cream-colored horse,
and that the police were hard on their track.
Telegrams were at once sent to Eagle Lake, Owatonna, and other points,
repeating the exciting tale and asking that the posts along the line
between Waseca and Janesville be made especially strong—the supposition
being that the thieves would try to cross somewhere between those two
points. In prompt reply to these telegrams a special train was dispatched
containing over one hundred men, well-armed, from Northfield, Winona,
Rochester, Owatonna and Medford, and these were left in squads often
between Waseca and Janesville, twenty-two of them coming up for
instructions and news.