Capt. Macy received a telegram from Sheriff Barton, of Rice county, as
follows: “I start for Madelia in half an hour. Will bring them by St.
Paul.”
Saturday morning thereafter, about eleven o’clock crowds began to gather
along the bluffs and on the bridge and in any position in which a view of
the Sioux City train (on which it was supposed the robbers were being
brought to the city) could be obtained. The train was seen crossing the
river and immediately the crowd commenced swarming like a hive of bees. As
the train approached, and when it came in front of the open space above
the upper elevator, the rear platform of the cars appeared to be crowded
with people, one man waving a roll of white paper. Then the excitement
seemed to culminate. Crowds rushed down the streets in danger of being
crushed under the wheels of buggies, wagons and vehicles of all
descriptions, which dashed down the streets at a rate which set all
ordinances at defiance, and scattered the mud around in a promiscuous
manner. At reaching the levee a crowd of fully three thousand people in a
terrible state of excitement, were assembled, some climbing up on the
still moving train in spite of all efforts of the officers to prevent
them, while others ran ahead of the engine and alongside. It soon became
evident, however, that the prisoners were not aboard, and a rumor got
afloat that they had been taken off the train at Chestnut street and
brought to the county jail from thence.
Then there was a scattering among the crowd, and a race was made for the
jail, where the moving mass was equally disappointed. Here a large number
of persons had already congregated and secured seats around the several
entrances of the portico of the Court House, and everywhere where there
was a chance of seeing anything.
Here they waited patiently for a while, when some one started a story that
the prisoners would be brought through the Fifth street entrance, and a
run was made up Cedar street for that point. On arriving there they were
assured that no prisoners had been brought into the jail through that
entrance, and the idea began to creep through their brains that they had
been badly sold. Some, however, could not be persuaded but that they would
be smuggled into the building, when the crowd had dispersed, and after
waiting for a considerable time longer, reluctantly coming to the
conclusion that there was no chance for them to satisfy their curiosity
with a sight of the desperadoes, slowly and reluctantly left the ground,
and the square surrounding the jail was soon abandoned to its usual and
casual passers by and occupants of the several offices.
The dead man, Charley Pitts, was brought on to St. Paul and placed under
the care of Dr. Murphy, Surgeon General of the State, for embalming. He
was exhibited to an admiring throng of St. Paulites, who being
disappointed in not having the big show of real live bandits, were obliged
to content themselves with the dead one.