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LAST OF NOTORIOUS GANG
MEMBER OF DALTONS
HAS CONFESSED IDENTITY
WAS CAPTURED AT MARKHAM The capture of Jim Moody, alias Jack Nelson, alias Jock Neal, by Deputy United States Marshal Vann of this city, assisted by the sheriffs of Wharton and Matagorda counties, a couple of weeks ago, an account of which appeared in The Post yesterday., is considered by the officers and all who are familiar with the record of Moody as being a fine piece of work. For years Nelson was the leader of the Blackjack gang which terrorized the Indian Territory. He was also a member of the famous Dalton gang. Six years ago Nelson, accompanied by Lou Moore and Loren Cady, also remnants of the Blackjack gang, left the Territory and entered Texas, heading toward Dallas. All along the route they left evidences of their visit, having committed innumerable holdups. Sheriff Cabell (now mayor of Dallas) received an intimation that the three men intended to enter Dallas, someone familiar with the men having given him the tip. He sent a number of deputies out to watch the different roads leading into the city, and Pate and another officer were sent to the bridge across the Trinity river. Nelson and the other two men came to the bridge and upon being halted by the officers a battle ensued, which resulted in the death of Pate. Owing to the wide acquaintance of Pate, together with the reputation of the men, the new flashed from one end of the country to the other, and every officer in the State was on the lookout for the men. Sheriff Cabell took up the trail and followed the men to the western country through several counties, where he lost it. CHASED BY VANN. At this time Mr. Vann was sheriff of Kerr county. One afternoon he was standing on a corner in Kerrville and his attention was attracted by three men. He conversed with one of them for quite a bit and gave information concerning the arrival and departure of the trains. While he felt suspicious that the men were outlaws he did not at the time connect them with the murder of Pate. That night two men were held up and robbed in Kerrville at the point of a pistol. The news was brought to Vann at once and he was in his saddle with a deputy within a few minutes after receiving the reports and hot on the trail. He followed the trail until daylight, when he met a ranchman who was heading toward Kerrville. The ranchman had also been held up and robbed. The trail was followed to Junction City, where it was lost for several hours, Vann and the local officers taking a wrong scent and going out in the country about twenty miles. When they returned to Junction City the next morning they learned that Nelson and his men had slept in a hayloft there all night and that they had several hours the start of him. He followed them up into the mountains and finally got ahead of them, but they in some manner gave him the dodge and the trail was lost in Llano county. Here Vann and his deputy came across Sheriff Cabell and Sheriff White of Travis county (now mayor of Austin). When Vann gave Cabell a description of the men he was informed that they were the men for whom he had been hunting for a couple of weeks, they being the outlaws who murdered Ad Pate. MOORE CAPTURED IN WACO. Sheriffs Cabell and White, on information give by Vann, again found the trail and traced the men to Waco, where they were overtaken in a saloon, and one of the number, Lou Moore, was captured. He was taken back to Dallas and sent to the penitentiary for ninety-nine years for the murder of Pate. Nelson and Cady were followed to the Territory, where they were again overtaken, and during the battle which followed the latter was killed. Nelson made his escape. He dropped from sight and was never heard of again up until a couple of weeks ago when Mr. Vann learned that a man answering his description was working with a section gang in Matagorda county near Markham and gambled with a gang there. He always went armed, carrying two pistols with him all the time. After satisfying himself that the man was Nelson, Officer Vann went to Wharton county and, informing Sheriff Rich of that county and notifying Sheriff Sims of Matagorda county, they laid plans for the capture of the outlaw. Going to Bay City all three officers boarded the train, and informing the conductor of their mission they told him to stop when he came to the section gang which he did. When the train stopped the officers got off and covered the gang with their Winchesters and held them. The foreman was singled out and Mr. Vann beckoned to him, and the man went to his side. He was informed that the officers were after the man who had been going armed. He told them that the man had only left the gang a few minutes before, going in the direction of Markham. HOW HE WAS CAPTURED. Taking the foreman with them the officers boarded the train and when within a hundred yards of the depot a man was overtaken. The section foreman and told the officers that he was the man they were after and the train was stopped all three of the officers covering the outlaw from the rear end of the train. “You have me, boys,” is the manner in which he greeted his capture. “Had you come upon me a few minutes ago I would have given you a fight, but I left my guns at the section house as I passed.” He was handcuffed and taken back to the section house, where his pistols were found. He was taken to Wharton and confined in jail. Word was sent to Dallas and Sunday night Deputy Sheriff Brittain of Dallas arrived at Wharton and the man was turned over to him. Deputy Marshall Vann tried to get a confession from the prisoner. While the man admitted that his name was Jim Moody, and further that he was acquainted with the men wanted for the killing of Ad Pate, he denied that he was with them at the time of the killing. However, he was recognized by the Dallas officer when he arrived. During a conversation with Officer Vann, Nelson stated that he had been in Alabama, just having arrived in Texas a few weeks ago. However, the officer has learned since the capture that about three years ago he was in Bee county and that he picked cotton there and always carried a Winchester strapped to his side. He was indicted by the grand jury of Dallas county for the murder of Pate.
Houston Post, December 16, 1903 |
