Article clipped from Ogdensburg St Lawrence Republican and Ogdensburgh Weekly Journal
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An Outlaw and Deapertdo WellKnown In Katnaa and BUssourl.Now that all is over in the case af Roark the express robber, says the Utica Observer, some facts in his life may be made public. On the sixth day of March, 1879, in Butler county, Kansas, Michael Roark was convicted of robbery in the first degree, committed on one Andrew Kingskade. He was sentenced to be confined in the State Penitentiary at Kansas for a period of ten years, and in addition to pay the costs of prosecution, which were taxed at $1,158.16.On this occasion he robbed Kingskade, who was agent of Atchison, Topeka Santa Fe Railroad company, of $8,000. December 16 1879, the Supreme Court of Kansas granted a new trial on some technical ground, but for some reason the second trial was never had, George Goodeli, deputy sheriff of Leavenworth, Kansas says ;“ I know Michael Roark. I have known him since 1878. I was engage*} in the capture for reward of Michael Roark, Bill Tlllsman, Dan Dement, Dave Rudebaugh and others wanted for express train robbery at or near Kinsley station, Edwards county, Kansas, In the year 1878. In company with Balt Masterson I was hunting for the Kinsley gang down on the Canadian River in the Pan Handle of Texas, and then and there we captured Dave Rudebaugh, Mike Roark, Bill Tills-man and Bill Welsh, while they were eating break fast about forty miles below Tuscosa, Texas. They came out of the cave In which tbev quartered. After capture we took them to Dodge City and put them in jail there. This is the only time I was ever after Roark, though I have long heard of him as an outlaw and desperado and an associate of other outlaws and desperadoes. I have this day been shown photographs which I recognize as being good and true pictures ofMike Roark or 1 Big Mike.* **Roark’s record In Missouri was even worse than In Kansas, as will be seen by the following extracts from affidavits made by officials of that state and now in possession of the Oneida county authorities, Oliver M. Spencer, In 1880 Prosecuting Attorney for the State of Missouri, In hisaffidavit says :“ Mike O'Rourke was indicted by the Grand Jury of Buchanan county, Missouri in November 1880, for the crime of robbery, it being allegedthat be and three others robbed the express company of over $5,000, near Wintbrop, Mo., asmall town on the east and opposite side of theriver from Atchison, Kansas. The charge in the indictment was robbery, the lowest punishment for which is ten years imprisonment in the penitentiary. I was prosecuting attorney for the state at the time. When the case was called for trial O’Rourke was permitted to plead guilty to the crime of grand larceny, viz., to the stealing of the alleged amount of money from the express company sometime prior to November, 1880,as charged in theJndictment, and was sentenced to the penitentiary for a tern of two years, thelowest penalty under the law.” Roarke made his escape from the penitentiary.J. A. Rynor, agent for tho United States Express Company at St Joseph, Mo,, daring I860, certified that he was present at the trial of Michael Roarke for the robbery of the express company’s messenger, Frank S. Baxter, at or near Winthrop, Buchanan county, Mo., while en route from Kansas City to St. Joseph, on the K. 0. St. J. 0. B. Railway. Ho recognized tho photograph taken in Utica as that of Roarke. He also certified to the general reputation of Roarke as that of an outlaw and desperado_
Newspaper Details
Ogdensburg St Lawrence Republican and Ogdensburgh Weekly Journal
Ogdensburg, New York, US
Wed, Jul 06, 1887
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Kokomo-Howard C.
IN, USA 16 Mar 2023
Other Publications Near Ogdensburg, New York
Ogdensburg Journal
Ogdensburg Advance and St Lawrence Weekly Democrat
Ogdensburg Daily Sentinel
Ogdensburg Daily Journal
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