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HIS STORY.Jack Ryan Makes Statement.A Case Kecalleil to llie Readers of The Democrat.Ryan Never Gave His Pals Away and Probably Never Will-A Woman In the Case — He Is Now Living In Michigan City.to Albion, Ind., the county seat of Noble county, in which county the great train wrecking occurred. His trial was a long and exciting one and resulted in Kyan being sent to the penitentiary for fifteen years. He wen*, to prison but was released in about nine years. During his confinement in the penitentiary Ryan's wife secured a divorce. After his liberation he remarried an estimable lady and is now living happily and peaceably at Michigan City.IIble cIn last week's issue of the Columbia City I’ost appeared the following article from the Chicago Record relating to the wrecking of the Haiti-more iV Ohio train near Cromwell, this county, and the down fall of Jack Ryan. We cannot vouch for its truthfulness in detail, but most of it comes very near the truth. It is as follows:Not many miles from the scene of the recent I.ake Shore express rob bery, Jack Ryan and his gang made a desperate effort ten years ago to rob a Baltimore \ Ohio passenger train. The two roads run parallel and only a few nnles apart in North ern Indiana.Jack Ryan, the leader of the crowd that planned the robbery, was not bad man at heart, but lie allowed himself to be lead or rather forced into the awful deed. He was a bricklayer by trade and a good one. His work was exclusively with pressed brick and fine buildings and his work was in demand in every quarter.In 1SS1 or i88a, Ryan became mixed up with a woman named Ann Wright. She lived at Columbia City. This woman obtained complete control over him, and it was to satisfy her demands that Ryan did the train-wrecking. Her power over him was complete. Ryan was a married man and had two or three children. One child, a little girl died. The undertaker who directed the funeral took Ryan’s note for the expenses and the note became due. He asked for his money. Ryan j went home and told his wife about it. She had a cow that her father had given her, and Jack said the only way to pay the note was by [lie selling the cow.ier I His wife like any mother, was ready to give up everything to meet the funeral expenses of her child and the cow was sold, but instead of paying the undertaker, Ryan bought a gold watch for the Wright woman and allowed the other bill to go.In 1XS3 Ryan went to Huntington to work upon the Milligan block, hich was then building. He brought the Wright woman with him and she staid there six weeks. In the fall the building was finished and Ryan returned home to Whitley county. It was only a few weeks till the train-wrecking crime was committed.One night either in the latter part of September, 1883, or first part of (Ictober of the same year, a Haiti more iV Ohio freight train was derailed and rolled down a high embankment near Cromwell. Spikes had been drawn and the rails turned over, so that when the engine struck them it jumped upon the ties, and, followed by nearly the entire train, rolled down the bank. Three men were badly hurt, but none killed The wreck was a terrible one in results, the loss of the railroad company reaching many thousands of dollars.At first there was no one who suspected Jack Ryan of being implicated in the crime.- but when a few days later a boot heel was found it furnished a clue that led directly to him. The heel exactly fitted the tracks made by the boots worn by one of the wreckers. The track of the heelless boot was followed to the house of Alex Winebrenner, not many miles away. Then it was learned that Ryan had lost a bootheel. Investigation proved that he had been at Winebrenner’s house on the night of the wreck and then officers began searching for him.Ryan was the chief man in the wrecking. He had some associates — just whom will probably never be known — and it is claimed that the deed was committed in order to get money with which to satisfy Ann Wright.Ryan had intention of wreck ing the freight train. He was after the Baltimore ,V Ohio limited express train. This train on that night carried 600 passengers and a large amount of treasure. It was this plunder that Ryan was after. The rails were turned and the intention was to roll the train down the high embankment, in which case, had the wreckers been successful, the loss of life would have been frightful. Hut the passenger train escaped the trap that was laid for it. It was tunning a few minutes late and the freight train was given or ders to meet it at the next station.After the wreck, Ryan remained in hiding a few days. When he found the officers were looking for him he began planning for escape He went south into Whitley countv and stopped at the home of his unde. Mahlon Judd. Rvan told his uni le nothing about what had hap pencil nor that the officers were after him. He said he was on his way east and asked his uncle to drive him to Huntington, where he was to take a train. Judd took Rvan to Huntington in a buggy and saw him depart on a midnight train.(Mlicers scoured every nook and corner for Ryan for months. At last it was learned that he was in Springfield, (, and a detective found him there. Ryan was arrested while at work and brought backin th bed ’L'K.VlTlwon]trillitimewhirhim..King trair the 1 of h;autt'f paiil Ion ni hud :
Newspaper Details
Albion Noble County Democrat
Albion, Indiana, US
Thu, Oct 26, 1893
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Shawn D.
USA 10 Feb 2025
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Albion Noble County Democrat
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