Sixty Deputies, a Special Train, and the Hunt for an Escaped Prisoner

Ill-adapted to the conditions were the drives made yesterday in pursuit of Holmes. A rumor current the day before placed the fugitive near Snohomish, and detectives were sent into that neighborhood.

The first train that left the city yesterday morning carried Detectives Cudlihy, Phillips and Philpott and Capt. Hoff. At Black River they met about sixty deputy sheriffs whom Sheriff Van Venter had gathered up along the road by means of a special train, for the purpose of making a "drive" through the woods. The men were spread out in a long line and made their way through the thick woods at the back of Barrett's house — the last place where it was known positively that Blanck was seen. The search was fruitless, and after dinner at Kent a car was given over to scouring the country toward Kent.

Chief of Police Rogers drove out to Black River junction yesterday morning, and after a consultation with Sheriff Van Venter returned to the city, bringing Cudlihy with him. Late in the evening Chief Rogers became communicative enough to say that he thought the chances of capturing the fugitive had increased considerably, and that in time he would be run into a pocket.

Frank Tushnell tried to make arrangements yesterday afternoon to secure a bloodhound, but he said last evening that he was afraid his man had gone back on him. Ex-Sheriff Woolery thought of taking his dogs out into the country to trail Blanck, but came to the conclusion that they had not received enough training to be of actual service.

The statement made Tuesday morning that Holmes was positively in the vicinity of Snohomish was strengthened by a dispatch received at the Post-Intelligencer office last night from that place, saying that Holmes was seen by the section men on the Lake Shore railroad about five o'clock last evening. He asked for something to eat and then started back toward Cathcart, some distance south. Probably nineteen men are on his trail, and if there is no mistake as to the identity of the man he ought to be captured. Dealing with Holmes is entirely different from the pursuit of Blanck; only a week ago Holmes' left foot was lamed, and at the time he got out of jail he walked with difficulty. Again there is nothing to indicate that he is armed.

An Impossible Story.

A special deputy sheriff named Iverson, who was sent out toward Kent over the Kanhler avenue line Sunday night with Deputy Springer, reported at the county jail yesterday morning that about dusk he saw a man passing through the bushes near the first landing at the terminus of the electric line. Most of the way he met the apparition and found a black hat band. Iverson reached the bank at ten o'clock the same night and went to bed; he returned to the field of action yesterday.

Springer, one of the deputies who went out with Iverson and who was on guard at Park's ranch Tuesday night, was surprised at his companion's discovery, because, as he said, Iverson had been near him between the hours and made a report to the effect that he had been told at Barrett's house that the man had been there a second time. A justice went out to investigate the matter and returned with a denial that Blanck had come back to Barrett's place.

The late train brought in A. S. Stepler and H. L. Smith, who had been on guard at the place where Blanck escaped Sunday night. Smith said he knew nothing about the shots reported heard in the vicinity of Black River junction Tuesday night, and that so far as he knew Blanck had not been seen or heard of.

J. J. Crow, one of the deputies, who was injured this forenoon by falling from a horse in the city, will not be permanently disabled. The wounds consisted of a few lacerations on the back of his head and a strained back.

If one of the men who crawled into the barn shed was none other than Blanck, the opinion is also held by Detective Cudlihy, who says that from what he learned at Black River, the man who handed the shot out had the look of the prisoner who got out of the county jail.