The Smoke House Kid Comes to See His Dead Chief

Ford, alias the “Smoke House Kid,” one of the gang of the notorious Tom Blanck, was captured yesterday evening and lodged in the county jail. Ford had been at liberty since the jail break in which Blanck was shot dead by officers, and detectives had been watching for him. Shortly after 6 o’clock, two officers walking north from Union to Pike Street noticed a poorly dressed man approaching. They recognized Ford and called to him. He started to run, but the thought of being shot deterred him, and he gave up without a struggle. At his request, the chief allowed him to stop at the morgue to look at Blanck’s body. Ford was visibly affected. He said little, except that he had intended to leave town but had been held up unexpectedly. A letter written by Blanck to George Howe was found and printed. It suggested an understanding between the two men and referred to a woman called “Minnie.” The letter was signed “Tom Blanck” and used the name “James Mendell” in its address. Police discounted rumors that the body at the morgue was not Blanck’s.