The Kentucky Arson Fugitive Caught in Walla Walla
After three years on the run, a woman accused of burning a Kentucky barn for insurance money is apprehended in Walla Walla.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Occupying a cell in the county jail is Mrs. Nina Thompson, formerly Langford, with a charge of arson against her preferred by Kentucky officials. Mrs. Thompson was arrested late Saturday night by Sheriff Painter on telegraphic instructions. Her arrest was kept a secret for fear friends might begin habeas corpus proceedings to secure her release before the Kentucky officials could arrive here and serve papers on her. Back of Mrs. Thompson's arrest is a long story of trouble. Three years ago it is charged she burned up a barn in Kentucky for the insurance money. A grand jury returned an indictment against her but before a warrant could be issued she had flown. Kentucky officers kept up a search for her during all that time but it was only a week ago that they learned she was a resident of Walla Walla, and that her name had been changed to Thompson. Nothing is known of Mr. Thompson. A warrant was issued and she was arrested Saturday night. Mrs. Thompson is the mother of Robert Langford, sentenced to four years in the penitentiary the last term of court for grand larceny.
“A long story of trouble.”
Fugitives seeking anonymity in the Pacific Northwest have a long history; in 1903, the telegraph was the primary tool for cross-country apprehension, whereas today, digital footprints and national databases make such escapes nearly impossible.
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