The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1868-12-08


The arrest of the daring thief, who
snatched a package of $50, 900 from the
counter of the Canal Bank Of New Or.
leans, La, was a remarkable example of
detective shrewdness, and is thus told by
a paper of that city:
Visiting the bank shortly after the rob-
berry was committed, they noted every
thing that was calculated to help them in
the search they had determined to make
nothing escaped their careful scrutiny.
They saw ut q glance that the thief must
have been an exceedingly tall man with
long arms to have taken the envelope
containing the money from the spot
where ithad been placed by the exchange
clerk, Mr.. D. L. Duquency, and on q
minute examination of the lower edge of
the railing upon which he must have
stepped, they discovered the imprint of
tack. This at once arrested their at
tcntion, and they argued to themselves
that the man evidently had worn mach
ine-made shoe or boot, as in these steel
tack is, driven about the centre or Just
beyond the shank. 1t will be admitted
that this was but poor clue upon which
to hang hope of fpursuing the search
to a successful issue, and the result only
proves what may be accomplished by
resolute and expert detectives, when ad-
ded to the esprit du corps which exists
among them in the grand incentive of a
large reward. These two men immed-
lately become lost to everything save a
contemplation ofmen's feet. They walk
ed stealthily behind all the tall men they
met, endeavoring to catch a glimpse of
the soles of their boots, hoping to see
come protruding tack which might lead
to q discovery. Days of wear and fruit
less search passed. They had inspected
the soles Of almost every individual who
walks the streets without avail, when the
merest chance revealed what they had
sought so long and vainly. Having
sauntered together into the City Hotel
about 2 o'clock while most of the guests
were seated around the long tables in the
reading room, or gathered in cosy knots
conyersing on the topics of the day, they
sat down to observe and compare notes
Presently Officer Farrell observed large
man sitting on the opposite side of the
table with one foot resting on his knee
He Immediately called Izard's attention
to the man, who seemed to be endeavor.
ing to bend down tack in his boot with
the end of his pen-knife. The intense
satisfaction and surprise of the two de
tectives may be very readily imagined
Here was man who answered their ides
ofthe robber exactly. He was tall and
long-limbed, and there, from the centre ot
his boot,protrued a steel tack. To quiet
" walk around to where the man stood
to touch him on the shoulder and whis
per IN his ear that he was aprisoner, was
the work of moment. The manner ir
which the man started, trembled and turn
ed pale, would have convinced them O
his guilt had they seen no tell-tale tack
Without useless words, they caused th'
man to walk with them to the chief o
policies Office; after few attempts a
prcvarication, he made a full confession
1t seems that going to the bank to en-
quire the rate Of exchange, he saw tn,
clerk leave his desk, and through the fin
gauze detected the money envelope ly
ing on the ledger. A wild impulse siezet
him to possess it, and quick as though
he reached over, displaced the gas brack
ct, grasped the envelope, replaced tn
bracket and noiselessly left the bank
He stated further that he had 'beel
greatly surprised at the large amour
contained in the envelope, and seelni
thenotes were all numbered, had cut op
en- the mattress in his room at the Git,
Hotel and thrust them in, hoping to leav
the city in few days unobserved wit
his, prize, to wait until the affair ha'
blown over, and he might offer the note
with impunity. On repairing to tn
City Hotel, the officers, after a privat
conversation with Mr. Morse, the pro
prietor, obtained the proper key t.
the room and were soon in possessio,
'ofthe prize which they had SO industri
aously sought, and the loss of which ha
been so absorbing a topic Of cor
yersatian. On examining the enyelop
twas found that all the notes were safe
there being fifty $1,000 bills in the paci
&Se. sus