Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-01-10

How the CuIprit was Detected.
and Hew He Imposed ON the Pub.
lie He Commits Suicide-A Very
Extraordinary story.
On the oh of December last, Tsma
City, Iowa, was thrown into an extra
ordinary state Of excitement on account
of the robbery OF the County Treasursr's
safe of money. amounting to between
IS, 900 and sc 900. About seven o'clock
on the evening Of that day one Of the
county officials, named Newcomer, heard
means and grosns proceeding from the
Treasu Iers Office, and on entering found
the Deputy Treasurer, Denton Camery,
lying Under the table 10 pool of blood.
He wa s apparently insensible. Exami-
nation showed that he had several
wound in the breast, and that his hand
was ashed across, and that his head
was lady bruised. On coming to he
gave he following version of the case:
At halfpast six o'clock p. M, he was
in the office preparing to so home, when
two men of savage aspect came to the
counter and called for five dollars worth
of internal revenue stamps, Offering iu
payment q bill of one hundred dollars.
After carefully scrutiuizing the bill to as.
sure himself of its genuinencss. he went
to open tie safe to get the change. While
doing so, the larger of the two men jump
ed over the counter, and grabbing him by
the throat, inflicted the wounds in his
breast with knife. while the other man
occupied The time in pounding his head
with heavy stick, after which he put
out the lamp. The wound in the hand
was caused by himself as he grasped the
knife with which his assailant was cut
ting him up. The thieves then rtn-
sacked the ss.fs.
The entire community folt deep in
terest in the case, for Mr. Camery was
nearly Killed in protecting public prop
erty. He received the sympathy of q
man who sacrifices himself for the PUB
lie good. Then he was always hnown
as respectable citizen, of tried worth
and honesty, and more than all, had been
married only six weeks to the prettiest
girl iu that part of the country.
His friends and neighbors vowed ven
gsGnce on the perpetrators of the out
rsge, and sort of vigilance committee
vas formed to hunt down the villains
Tse country was secured, and every sus-
picous character for miles around ,Vas
closely watched, but with no sstistact,ry
result, as nc clue could be obtained to
fas,en the crime on anybody.
Mr.. G. b. Warren, banker in the town,
was determined 20 have the mystery
solved at any cost, so he wrote TO Mr..
Holmes, Of the Manufacturers National
Bank of Chicago, who placed th case in
the hands of Pinkertop's Natio nal De-
:ective Agency. A detective was at once
dispatched to the scene TO work up the
case. BE lay around there for week,
following up the case. At the end OF
that time he became convinced tha none
of the known bad characters of the COM
munity were guilty of the crime. The
story told by Csmery did not hol d to-
gether in all its parts. There wer, in
consistencies in its details that could not
be recoDeilcd.
1t was strange that when the lamp was
thrown down it did not set something on
FIRE, and it was more strar ge that the
wounds, though deep, were not dangerous,
nor we're they such as N an would be
likely to receive in struggle of life and
death. The detective ede up his mind |
that Camery inflicted the wounds upon |
himself, as blind to screen the robbery,
and divert suspicion into other chan nels. |
Camery was induced to go to Chicago on
Thursday last, ON pretense Of scar ching |
for the robbers there. BE went without
much hesitation, and was taken to Pink
erton's office, where he was put through |
a coursessof what detectives call "sweat.
ing" and after three hours examination
he owned up ana confessed the crime.
He stated that the money was 10 the
safe, at his mercy, and that he became
possessed of an uueonq nerable desire 10
steal it. He took it sndfburied it under
the sidewalk of the coArt-house yard,
where it has since been found, not
dollar missing. The wounds he made
with knife, and thea bumped his head
against the wall to produce the bruises.
he must have been . man of surprising
coolness, combined with great tsnscity
of purpose, to deliberately plan and exc.
cute such scherie. He was taken back
whence he came and given in custody of
the authorities. The surprise of the peo-
pie GU learning the true state of sffairs
may be imagined. Csmery, overcome
with shame and Disappointment, shot
himself on Tuesday, thus passing iguo-
away at the early age OF
t9eniy-Sgo. There seems 10 be no ade.
luafc motive for the robbery. The un-
man was comparatively well Oh,
he owner Of some valuable real estate,
= IL .f nala~v