The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1876-12-24
[ VOL. Iy.-NO. 254
Plotting Pseiers.-Hew Thsy Planned
60 Hob n Texas BAak.

Chicago Trlbune,l
Some weeks ago u business house In
this city received = letter addressed 10
TIP Farrell. II was postmarked
Dallas, Texas. Farrell was not mem-
Der OF the firm that got II, He Ia a
confidence man. AZ the time the let
ter came he was In the bridswell. The
! business house cast the letter into the
street. Some one picked II up, and IL
found Its way into Allen Pinkertan's
hands. II requested Farrell TO send
word TO the writer who signed his
name Business giving his (Farrelps)
address. Fullerton sent note to
Business, Z. o. Box 1893, Dallas,
Texas" Back came " letter directed
To the box Pinkerton had suggested.
II demanded the aid OF "Tip" aud two
eraoksmen, There was big job on
hand. The Golfers OF the Texas banks
were replete with wealth. From $50
900 TO 100000 would reward skilled
labor Plnkerton, still assuming TO he
Farrell, wrote back. He did not like
anonymous correspondents. "Who
are your he pertlnently inquired.
"Tell me your name and / WIN see
what can be done.r
business crawled out OF the brush.
al am Tom Speider,n he wrote. Then
he entered into u description Of the
work. II was bank robbery. Every
thing was IN shape, only 1t needed
Chicago experts.
Pinkerton had no idea OF prosecuting
the affair. So he sent the correspond.
ence to Mr.. 10 II Kerr, president of
the First National Bank OF Dallas.
Mr.. Kerr conferred with other bank.
ers. The information struck horror TO
their souls. Tom Spelder was the de-
tective employed TO protect the banks.
The man who was trying to set up the
job was the guardian OF the vaults.
Kerr asked Pmkert0n TO stick TO the
job. PinkertOn consented. He wrote
10 Speider that the men would be sent.
Speider sent back word TO have them
register NJ different hotels uuder as
sumed names which he assigned. Two
0f Pinkerton's operatives went down
10 Dallas. Spelder met them. They
had brought few tools. They ex-
planned that Farrell had been thrown
from sleigh and had dlslocated his
h'fNiN'' WYNN NtNui anu tuOl.
to his home, and secreted their tools.
He told them the scheme was 10 rob
Adams X Le0nard's bank.
"But we must have sledges,n said
the operatives
Speider took HIS two sons. They
broke into blacksmith's chop.
"But we must have leather to cover
the sledges," said the operatives.
Speider went to saddlsr's and
bought It. The saddler has identified
the leather aud the purchaser.
There was policeman on the beat
near the bank. His name WAS Jack
Duff.
"He Ia In the job" said Speider,
land will pipe for US"
All was In readiness.
Last sunday night was fixed. Spell
der's boys carried the tools to the
bank. The operatives got In without
any trouble. Speider and Duff watch-
ed outside. In about All hour an opera
tive came out and whispered to Spell
der thet he wanted help. Spelder went
In. The sheriff, who bad been secret
ed In the hank, nabbed him. The jig
was up.
Duff ran. A posse ran after him,
and threatened to shoot. Then he
stopped.
~ don't know what was going on
In the bank" said he.
A dead give-away.
Speider and his sons and Duff wero
lodged In jail. Next week the Grand
Court will sit on their case.
Speider WAS ut one time policeman
In Chicago, and stationed at the North
avenue station. He was discharged
from the force. This was ak years
ago. He was suspected Of playing In
with thieves Then he went to Dallas,
ana was assigned to watch the bank,
Pinkerton's scheme was good one.
Had Spider succeeded, he would have
secured about Sl26,0O0. The bankers
of Dallas met and passed compliments
AIRY resolutions to P.nkerton.