The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1877-09-26
HIs LAST DEAL.
THRILLING ADVENTURE IN A NOUN
TAIN TOWN.

THRILLING ADVENTURE IN A NOUN
TAIN TOWN.
1t is not true that tragedy belongs
only to the mimic stage. 1t is not
true that the Robin Hoods and Bill
Sykes Of fiction are purely the erea-
tions of imaginative minds. In real
life there are incidents that surpass
in their tragic character the bloodiest
tale the novelist ever told. The
capture of James p. Funk and the
shooting of his partner, "Bill Hutchi-
son." at Tyrone, on Saturday even
ing, would furnish climax for the
most intensely tragical drama ever
placed upon the stage.
Information was received at the
department in Washington, about the
first of July last, to the effect that a
gang of oounterfeiters were plying
their trade in the vicitiy of Altoona
manufacturing bogus cUin. The
work of ferreting them out was en-
trusted to U. s. Detectives G. b. Per-
kins and E. A. Abbott James p
Funk was known to be member OF
the gang. There was positive infor-
nation that he had exposed 81 800 in
spurious coin at one time. Funk bad
been spotted as shower of the queer
for eight or nine years. But slip
perry Jim rs be was fam;liarly call
ell, was lucky uog, and ntver ye-
had the officers been able To get him,
as they say, dead To rights" As
far back as 1870 Funk's name ap-
pears upon the late L. S. Attorney
Swoope's notes OF evidence in the U.
S. Court. He was then, with others,
operating in Indiana, Blair, Cambria.
and other mountain counties. This
time, however, the case was worked
up with such address that Funk,
slippery as he was, gave himself
away in the most complete manner.
Detective Abbott provided himself
with letter of introduction to Funk,
from an old hand at the business,
who wanted to "squeal." The letter
spoke of bin as one the writer had
known for above twenty years, an
old "coney" and one not to be afraid
cf. Armed with this credential the
Detective visited Funk at his house,
in that part Of Altoona known as Lo-
gantown, on the 2ud day of July.
He presented the letter and was re-
ceiveJ, after a vast amount of cross
questioning, with that sort of good
fellowship due from one of the
"queer" kind to another 1t did not
take the detective long to insinuate
himself into the confidence of Funk
sufficiently to make the latter believe
that be was solid. and presently a
deal was arranged for This was
for 81 900 in coney, to be delivered at
some of the hotels in this city or AL
legheny-which one had not been de-
termined upon. 1t is not necessary
to enter into details of the manner 10
which the arrangement fell through.
Subsequent correspondence between
the parties arranged new deal, the
money to be paid over at the City
Hotel, in Tyrone, sixteen miles east
of Altoona, On the 18th inst.
"BILL HUTCHINSON
We are slightly in advance Of our
story. Funk had, during the brief
period of their intimacy, given Alb
bott to understand that he had o
partner who was really the main man
in the business, he being, in point of
fact, merely a sort Of go-between.
The other-whom be called Bill
Ii Hutchison-wasd described as a des-
perate man, one who had served a
term in the Western Penitentiary for
larceny from the cars OF the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad and who was known
among crooked people to have been
guilty of arson, rape, and even mur-
der. The latter crime had made him
peculiarly hardened aud desperate,
and it was well known that he would |
die before be would be captured,
and that he would not stop to so
small a matter as taking the life of
who stood in his way
This was the party with whom
Abbott wanted to deal directly and
il was arranged that the deal at Ty-
rome should be made between the |
three. When arrangements had
been fully completed Detective Per-
kins was notified and be in turn COM
municated with Detective Roger
O'Mara of the city, who aeeompa-
MED the others TO the rendezvous
Abbott was of course not in open
with them, but mat
ters were arranged between them to
he best advantage. They reached
Tyrone early Saturday morning,
Abbott taking room No. and Per-
Sins and O'Mars No. at the City
Hotel 1t was of course impossible
or them to make any arrangements
With the landlord, and they took
such quarters as were assigned
These were not the best for their pur-
pose, the rooms being on opposite
sides Of the hall, and ole some dis
ance from the ether Besides that
be door of No. 5 swung from the
tide furthest from the other room, so
hat it could not be opened little,
permitting the occupant to look out,
,ut in order to see what was going
N it was necessary to put out the
read. The best feature was that
10. 8 had no lock, but that door
opened in the opposite direction and
{ was impossible TO see into it.
In the mean time Abbott met his
nan Funk who stated that he had
he money with him but said his
partner bill" wasn't there Abb)t
promptly answered that be proposed
o make no deal without the whole
,arty was present; be bad stood all
he monkeying be proposed to have;
hey had brought him to this country
own against bis wishes, and be had
lis good money there but wouldn't
leal without be saw all tne men be
vas dealing with. They then tele-
,rapbed 10 Altoona for "BilI - The II