The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1880-09-03
THE DETECTTY e I'll

GAo I0ASsEi0iishi y
being tried for burglary.
There was but little doubt Of their gull
but they had secured excellent legal SCI
8 vice, the actual evidence against them VI
8 very slender, and there was every promif
of their being acquitted, when the prost
cutting attorney suddenly called as a VII
ness for the State the name Of Patric
Harnden, the mere mention of Whic
caused an abrupt and striking oVershad
owing of the criminals prospects.
They both lost countenance-their coun
Esel looked blank; and rs the bearer of tn
name-a powerful, We1l-knit young man
with pale face, an iron Jaw and stern
4 relentless eye-stepped upon the stand
and in hard tones and simple languag
gave the evidence that secured their con
viction beyond a doubt, they turned whit
with terror, and trembled as though con
/ fronted Wit, the ghostlg Nemesis of al
their crimes, and harl>ening to the accus
| ing words of Fate itself;
+ ssI'hese men are professional thieves
they ire 9tiItf OF this particular charge
| for which they are now ON trial, us my
evidence will prove, ami ere Che last o.
the Silver Gang, the members Of Which
have haunted, tracked, slt.llosTed anf
bounded down, one by one, for years.
Such was the opening sentence of wit.
ness Halnden.s testimony, which, in al.
Haitieil to securing that particular conyic-
| ton, displayed throughouta certain sletlth-
hound tendency and a deadliness of pur-
pose on the part of the speaker SHAT was
quite remarkable.
After the prisoners had been sentenced
to heavy penalties MeArdle, the veteran
detective, Who stt. at the reporters table,
whispered in my ear:
ssI knew il was all up with those fellows
as soon as Harnden took the stand. Did
you note the crushing effect of his mere
presence upon them? He is the bette noir,
the incubus, the haunting, nightmare
phantom of their tribe"
"What is he? A detective, like your
self?''
Something of the sort, though he has
been hunting down this especial Silver
Gang of thieves, about the last of whom
have been disposed Of, more out Of re-
vengeful hatred than for pay. He is not
only thief Transformed, but a thief con-
verted into one. who has proved their re-
tributivc and pursuing Nemesis, Some
time will tell you his stery, If you would
like to hear it.
| expressed an ardent desire to that
effect, and not long thereafter. he told me
the story, very much as follows:
"Patrick Halnden was about finishing
his apprenticeship at brass-tinisflilg, and
was a sober, industrious and promising
Young fellow, when he became attached
to a pretty shopliftcr, named Jenny Bret
tie, and then went hcatllong downward
till he landed in her profession. am
boGnd to confess that they agreed well
together, and cfung to each other, through
thick and thin. with devotion and atiec-
ton that have seldom seen equalled.
Still. they We're only thieves, after all, and
JENNY. as Il thief's wife, WAS, perhaps, not
greatly better than she had been before;
she was faithful to linn. and that was all.
ssrThey were identified with the Silver
Gang. al associated band of robbers, who
were Just then becoming infamously NO
torio.ls under the mysterious direction o.
Montieth, Il clever rascal, WHO acquired
immense influence over them through the
uniform success OF his schemes, and WAS
strange to say, almost as much OF lnys.
tery to his criminal subordinates as to the
police and those upon whom their depre
lations were committed. He only com
mul1Icated to them under various disolisass
>r4 one OF tntLh @---vf,.-.t time knew W lls
! he was, what sS.s his real name, vevoIa
ton, or even probable age; but az each
! the Silver Gang $50 named from one OF It
spaciaIties of robbing wealthy houses Q
| their silver seryice-plate1 was under
terrible oath not to pry into things th;l
did not concern him, and as it was to thei
interest to keep the oath, tie identity 0
the Major as he vas called, remained
secure
tsero make a long story short. HaIndcl
/ fell under the displeasi1re Of this @mysterl
Gus leader, through a dispute concerning
the division Of the spoil, and was marke
for summary punishment. The Maio
1 put up job upon him, and then betraye
/ him into the hands Of the police, doubtlcs
under the supposition that he would b
effectually disposed Of my being sent u
for term of fifteen or twenty yearse> Bu
the entrapped man got only twelve months
bv pleading guilty, and then, after swear
i ing vengeance against the man who be
trayed him, bidding an atfectionate fare
well to his wife and child, and solemnl
promising the judge who sentenced hi
J that he would come out of prisonla II
formed and altered man, prepared to III
;. dergo his punishment with philosophic
cheerfnlless.
| II was present at his last intetNe
II with his wife and child. and il w.s re:
affecting.
I :. .Goot1-hN, and God bless yols. Jenny
: he exclaimed, kissing her and the b;ibe 6
| her bosom. s.I'lI brase!y work out Il
: wears sentence, ;lntI Nheil come out
. do as vo.l'se long begged of mt ] TIL
honest. silt. work for yoii and TIT. lit
Z one with these arms like !. so1S! ,l;f
geep away from the Major AMI tFls. mise
! able band we've been tertiitlg with. Dol
. let them hunt you down, ;.s doahtle
e thev,l try to do, and I'll make it sum
q and good for You when I come out.
s. {. Bless yea for those words, Ia
s murmuretl the poor thing, in reply. L
e tile Dennis shall grow up an honest na
. after all. Good-by-good-bys 7
ssAnel, with Il last weeping embrace,
u was off for prison, while she slipped qni
it " ont Of the court and disappeared.
2. But the infernal Major pursued the W
/ as remorsAlessly as he had betrayed
1t husband. .tctingundel his secret=orsie
n the gang stunned, bounded and MaltIe
le. ed her, and finally turned her out OF
It aresehed Five Points Iookely Hlllch 5 5
leI had occupied with 1 number Of them.
q She was without none. and. rep'
t, ton. mfserably sick, AMI the weather y
n snowy antieold Nevertheless, she ~;
% hard fight fort, occupying any shel
b that she could beg, day after day !;
q night after night, and seeding teaseless
persistently. to obtains Ilolltsten1pioyme
y But it was Ill in vain. She had
as character. bs way Of recommendation
- start with, 50 the Major al9fl his ereat1l
gave her olIe. At every shop, store, ]
tory or household that she. had been e
IT, aT,f,