New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-03-26
MIR. GAYLER AS A DETECTIVE.
HOW HE TRACED WILLIAMSON AND FlNAiLi SOO
CEFDED IN ARRFsIING HIM.

TX,
| HOW HE TRACED WILLIAMSON AND FlNAlLi 9'O
| CFFDED IN ARISING HIM.
As soon as Superintendent Gayler had lodged
b,s risoper in the Post Office Building he was heartN
congratulated on the Of his miSslon by fos
master James, Assistant Postmaster Pearson MI Ds
and others W ho were present Detective G'oe'
loo ueadouarters and other detectives came shortly
after and expressed their admiration or the sRlu MAI"
ner in which Mr. Glylel's part Of the work had Deeh
o,e and heir svmpathy with the feeling OF satisfaction
tho was spnareut among Post Onc authorities that
the arrest had made through their Ell rsaIohe MI
Gayler found hls desk piled hgh Win papers requiring
his attention In his regular department OF WORK, ana he
was much occupied with the Baltimore detective III re-
ation TO the williamson affair But lie found time TO
give TO TRIBUNE reporter ntere ting account OF the
arrest How the man traced ~ BlltimOre was tod
in Mr. Bsss statement. published yesterday. TAXING
up the at that point Mr. Gaylo told his story
as folOwsi
81 made up my mind on Saturday that Williamson was
the man We wanted and on Monday afternoon
I started for Baltimore find him, reaching
there at In the evening. l went directly
70 Barnes's Hotel, where had appointed TO meet David
g. Parker the Chief SPECIAL Agent OF the Post ONCE De
partment. wanted 10 consult with him because was
not familiar with Baltimore, end knew that be vas ana
hsa great confidence in his ability ard good JUDGMENT
II /. tea years sirce have done detective "ork hs
special ss Mt One thug tha particularly Interested
nein this tlt Dr. uA was ne son OF Oeh"ihi
DIX under whom, as Postmaster, served long ago.
Together with Cooue' Parkes mace tHe io"hu OF
Bali.m~re hotels ana examined the lt2iH-
ters But we found no trace OF NluAmSoh = h' I
or Of any handwriting resembling ms by
Psrkers advice enzaged he service or the deccuV"
agency OF suytn, West Lyon; winch reno req nost
elclrut ard valuable service mad them srhd 10 me
railroad 0euots-taat Charles ana Presaen,-sis.' ana
tie Union DtOi-o taoe .uei W a'iu a . a. ovVss
ge eud checks dovere' frOm those d'pols Nv express
morning go then report, IN which found dcscrp
! ton Of q canvas-covered trunk, thai had iaih
| over night al the Charles street Depot, Whrh
d. sn,p,S,ta rH was se %""i the naErieemasier who
| ma 1 WIN q IL
r ,e unwilling ~ give ns amy lr,ornat on respect
! ngit Re was surly ana Gisobigng. 10 rot know
III Hs,J W ~ re 900 kfri,n "a. en- wcmcaut
! fo interview The hackOuvers who stnud meet mat
train None II them, however. could icl ms anvthirG
Bn Tn. IT ain brought an agent OF The Union Irnfer
|,',,r Mia, M IN TO er so. ne his chec6s Hnd '.fun'
by a lantern. We found that hr h'd Ola, ~ B,dg,s
checks Tor n cauvuscoyered uuas So 2O5l.
when Ind arrived On tho d Il tam hiler
that on witch our man was suIporl 10 nave conri
mat me tnnk had boon sent 10 40. 500 I,nnsyNanH-
ave: and that the was Wi hanson. We teW very
gnIrt ana askcd Tor other checks, Of when on may
f6en we started FOR 30 $50 Penusyvansave W.
fonud SC on tne ousur's of tie ~ on 'Hr c',ht o..
below rs a meat and provision store Dr. NJ Hietuiz-
We made no demonstration tlat h.tA. 10y p''.R
sure that there were rot, hy convenience,
two ana IG S Hvpg hin az T. Po PIN
James lale that night learned next morning ~
. 0si. rom the Windsor HoteL Then was satisfied
thar was on tne rtRni track .,.. ,,,... t.,..
10 take prompt action trusting to tne chance q" hnnf
rurtler eyoence ehcr ~ ir1o"Ii,iqs mr. %
| S"" Jnafn inai OF Bl,nct Attorney Thrip..
with W" whom '' re lad conferred, ou, a.. Neg
rad agreed IN lolvs 10 o. ny ti1u '''
and experioncc because was ~ sp.f. uf Don
the G,sa. eli already pinto. i should go 3d. 'ia t-
soon as it would Hr safe. We mex wont ."r. J'-.t
rant for the arrest Detective q aIl n"n or We to
! the house We had previously set man 10 "atch 'ne
house. tn orders TO @. on Williamson J. h' ven out
! TINS watching aim .ult matter; Tor po'te tne
house there were Only vac ut lots an. ine '""'., e"
that mfrequented nrgaOoih.od Is hot /" Oe "~-'".~
ION tie way we eg1eel upon plan Of action. in The
moruiug Detective West had gone TO ne A u.s. YIN hH
old Trunk eXpfoss wagon prctenoln, th'i ne Na-
in search "A Uuus thar had been misdel N'fcl he
lad seen williamson, WHO ha1 said 'lc iIluE was il<I
and incn West abused the dfiver for m1kn2 re mi'-
take. TIE diver VINO was M the secret p eth1rn i"
CrfeDd biusef aud th. came away. IL was now &C.
cded that I saould take with ne ono OF "cs's
! Toys whom bad picked ~ o. tAe way % d
! ~ into he house AGAIN, peiSoIatl~ &c y" ~
| o the NUM-, cote TO sausY himsel 'uat ne
sation hftcd bat II was 10 noic9le That la" ne
right mau and The by was to ca III WEI. ,"5 ,n' oy
made "a mistake. and upon 10Y rarnuE al tht uo' l"'t
mi'iia.s,'' W.. in ac syminoico West Who arrived
iust as williamson came into The room - tAln u
So nave II TALKED win WI ismson about tbc trunk.
winch he said from the W nd-0r ltoielin NV.
York. and | a~gcd: Asc you Fairfax v Do lhn '"h
! Yes Edward Fairfax Williamson No. EiR.he'
Well on cha whole saIG thInk It IS You want
aud not the unk. niemsI DO You 1r9prOg Hn S
Yon had better take your lIunA IoI we are gong 10
| New-York
Gle consented READILY. Ho was much detected ana
was sick as we'll ana had been lying down all dal. he
eKacted promise Of me t"at be ore I'M up
would give him an opportunity 20 gee II DAt anu
make an appea' for mercy. THIS promise nave kept
lie talked freely and sad he fell genuine reSret Tor
what ne bad done ana IN PROOF thai ne n'u 10
| or returning to New YORK 10 iroubo d. DIX shO""o
me In. ,nrOueh ucSet for Chicago via Bti'inorr lie
SAID tna The spirit OF regret that ne Sent the
letter to The Tribune wrlttn ~ western Union rec
ppnnsnshp Of mat lcltcr were correci. lie "roc
hurriedly standing al the counter ana III mtch aet!
lie wished to make public statement Of his sorIow-
and requested me to %re ior In' a. ne WA: 'o' 'e'
| l. Eugene r Wnnsmson, freely and voluntarily
fess that hr author Of the annoying posis cards
and ettsrs which were recently posted aud delivered ~
NV York; arrived IN Ncr-YOrd about the middle
If February, aud remained there FOR about week.
arrived again March L. aud aguln rtma ned aoont
week both these visits wrote aud mailed the 0hcn-
slvs letters and cards while syng al tue WudsOr Ic-
tel where was registered "a E. L. Williamson, Of Pitts
/ 90 not know woat in Heaven POSSESSED me to do
this Dr. DIX has never uJufeo ne Ioi nave any OF tho
Wien ffound by rradug the NcwYork the INJURY
Inc ttsr nv second v,tl felt very badly about II
ana wrO the letter from thu Firm Avenue HOei to
| Or DIX when afterwards concluded 10 send TO The
TRIBUNE, hor1ng would prevent pvope from ealing
So H. Dy ~ any other person and did not even an-
swor the personal put IN The Herald 10 reply
ana gong 70 Ncw-York voluntarily win Mr. Gayler
and Mr. West. and honestly beg the forgiveness Oh
" H. f. WILLIAMSON
BALTIMORE. March "a, 1880
Witness; d. PrSCKSEY WEST
"He coped tins aud signed t. We took him before
Justice Johns obtained authority 10 bring nan 10 New
YORK ard came away the 1120 train. Iook sleep
ing berth and PAD 81 for two chairs for Wes and VIII
hanson. There DO chair car on the trsin aewever
ana lbey sat np all ght tglDg over ths whole affair
.Tne family with whom Williamson was ioInc are
distant relations OF his mothers They knew nothing
about this matter. AMI he went 10 tnem unlimited
Tnld him TO toll them lac suddenly called away.
They are very nice people and said to be- wealthy,
owning some twenty tbirty houses III Baltimore"
IAN AGREEABLE FELLOW"
PIrTsBURG, March 25.-Eugene Fairfax Will
hanson came to Pttsburg four years ago. at once
obt aiming admission In the best society here He de-