Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-09-02
The DETECTIVES OATH.

sional thieves were being tried TO
burglary.
There was but little doubt OF thei
guilt; but they has secured excellen
legal services, the actual evidenc
against them was very slender, an,
there was every promise of their be
ing acquitted, when the proseoutin!
attorney suddenly called % a witnes
for the state the name of Patriel
Harnden, the more mention of which
caused an abrupt and striking over
shadowing of the criminals pros
poets.
| They both lost conference.-the
counsel looked blank; and as tn,
bearer OF the name--a powerful
well. knit young man, with q pal.
face, an iron jaw, and a stern, relent
less eye-stepped upon the stand
and in hard tones and simple Ian
guage gave the evidence that secured
| their conviction beyond doubt, they
turned white with terror, and trem.
bled as though confronted with the
| ghostly Nemesis of all their crimes
and hardening to to the accusing
words of fate itself:
These men are professional
thieves they are guilty of this par.
ticular charge for which they are now
on trial, as my evidence will prove
and they are the last of the Silver
Gang, the members OF which | have
haunted, tracked, Swallowed and
bounded down, one by one, fol-
years.
Such was the opening sentence Of
witness Handlers testimony, which
in addition to securing that particu.
lar conviction displayed throughout
certain sleuth-hound tendency and
a deadliness of purpose on the part
of the speaker that was quite re-
markable.
After the prisoners had been sen-
fenced to heavy penalties, McArdle,
the veteran detective, who sat at
the reporters table whispered in my
car:
Il knew it was all up with these
fellows 80 soon as Harnden took the
stand, Did you note the crushing
effect of his mere presence upon
them Ho is the Jefen0ir, the in
cumbus, the haunting. nightmare
phantom of their tribe
what is he? A detective, like
yourself?'
Something of the sort, though no
has been hunting down this special
Silver Gang of thieves, about tho
last of whom have Just been disposed
of, more out OF revengeful hatred
than for pay. He is not only a
thief transformed, but o thief con-
verted into ono who has proved
their retributive and pursung Ne.
mesis. Sometime will tell you his
story ifyou would like 20 hear it.
1 expressed TN ardent desire to
that effect, and not long thereafter
he told mo the story, very much Is
follows:
Patrick Harnden was about IA
ishing his apprenticeship at brass
finishing, and was sober, industri
GUS and promising young fellow,
when he became attached 90 pref.
ty shoplifter, named Jennie Brettle,
and then won't headlong downward
till he landed in her profession. |
am bound TO confess that they
agreed we'll together, and elung to
each other through thick and thin,
with devotion of affection that
have seldom seen equalled. Still
they were only thieves, after all, and
Jennie, IS thief's wife, was, per.
haps, not greatly better than she
had been before, she was faithful
to him, and that was all.
'They were identified with the
Silver Gang, an associated band of
robbers, who were just then becom-
ing famously notorious under the
mysterious direction of Montieth, q
clever rascal, who acquired i'm
mense influence over them through
the uniform success of his schemes.
and was, strange to say, almost as
much of a mystery to bis criminal
subordiuates as to the police and
those upon whom their depreda.
tions vera committed. He only
communicated to them under vsri-
Gus DISCUSSES. Not one of them at
that time knew who no was, what
was his real name, occupation,
or even probable age but as each
of the Silver Gang ESQ named from
one of its speealties of robbing
wealthy houses of their silver SER
yice-plate) was under q terrible
oath not to pry into things that did
not concern him, and IS it was 20
their interest TO keep the oath, the
identity of the major as he was
called, remained seoErs.
TO make long story short, Harm.
dep fell under the displeasure of
this mysterious leader, through a
dispute concerning the division of
the ap9il, and was marked for sum.
mary punishment. The msior pat
up a job upon him aud then be.
trayed him into the hands of the
police, doubtless under the suppose
ton thai ns -ould BIO effeosaally
disposed OF by beiag sent up for a
term OF fifteen or twenty years.
But the entrapped mau got only
twelve months By pleading guilty,
and then, after swearing vengeance
against the man who betrayed him.
bidding an affeotionato farewell TO
bis wife and child, aud solem My
promising the judge who sentenced
that he would como ont IF prison
reformed and altered man, prepared
to undergo his punishment with
philosophical cheerfulness.
/ was present at the las. inter
view with his wife and child, and il
was very affecting.
'Gooi-by and God blesl you, Jeo.
ME 7 he exclaimed, kissing her and
the baby on her bosom. III brave.
ly work out the years sentence.
and, when | ones come out, I'll do
as you long begged of me-I'll turn
honest, and work for you and the
little one with these arms ike 3
good man. Keep away from the
N sjor and the miserable band we've