Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-09-28

REMARKAB DETECTIVE,
Work of the Late George Henry Bangs
and some of His Experts.
From the New York Tncsl
George Henry Bangs. aged 50, the General
Superintendent of Pinkertons Detective
Agencies at Chicago, Philadelphia, and New
io'kdicd suddenly last Wednesday a, Rost,e
N. 5, where be was spending the summer.
His body will be taken to Chicago for in
termcGt. The career of Mr. Bangs is on, of
the most remarkable of American detectives
lie rose from the ranks to the highest posi-
lion in pinkci,on's force, and for over a
quarter OF II century he either planned or
personally worked over every important
case entrusted to the Pinkcrton agencies.
Among the work done by Mr. Banks was
the capture of jules lmhcrt, the celebrated
French fotgcr. The Ftenchman obtained
Tour drafts, amounting to $4,000, from Au
gust Belmont and by forgerics secured over
S2O, 900 from unsuspecting New York bank
crs, after which he fled the country. lie was
traced by Mr.. Bangs TO Canada, whittier
the young officer started to capture him.
WIN no effort at subterfuge he accused
the forg'r directly of his guilt and by
sheer pluck managed TO cxtort a confession
from him. This once accomplished he start
cd Tor home with his prisoner on the cars,
taking the nrccaution to fasten the forger's
right wis, to his own with handouts. At
ter travelling hundred miles lmbcrt appar.
emily fell into doze, and Bangs, who was
completely tired out, soon followed his cx-
ample. When he awakened he found to his
intense chagrin that the Frenchnan had
picked The lock of the handcuff and escaped.
The last station was Fonda, IN this State
lie felt sure that the prisoner had left the
car at this point lie had the train stopped
and retraCed the distance on foot. 1t was
late at night and he went to the leading hotel
and asked for a bed, intending 90 begin his
2aarch in the morning. The host said the
only bed he could have was the one which
was already occupied by a recent arrival.
Glad to sleep anywhere, Bangs accepted
the offer. When he turned down the cover.
let of the bed he saw to his establishment and
delight that his companion was his recent
| prisoner. H. FASTENED to secure him, aud
, IN tie morning the pair landed safely in New
| York, where Imbcit WAS convicted and sent
to State prison, where he died eight years
later.
Another famous case was the tg5, gre at
| robbery al the Adams Express company at
| Montgomery, Ala. 1t was in 1865 ihl
company missed 500, 900 IN bills from one
| of its packages. There were no clues, NJ
| suspicious The Nice-President. the late f.
p. Sanford set a careful watch upon the of.
| flee at Montgomery, to ascertain who Of the
employees could have committed the crime, as
| it could not have been done outside. Short.
| ly afterward scaled pouch passed through
| Montgomery from Savannah bank to New
York, onliininy $4,000 When the pouch
| reached Montgomery which was transfer
| Office, the local agent, Nathan Maroney, gave
u receipt for tho money to the messenger.
But when the pouch reached New York the
package OF money was gone, and a square
hoe ns clean cut ms if made by a razor, was
| from the public view by the outer
pocket Of the pouch. At first it was sup
POSED that this was the work of messenger.
Zach o. !. dozen messengers was examined,
| questioned, and watched. But to 10 pur.
pose Finally, Mr.. Bangs went to the
| GEORGIA ba X aud had another parcel made
| l,t e..c,ly the SALINE eise as the mssipg one.
| The bag was then produced aud tho package
would not pass through the hole. 1t must
therefore have been taken from the pouch
before it was sealed at Montgomery. The
| only man that had access to it was Maruncy.
| who, up to this time had borne an excellent
| character, for sobiiety, propriety and frugal
ity. Noth;u- Was said - tim Of the suspioi-
ohs, Int he Wa5 watched. A detective Sc
| cured employment in the Office and female
| detective entered his house as a dress maker.
But in spite of all the watch nothing
| important was aScertained II was
learned however. that he had hrt heavil.
-
race horse but there was nothing criminal
ing in that, Fortunately, the bank hal the
| denomination OF nearly all the bills in the
$40 900 package, and Maroney's cX-
prndlturcs were carctuly traced, but none
of The stolen money WAS found. Finally
| within a few months, he left the employ Of
the company and tegan travelling. a detcc-
| tive KEPT Ciuau watch OF MS mOrvmonts. lie
spent money freely hut None of the missing
wealth could be discovered In the mean
while he sent his young wife to Jenkinville,
pcnn where She had relatives. The late
Is lte " area ,ha eliei Of t,,e tcm,,le ,iepa, t.
ment OF the agency, was sent to board ut tie
same house. Finding none Of the stolen
money, Bangs became convinced that Ma
roney had stolen both packages and was
now using the proceeds of the ten-hou-
sand-d9llaF robbery, apd was sa,-
inA Inc 1lo,uGu lOT future use.
After following him for several
weeks, Mr., Bangs thought it safe to arrest
linn on civil action to recover the money
which it was alleged had been lost through
his cartl, ness. This was done in New
York aud he was lodged in the Ludlow
street jall. A month heforo a detective was
| also thrown into the prison on a charge of
debt. This officer soon ingratiated himself
in Maroneys favor, and in five months sue
coeded in getting out of him the statement
that he had large sum Of money. On a
plea of being able to assist him to fortune
through cotton specula,ioGs, the de-
iectiyc obtained note from him to
his wife telling her to give him Il
book" which Maroney had previously
explained to her meant the package of
money. According to the arrangements the
detective net Lirs Maroney on lonely
country road at night but the wife had
consulted with her uncle who was acquaint.
ed with the theft, and refused to give up the
book The detective urged her so strong
ly, however, that she concluded to ask the
Gdvice OF her female friend. This advice,
it is Anecdleea to add, secured the money to
the officer Only SbOV had been taken from
the parcel. Maroney was subsequently taken
to Montgomery and convicted. lie did not
know, however, of the evidence against him
or the recovery Of the money until the Of
iccr walked into the court room and took