Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-08-04
Hounded Into Honesty.

SouoAclAduly UIlSub duO cuuc8t00
criminal forger and bank robber--
who was suspected of big jobs in nearly
every large Eastern city. He and Dutch
nelnrich We're bosom friends, and al
though from policy they never operated
together, 1T was pretty well understood
that they rarely ever undertook a job
without consulting each other sub rosa,
seldom being seen together. The man
OF whom l speak had a pleasant way of
saying when approached by his pals or
the detectives who knew him, sslet us
reason together and it. is a fact that
ne did most of the reasoning He had
been operating in London and Paris ten
years ago, and came back with a pot of
money and bonds, and intended, 1 be-
!leye, to settle down and give the other
boys a chance-at least, that is what he
told me the last time 1 had a talk with
MN. l was at n time a perfect Javet
to him, and haunted his steps for a week
at a time, unable however, to get the
punk on him, and l believe the fellow
liked me. 1t was no use to shadow
him, for he was the most clever drop I
y saw. l ran across him in New
York soo after the elevated railroads
were built, and I tried hard to shadow
him, but it wouldn't work. One day he
left the Fifth Avenue Hotel about ten
o'clock. and turned down T~wenty-third
street toward the Sixth avenue road. I
jumped on a street car and passed him
about midway down the street, keeping
9 close watch on his movements from
the interior ofsthe car. Arriving at the
Avenue l got off the car and ran up the
steps leading to the ticket Office. I
waited until he began to ascend the
steps, and then purchased a ticket and
entered the gate rs the down train APP
proaohed. He walked leisurely up,
bought a ticket, and after glancing care
lessly around among the passengers
made a movement as though to board
the train, which was by this time
about to start. Feeling certain that he
was going down town, 1 swung
upon the platform, and the brakeman
closed the gate with a snap just as I
saw my game recede from the platform
of the next car and walk deliberately
down stairs again. OF course 1 had to
60 with the train, as the platform gate
had closed on me, and 1 was not such
an ass as to jump off after the train had
started and give myself away to him.
Years ago / used to think I was fly, but
the older I get the more satisfied I am
that it is one of the easiest things in life
for a suspect to elude a shadow. 1 got
off the train at Fourteenth street, and
crossing the track, took the first up
train, Intending to get off at Twenty
third street, but as we approached the
station l saw my man on the platform, he
having evidently walked down the steps
on the east side, crossed the avenue,
and then assembled on the west side. l
kept my seat and watched him get
aboard, take a seat in the car I was in,
and settle himself down to read his pa
per, as though going through to York
vile. At Twenty-third street, however,
he got off, crossed over, assembled the
steps on the down track, and deliberately
bought a downtown ticket. Remained
on the avenue undecided whether to fol-
low him or let him 60, and trust to luck
to pick him up downtown by taking the
train,immediately behind his. At that
moment IN empty hack came down the
avenue, and l beckoned the driver to
stop.
"Can you get to T%wenty-third street
before the next train does?"
"For money, yes"
'tIllgive YOU three dollars if you beat
the train, and a cent if the train beats
you"
"Jump in.'
I sprang in and cabby drove like
excuse me, gents-and as / hastily
handed him the three dollars 1 heard
the train rumbling along. Up the steps
I sprang, upsetting an old lady who
was forcing ahead slowly and jostling
an old swell in a white hat. The train
stopped as 1 reached the ticket office
and it started before l got my change
but I sprang through the gate and flung
myself all over the brakeman, who was
forcing the passengers into the a SO
he could close the platform gate. l
don't know what that brakeman thought,
but / knew l was aboard the train andI
had every reasonable hope to believe that
my man was there too. At Park place I
saw him get off, and hurriedly leaving
the car l Joined the crowd and Swallowed
him to the Astor House into which he
walked by the main entrance, leaving it
Immediately by the ladies' door. fol
lowed slowly, and as [ emerged saw him
standing across the street piping the
ladies' entrance. As [ came out he
smiled once, nodded, and entered a bus
to go uptown. Of course 1 let him 60,
as be had evidently dropped to ME.
The gist of the story is to come now.
Hetold me a year afterward that he was
under surveillance everywhere and that
life was beginning to be a burden to
him, as he foundit insupportable to dodg
shadows wherever he went. There was
nothing sure on him and no warrants
out, so it was worse than useless to ar
rest him; the only thing to be done was
to eternally shadow him in the hope OF
catching him dead to rights, and yet he
dropped to and threw off every shadow
in whatever city he visited. Three years
ago he visited Galveston and the New
York detectives followed him there, but
he managed to elude them and for some
time nothing was heard of him. i was
working up a case for a St. Louis firm
when l received a note from him to the
effect that he wished to see me at a
certain place just out of town. I kept
the appointment and learned the follow