St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-01-08
HOW HE WAS FOUND.

After Swan got away from st. Paul he was
tracked to New York, and soon afterwards he
was wholly lost to the detectives, who were
unable to obtain any clew to his where
abouts. One OF the remarkable features of
this case is the great confidence felt by the
man Swan that he could not be found. He
positively defed the whole railroad com pany
and all Of Pinkerton's detectives to discover
his hiding place. He held regular cor
respondence with one of the leading officials
of the Northern Pacific, his letters being
written in his own hand, without particle
OF attempt at Disgusting it. In these let
tiers Swan has said many times
that there was no use for the road to attempt
to find him for it could not be accomplished.
AL his correspondence he said went through
the hands of trusted friends who were under
the deepest obligations to him, and that thev
could not be Induced to betray his place of
concealment. The way in which he was
found seems to have been pretty much acci-
dental. The story as told by the Chicago
Times is, that about two weeks ago q few
drummers were sitting around the stove in
hotel of small town in Michigan telling
stories and talking large. While thus en-
gagged some one picked up the Police Gazette
which contained a very we'll drawn pen
sketch of man that was wanted for forgery
and embezzement The man thus
wanted was David F. Swan,
ex-cashier of the Northern Pacific
railroad at st. Paul, and the sketch was la
belled as an excellent likeness. The paper
was passed around, and one of the CONNER
cial travellers said that it resem bed very
much gentleman that he knew, and re-
marked: ''If / didn't know the man, and
know him to be incapable of any rascality,
would swear that that picture was his" Two
silent figures in the circle, who had been lis
tening but taking little part in the converse
tion, seemed interested. few questions
were asked, but the strangers were not in
quisitive enough TO excite the suspicion that
they were more than ordinarily interested.
These men were Pinkerton operatives, not in
search Of Mr.. Swan particularly, but
working up another case. The adyer-
tisement in the paper requested that infor-
nation Of the missing man be sent to the
Pinkerton detective agency, and naturally
they were interested. They instituted in
quiries and learned that the drummer was
travelling for Detroit house, and telegraphed
| the intelligence TO the Chicago headquarters.
Mr.. William Pinkerton began to think after
this information was received that possibly
something might be worked out of it. An
emissary was sent to Detroit 10 find the
drummer. which was accom- piisned without
difficulty and the description given By him OF
his friend described Swan, who was going
under the name of Eddington to hair
The drummer declared that his friend could
not be the defaulting cashier. He was not
that kind of man. He was an
honorable gentleman who had just
/ -. ~
spou site 'safice, that OF prosecuting attorney
for Leelensw county. Michigan, ana was one
OF the most respected and exemplary citizens
Of Sutton's Bay. Immediately after securing
the description from the drummer two de-
tectives were sent TO Sutton's bay, on Lake
Traverse, about thirty miles northwest of
Traverse City, which is The nearest railroad
station This little village is located on a
little narrow strip OF land in the extreme
northern part OF the state, Off the line Of all
railroads. 1t was a very out-of-the-way place
aud a better place Of concealment 1t would
be very difficult to find in the whole United
States. When the detectives reached the
town they we're not long in finding out that
they had struck the right spot and that they
had got their man. They found that
Eddington was no other In
diyidual than Swan, the defaulter,
that be was In the employ of w. S. Johnson,
q well known lumber dealer, ard was
knights Templar, and WAS, to all appearances
religious man and a very efficient teacher
In the Sunday school. In addition to all
these disinterested pursuits which the pous
Swan was following up with every indication
OF good and pious man, he was the local
agent Of the Masonic Insurance company,
SO that, taking this Swan "by and large"
for all in all, the odds we're against
the detectives. Il did not seem pos
sible that such disinterested, pious,
aud truly good man could be guilty OF em-
bezzhng money from a railroad. However
this may be the detectives sought him out and
when they found him, recognized him with
out difficulty and immediately placed him
under arrest The Swan did not dispute the
fact that be was Swan. He gave up wholly
snd unreservedly aud expressed a willing
ness to come right along with the detectives.
He was taken to Chicago Tuesday, and left
thst city as above stated at IL O'Clock yesier-
day forenoon.