Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1885-01-22
TRACKING IAN EMBEZZLER
A NEWSPAPER PORTRAIT HELPS
TO CATCH EX-CASHEER SWAN.
After Stealing $50, 900 he Begins Life
Anew--A Friend who was Struck
with his Resemblance to the Picture.
From tie Ncao York San.

From, the Nca0 York San.
; CHICAGO, JAN, 12-About a fort
night ago, few drummers were sit
ting around the stove in hotel of
small Michigan town entertaining the
open-moulhed denizens with yarns.
There was iall in. the conversation
and the silence was only broken by
the sputtering of tobacco juice ON the
hot stove. Some one picked up a
New York paper devoted to the dis
semmination of criminal information.
1t contained the portrait of aman who
was wanted for forgery and embezzle-
ment, David E. Swan, ex-cashier of
the Northern Pacific Railroad Com
pany at St. Paul. The paper was
passed around, and one Of the COM
mercial travellers remarked that it
bore a striking resemblance to per-
sor whom he knew, and added:
'If | didn't know the man, and
know him to be incapable of any ras-
,cality, l would say that was his por-
trait
Two persons in the circle who had
been talking little apart in the con-
not inquisitive enough to excite the
suspicion that Chey were more than
ordinarily Interested. These men
were Pinkerton operatives. They
| learned that the drummer was travel
ing for a Detroit lpeuse, and tele-
graphed intelligence to sffe Chicago
headquarters. A detective was sent
to Detroit to find the drummer. He
was found, and his description of his
friend Tailed in every particular with
that of Swan. But his friend could
not be the missing cashier, insisted the
gentleman. His friend had just been
elected to an important Office, that OF
Prosecuting Attorney for Leelenow
county, Mich, and was one of the
most respected and exemplary citizens
Of Sutton Bay.
Two detectives were sent thither
They learned that D. F. Eddington
was the newly elected prosecutor Of
evil doers. Mr.. Eddington was in
employ of q large lumber dealer, was 8
Knight Templar and teacher in the
village Sunday school. Besides, he
was the local agent for the Masonic
Insurance Company. The detective!
were curious to see Mr.. Eddington
and when they did see him day defort
yesterday they grseted him with;
Mr.. Swan, We arrest you"
codneetf5ni he atd@ittea isl 5 bia iaasantity and
Several years ago David E. Swan
a reputable man, was employed in
savings bank at Newark, N. I. Ihi
f particular bank went under, and MI
r Swan lost what money he had acct
r mulated and went West. Throug
: the influence of Henry Willard he ws
;. made local cashier at St. Paul of tt
: Northern Pacific Railroad, Quiet
). his demeanor, with no apparent ba
b habits, knight Templar, a devo,
e Baptist, with a nice wife and famil
it he made friends, and was regarded
< a man of probity and irreproachab
ie integrity. j..
lie Last summer, in July, he went WI
,e his family to White Bear Lake, ne
OF St. Paul, for sport and pleasure. L
ot ring his absence the officers of t
n, railroad company chanced to 10
IT. over his books, and discovered that
Id had unwarrantedly chashed at
he Merchants Bank two checks amou
We ing to $4,000. The transaction "
8, unmistakably wrong that they 9
for Mr.. Swan to return and expls
The next day the rumor reached
B. Paul that he had attempted sulc1
by Not desiring to distress his family,
managers Of the Office concluded
wait few days, They utilized
Ugh time by making further Investigate
ing into his books, and discovered
the about sol 900 was unaccounted TO
Detectives learned that Swan
With speculated in stocks through irl
and broker named Lewis Rob'
. who owned a hotel in Tarryte
N. Y.