The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-12-31
A
AsD.eim.n Of tho old.rime Detective.

61 UlC IOliHuOo OA ga
comrades and caused many OF his
clever and daring exploits to be re-
called. In the last year Of the war, a
time when police methods were not
nearly as perfect as they have since
become, Elders professional eye no.
ticed the suspicious movements OF a
quartet of crooks in East Fourth
street. Every evening Tor several
months he noticed that they left
the city by train and did not re-
turn till next morning. One day
he followed them to Bethel, Conn, but
they suspected something and their
conduct gave no clew to their real de-
sign. One morning the Bethel bank
was robbed OF $4,000 in gold and
notes. The burglary had been daring
ly planned and we'll executed. 1t was
before the days of combination safes,
and the bank kept its valuables In a
strongly built stone vault In the base
ment. The morning after therobbery,
when the cashier went down to open
the vault, the lock would not yield.
There was nothing suspicious about
the exterior of the vault, but after re-
peated efforts the key vas laid aside
and a locksmith sent for from New
York. The next day the door was
forced open, and it was seen that a
tunnel had been dug under the vault,
and entrance gained by knocking a
stone flag out of the floor. In order
to delay the discovery the thieves had
wedged the lock Of the door on the
inside. They had started their tunnel
in a private house a block away, and
had worked at it every night for two
months. Elder knew it was the work
of the men he had followed and, with
Detective McCord, he had tracked
them down. The money was found
hidden in a hollow tree in the woods
miles away. Joe Purdy, Jack Wright,
and the Adams, father and son. served
time for the burglary.
The career of George Mcdonald, the
Bank of England forger, is a striking
instance OF Elders pertinacity in
tracking criminals. Elder detected
him in three attempts at forgery here
and drove him to England. He is
now a life prisoner in Millbank. The
first time he caught Elders eye was in
Houston street in 1874. He was i'll
company with a professional thief,
and, therefore, Elder took IN instan-
taneous mind photograph of his hand
some face and figure. Shortly after
ward extensivefr frauds were committed
on Duden Freers, and Arnold, Con-
stable & Co., by means of a forged
check. The description of the
plausible gentleman who carried on
the negotiations Tailed with that
of Elders new acquaintance.
He was arrested and the goods
found in his house, but by some trick
he escaped conviction. His next at.
tempt was to defraud Jay Cooke & Co.
of $140, 1000. Elder became acquaint-
ed with his plan in advance and mott
fed the firm. Mcdonald had ordered
$4,000 worth ofgovernment bonds,
for which he was to hand over three
certified checks. Elder arranged that
the parties should meet, and the
bonds were produced but not deliv-
cred. Mcdonald came, but saw some
thing suspicious, and swallowed the
checks. The Law had no hold on him
for his attempt, but Elder said to
him: mark my words, Mcdonald,
you can't work your schemes here;
we'll find you every time"
Mcdonald took the advice and
crossed the water. Six months later,
when the bank of England authorities
found that he had swindled them to
the tune of a quarter of q million
Mcdonald was on an ocean steamer
on his way to New York. The English
detectives did not know his name,
and had no accurate description of
him, but they cabled over the news
OF his crime and his methods, and
that was enough for Elder. That ex-
perienced detective had studied Nc
Donald's methods closely, and with a
feeling akin to admiration. He was
waiting on the dock when the steamer
arrived and arrested his man. McDon-
AIDS stolen fortune came on another
ship and was seized. This time, thanks
to the valuable assistance rendered
by Elder, there was no flaw in the
chain of evidence and Mcdonald was
extradited, sent to England and con-
victed there.
Some years ago, while in England.
Elder paid q visit to Milbank and
asked to see Mcdonald in his convict
dress and close cropped hair, and with,
out his fine beard and mustache, no
trace remained OF the sleek and plaus-
IDLE 'stock broker" of former days,
After some minutes OF desultory con.
sultation the convict threw up his
hands supplicatingly and said to Elder
Ihaye got q life sentence; what does