The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-12-22

A Case That Helped 20 Make Fame
for Detective.


A Case That Helped 10 Make Fame
for a Detective.
Two pictures lay before Inspector Byrnes,
shelf of detective police, when the reporter
called. One the picture of gray haired and
bearded man, who looked like anything else
than an ideal detective, but whom the report
or recognized as George Elder, member Of
the force, whose funeral Byrnes had attended
that day
He was daring, cool-headed man, and
| it was to his memory of faces that he was
| indebted for Ms success in many cases" said
the chief. " John Livingstone was the son
of a wealthy man, who lived in a fine place
to remain respectable, but he preferred
crooked ways, and got into SO much trouble
that he was cast off by the family. For a
time he was employed as an express messen-
| ger in New York, and in that capacity he
acquired familiarity with business methods
that he subsequently, made use of in carry
ing ont an audacious piece of rascality.
" In July, 1867, Livingstone drove up to
the City Bank in an express wagon drawn
| by two fine horses, entered in business
like way, and presented to the paying teller
check for rs, 900, purporting to be sign
ed by Cornelius Vanderbilt and drawn to
the order of Henry Keep. The signatures
seemed all right and as the man had often
been seen in the bank while he was actually
N the employ of the express company, no
| suspicion was aroused at the size of the
check. 1t was common thing for the Com
modore to have large amount of money on
deposit and to send for the whole of it
unexpectedly. The teller, however, never
paid large checks without orders from the
cashier, and he passed the check over to
that official. Meanwhile Livingstone step
ped behind the rail to a window behind the
cashier, remarking that he had a new horse
in his team and he was afraid the animal
would not stand By this ruse he got into
casual conversation with the cashier, and
then told him that he wanted the money
put MP in a certain way. The cashier said
it would take about half an hour, and Liy-
ingstone said he would go down the street
to attend to some othe. business and return
for the money.
Had word been sent to the Commodore
while the fellow was gone, the scheme
would have miscarried, but Livingstone
calmly relied upon the cashiers acquain-
tanae with the commodore's temper to save
him from that danger. Nobody ia the bank
cared to take one of the Commodore's
checks TO him and ask him if ii was al right.
The old man was liable TO storm, and de-
mand whether or not he was good for the
amount, or had the money in bank and
then dismiss the messenger with a yolley of
unique but forcible profanity.
!" When the supposed express messenger
returned, the package of $75, 900 was ready
for him. He carefully examined it to SEQ If
it WAS all right, chattod with tho cashier
for few minutes, and drove away. It was
seven weeks before the bank officials knew
that the check was forged. The signatures
were perfectly initiated, and would have
deceived Vanderbilt iself but of course
the Commodore knew that he had given no
snnh ohack y
Here Inspector Byrnes took up the second
of the pictures. 1t was pen-and-ink draw.
ing of fat fellow in the costume former
ly worn by express messengers.
This little sketch made famous artist
Of its maker, and sent the subject to State
prison. The teller of the bank WAS Thomas
Worth now we'll known in the artistic
world. He could give no verbal description
by which the thief could be identified but
he seized his pen and piece Of paper, and
in few minutes produced q free sketch
of the man. As soon as Elder saw it he
said: That is John Livingstone, I'll bet
my life, and taking the picture, he started
out with definite clue"
Had Livingstone left the country as he
could have easily done, he would have been
safe, but his weakness for fine horse flesh
proved his ruin. He kept the team he had
driven away from the bank, and started for
the West with IL. Elder found the dealer
who sold the horses to Livingstone, got o
minute description of them, and chased
them through Buffalo and other cities to
Chicago. He learned that the man who
owned the team had purchased other fine
stock at various places, explaining that he
was going TO run stock farm. At Chicago
the trail was lost for a time, but Elder ar
gued that man who had many horses
would need saddles, brides, and harnesses,
and so he made patient inquiries among the
large harness houses in Chicago. At last he
found out that some harness had been ship
ped to gentleman who had purchased a
large farm about forty miles from the city.
Taking two or three friends with him, the
detective paid visit to the farm, ostensibly
to admire the fine stock owned by the wealth.
ly gentleman. Approaching John Living
stone standing on the steps, aud stepping
up to him he said: Good morning, Mr.. Liv-
stone" The forger turned pale and was
bewildered for moment, but quickly re-
covered his natural GOODNESS and denied his
identity. How did you leave everybody
in New York ?" blandly enquired Elder.
New York, sir I? never was there in
my life. don't know the place.
WELL" rejoined Elder you'll have
fine chance to get acquainted there when
you go back with me-" and slipped the
handouts on Liyingstone's wrists, he in
formed him that he was under arrest for
forgery.
There was trouble that lawyers would
make trouble and delay, to say nothing of
the expense Of a legal fight, and Elder decided
to get out of Illinois with prisoner as speed
lily as possible. Livingstone's love Of good
horses aided the officer. Elder hitched up the
same pair Of blacks thathad carried the forger
away from the bank, put his prisoner into
the buggy. and drove for Indiana, closely
pursued by Illinois lawyers with writs of
habeas corpus. 1t was about twenty-five
miles to the line, and the horses flew over
the road as they never had travelled before.
They crossed the line half an hour ahead OF
the pursuers. The detective lost no time in
getting hia rrisoner ahonrd n train hound