Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1886-12-23
The Old Detectives Story.


lows and behind the bars, have had
some lroasiug adventures and Queer
experiences. One of the later has
been called to mind, within 9 day or
t~o BY Eeadingsef the death ola man
Iip , nsiehboring eity. For convsn-
lience cake Twill call him Charles Le-
nox. - - w ~ - ~
| was attached to the force Of a
Western city, and we had been run
ming along fofimany weeks without
any break on the part of evel-doers
when a mutderDccurred. The janitor
of bank vas found dead in the busi-
ness office Of tie bank, with the outside
doors open. The man had been struck
on the side of the head by'some heavy
weight and his, skull ,elQshed. Moth
ing had been taken ffom the bank,
and so we reasoned IN this way: The
robbers had called the janitor to the
door on some pretext or. other, and
as soon as he opened 1t they rushed in
! dAahd dealt him the blow o 1t was the
night before local election, and the
approach of people who were carous-
| ing or electioneering had ratified the
robbers and they had fed. In these
davs bank robber would have cody
shut the door and gone to work onthe
safe, but they were different class of
men then. If they had not 7been,1 we
should have probably argured differ
emily. f,.-n -.ata'sH o.Heh a'E
An inquest was held verdict rem
dered that John Shields came TO his
death at the hands of parties unknown.
and he was buried. The robbers had
not left the slightest clue behind
/ them, but as | was ambitious to make
a name | was allowed to begin work
on the case. In a,town twelve miles
away | found, after a long hunt, a
livery stable man who had let horse
and buggy, that night to two stran-
gers, whom he accurately described
and whom he believed to be two rob.
hers. They had told him they were
going to Amesburv, but | traced them
to Blankville, which was the place
1where the murder occurred The
town where they hired the horse was
Rossburg and they had come there by
train in the afternoon. They could have
come down to BIankyille by the same
train, and that they did not ! argued
was sharp trick on their part. They
had driven awav at half past 7ro'clock.
The body, of the janitor was found
ai,out J lO.raThe horse had been re
turned just before midnight. about
10 o'clock, as / had forgotten to tell
YOU, there was an alarm Of FIRE in
Bankville, and the FIRE department
was called out to quench fire which
had been set at one corner Of d large
tannery,' The flames had not got
: much of q start and were speedily
drowned out, and the case was re-
ported as the work of boys. ~ "
!. | had, then, after two weeks work. 6
clue. Two bank robbers, doubtless
. from Chicago. bad come to Blankville
to do up bank, but bad been fright
ened away after committing murder
| knew just now they had reacte ed
BIankvllle and just how they left, and
). I had descriptions Of both. You may
say l had but little to work on, as
they had come two hundred miles
and might not then be within thou
sand, or if they were they had chang
: ed their identity; but even the small
: est points win encourage d detective
: who has bis heart in his work. In de
scrlping the men the stable keeper
who, was naturally observing and hac
q good memory, remembered that the
older one had carried lop shoulder
: had gold filing in his front teeth, ami
there was tremulous motion of th,
|, leyelids, You have observed this ii
people. Those who do 1t would STAN
' mer if they did not wink. Their
were no points in the description o
the other which would serve to identi
lfy him on the street. He slmpl,
looked enough like the other to b,
his brother.'h faa
/ spent two weeks in Chicago look
ing for my man, and although l wa.
well assisted by the detectives, m,
> search was vain. No one coule
rememberi crook bearing that de
Escription;; was at the depot read
> to take the train for home, when
ran across d C.jl'B. and @, R. r. dc
tective whom I had not seen for severa
months AS weg talked Isabout tn
Blankville murder I gave, him a de
lscription OF my men, and / had hardl,
: done 80 when he replied.,bt 829ia
4 know them both or at least wher
theyeansbe found. I'd saw them in
l.----yesterday, and they are often ,o
the road. .gr.l.f Las '(,-, ,,.,,,
The town he named was abou
seventy-five miles from Blankville, o.
across line railroad and had no
been in it two hours when I locate
\ my men They were brothers, an
! one kept . bakery and the other a SO
Z loon. Both had the reputation Of be
; ling peaceful, 5,law-abiding men, an
they had families. It therefore be
hooved me to 60 slow, and the arrest
: were not made until they were pos
IA...1.. L..