The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1888-08-16
A CURIOUS CASE.

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During the first few years of my
career as a detective | had some singu-
lar jobs given me to work on and the
manner in which one of them was
worked and the developments of the
case may interest the reader.
About three miles outside the limits
of large city in Pennsylvania stood a
large farmhouse. There had been a
murder committed there, and whisky
had played havoc with an heir, and
the house stood vacant for three years
before | saw it. The farm had passed
into the hands of New Yorker on j
mortgage, and he seemed to have for
gotten all about it. Naturally the
cry of haunted house" was raised,
and presently you could not have
hired Il neighbOr to enter the house in
the daytime. There were people liv-
ing within a quarter of a mile of the
place. and by-and-by they began to
tell some queer stories. On two oc-
casiOns parties Of three or four went
out from the city To stop in the house
all night, but in each instance they
were driven away by strange noises be-
fore midnight. ] lived in a town
forty miles from the haunted house,
and consequently heard nothing of it.
| had a case against an abscOnd-
inc treasurer. He had the funds of a
large and prosperous lodge in his
hands, and got away with $4,000 be-
longing to it. He furthermore bor-
rowed about $1,000 of his friends, and
got $500 on 4 forged draft. This oc-
gtrJ.1r.l in NJ hnrlt iYtN ,,1i1nS
from the haunted house. The defaulter
had bought a railroad ticket for
Chicago, and left behind him as if by
accident, parcel addressed to a party
in the Garden city. 1t ought to have
been reasoned that this was he under
another name, and that he had gone to
Chicago as fast as steam could carry
him, but | reasoned just the opposite
He had gone without his trunk or cloth
inc, but when | came to overhaul his
things his landlady figured out that two
clean shirts, several collars, a stout pair
of boots and an old suit of clothes
were missing from the house. The
boots and old suit had belonged to a
boarder who died months before.
There were three highways leading
out of town. | worked two of them
without success. On the third | soon
found farmer who had seen a foot
Traveller resembling my man pass on
the evening he had ab.conded. Five
miles farther on | become positive Of
his identity. He walked all that night,
with only two brief halts before mid
night to inquire about roads; but once
on his trail ! soon picked up many
Kelly, and he was keen, Shrewd fell
low. He had planned the embezzle-
ment and escape weeks ahead, and he
followed out the programme. He left
tawn dressed rs a laborer, and carry
ING a yalise. He had light felt hat,
q black felt hat and cap, and about
once in ten miles he changed his head
gear. lie was smooth-faced man,
but had provided himself with a goatee
and side whiSkerS. | thus once heard
of him as smOoth-faced young man
wearing a cap and having one arm in
a sling; next as a youngish man with a
goatee and a black hat; again as full
whiskered man with a light hat.
confess that was badly puzzled and
about to despair, when | came to a
LII Iii!IOliSC " Iltit Ilt iltitl Si'jpoi loi
dinner. He was then smOoth-faced
and wore cap. and claimed to be an
agent for a windmill company whose
rights had been infringed on and who
were taking steps to collect royalty,
When Kelly entered the kitchen for
dinner Il hired boy of color, who was
not permitted to eat with the family,
was left in the sitting-room. His
curiosity regarding the contents of the
yalise was aroused, and he picked the
lock and overhauled them. He was
careful not to say anything Of this to
the family, but when came along on
my errand | soon discovered he had a
secret. The sight of n silver piece
loosened his tongue, and he told me OF
the hats and false whiSkers. After
that | had no trouble in following
Kelly. no matter what disguise he as
Sumed. There was direct highway
from the town he left to the city with
the haunted house, but he would
branch off here and there and make a
half circle to come back again. One
or two nights he slept in barns, and so
| lost track of him for few hours.
| on one occasion his feet became sore
and he lay by at tavern for two days,
| and then | actually got ahead of him.
While the towns were only thirty
miles apart, Kelly travelled 100 miles
! in making the distance. anG was
| twelve DAYS about it. | followed him
| mile by mile, and owing to a severe
storm was thirteen days. traced him
| into the suburbs of the city and there
| lest him. and though | had the help OF
| three or four local officers, we could
| Get no further trace of him. At length
we heard Of person a hundred miles
away who bore Kelly's description, and
| / was about to start after him when l
! overheard the following conversation
| ia restaurant:
so the boys that went to the haunt
ed house got 4 scare?n
An awful scare. | guess a new
| ghost has taken possession.
What did they see or hear?"
saw doors open and heard various
| other noises
Well, it's funny
Yes"
! It may seem strange to you that !
| at once decided that | had located
1 Kelly again. 1t was quite probable
/ he had known of the haunted house
| for wears as its fame was widespread.
| and the fact of new ghost showing
| up Just at this time made me suspicious.
| That night at 10 O'clock accompanied
| by a local detective. | visited the place.
| 1t was rambling BIG farmhouse,