Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-09-06
4 CURIOUS CASE.
Hartford Times.

During the first three years Of my
career as detective, I had some singular
jobs given to me to work on, and the man.
ner IN which one Of them was worked,
and the Developments Of the case, may
interest the reader.
About three miles outside the city limits
of a large city IN Pennsylvania, stood a
large farm house. There had been muir
der committed there, and whiskey had
played havoc with an heir, and tho house
had stood vacant for three years before
saw il. Tue farm had passed into the
hands of New Yorker on a mortgage,
and he seemed TO have forgotten all about
it. Naturally enough the cry of "haunted
house" was raised, and presently you
could not have hired q neighbor to enter
the house IN the day time. There were
people living within quarter Of a mile
of the place, and by and by they began
to tell some queer stories. On two Oc-
casions parties OF 5hree and four went
out from the city to stop in the house
all night, but in each instance they were
driven away by strange noises before mid
night. lived in q town forty miles from
the haunted house, and consequently
heard nothing of it.
| had g case against an absoOnding
treasurer. He had the funds OF q large
and prosperous lodge in his hands, and
got away with $4,000 belonging to it. he
furthermore borrowed about $4,000 of
his friends, and got $500 more on forged
draft. This occurred in town about
thirty miles from the haunted house. The
defaulter had bought railroad ticket for
Chicago, and left behind him, As if by ac-
cident, a parcel addressed to party in
tbs Garden city. It ought to have been
reasoned that this party was he under
another name, and that he had gone to
Chicago as fact as steam could carry him,
but l reasoned just the opposite. He had
gone without his trunk or clothing, bat
whom l came to overhaul his things, his
landlady figured oat that two clean shirts,
several collars, stout pair OF boots and
an old suit of clothes were missing from
the house. The boots and old suit had
belonged TO bcarGer who died months
before.
There were three highways leading out
of the town. | worked two of them with
out success. On the third I found far
mer who had seen foot traveller resem-
bling my man pass on the evening he had
absconded. Five miles further on 1 be-
came positive of his identity. He walked
all night with only two brief halts before
midnight to inquire about roads; but
once on his trail | soon picked up plenty
of pointers. The absconders name was
Kelly, and he was q keen, shreWd fellow.
He had planned the embezzlement and
escape weeks ahead, aud he followed out
a regular program. He LETT town dressed
as a laborer, and carrying q valise. He
had light felt hat, q black felt hat and a
cap, and about once in ten minutes he
exchans ed his headgear. He was q
smooth-faced man, but bad provided
himself with goatee and slde-whiskers.
| thus heard of MIN once as smooth
faced young man wearing q cap and hav-
ing one arm in sling; next as q young
ish man with goatee and black hat,
again as full whiskered man With a
light hat. l confess that | was badly
puzzled and about ready to despair, when
/ came TO farm house where he had
stopped for dipner. He was then smooth
faced and wore cap, and claimed to be
an agent for windmill company whose
rights had been infringed on and who
were taking steps TO collect loyalty.
When Kelly entered the kitchen for
dinner oolored hired boy, who was not
permitted TO eat with the family, was left
in the sitting room. His curiosity re-
garding the contents of the valise was
aroused and be picked the lock and over
hauled them. He was careful not to say
anything Of this TO the family, but when
came along on my errand l soon discOv-
cred he had a secret. The sight of &
silver piece loosened his tongue, and he
told me o. the hats and false whiskers.
After that | had no trouble in following
Kelly, no matter which disguise he re-
sumed. There was a direct highway
from the town he left TO the city with the
haunted house, but he did not keep it. He
would branch of here and there and make
half circle to come back again. Oae or
two nights he slept in barns, and so l lost
track of him for 8 few hours. On one or
two occasions his feet became sore and
he lay at a tavern for two days, and then
I actually got ahead of him.
While the towns were only thirty miles
apart, Kelly travelled all of 100 miles in
making the distance, and was twelve days
about it. I followed him mile by mile
and owing to a severe storm was thirteen
DAYS at il. I traced him Into the suburb:
of the city, and there lost him. At length
we heard of person hundred miles
away who bore Keny's description, and
was about TO start after him when oyer
heard the following conversation In
RESTRAIN:
$50 the boys who went to the haunted
house got scare?n
AN awful scare. | guess new ghos
has taken possession
What did they see or hear?"