Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1890-07-05

the right when speaking. This was q
very slight clue to work on, but it was
| all | had. | searched Cor four days
between Cairo and Chicago, but
couldn't strike his trail. My idea was
that he would head for the East and
seek to get out of the country, but he
had other plans. Pretty we'll satisfied
that he didn't leave Cairo by rail, /
began hunting among the steamboats,.
found, after a long search, that a
man, who might possibly have been
the paymaster, took a boat that night
| up the river, but how far no one
could say. The information was SO
vague that it was like hunting for
needle in haystack, but | went up to
Quincy before making stop. If he
showed up at st. Louis he was sure to
be nabbed, AS the officers in all the larger
cities had been notified and were now
on the watch. | could hear nothing
ofmy man at Quincy, and after day
or two | went on to keokuk. 1t was
busy times on the river then, and
everybody was on the Jump. | could
hear nothing of the .paymaster, and
was about to return TO Cairo to take up
a new line of pursuit, when a stranger
approached me with propos ton.
one had pointed me ont as a capitalist
or Spectator. He had a lot of black
walnut timber which he wanted to get
to market, but needed money as a
starter. He offered, in case | would
advance $500, to give me a certain
share in the venture, and, as | thought
we'll of it, drove out to his place, a
distance of about twelve miles. We
reached there at night, and next morn
ing walked through the timber.
At about 10 o'clock we came upon
the farm which backed against his, and
as we were DO h thirsty we went to
the well for drink. While there, the
woman, with whom my friend was
well acquainted, came out, and we all
sat down on side porch for chat.
After two or three minutes a man
came out, and she introduced him as
her nephew from Ohio. lie was
roughly dressed and any one with hall
an eye could see that he was in dis
guisc. lie had shaved clean, the sun
had burned his face and neck, and his
hands were not over clean, and he ex-
planned that he had served year in
| tie army, been discharged for disabili-
ty and had come out west to rough it
for few weeks. l jumped to the
| conclusion that he was a deserter, but
had no idea of troubling him. 1t was
the business of the provost marshal to
pick up such fellows. We somehow
got to talking a. out some of the bat
Ties on the lower Mississippi, and as
my farmer friend and the stranger did
not exactly agree the discussion soon
waXed hot, Then, to my great amaze
menf the stranger began to rub the
back of his left hand with his right.
now compared him with the des-
cription, and allowing for the changes
he had made saw that he must be my
man. | quietly addressed him by
name, told him who ! was and what |
had come for, and what do you sup
pose he did? lie just fell off his chair
in regular faint, and we worked over
him a quarter of an hour before he
opened his eyes. lie had been plan
ming his embezzlcment for weeks. lie
was really the woman's nephew, but
she did not know that he was a ay-
master. lie had the money in sat
chel in his room and had used only
about $50 of il. His plan was to lie
in hiding for several months and then
skip TO Europe.
The "IemiDgway case" as it was
called, occurred in Coyitglon, Ky, in
the last year of the waf. An army
contractor named Hemingway, living
at Hamilton, Ohio, had partner in
Covington, and on certain date went
down TO see him. They did business
with a Cincinnati bank, and at this
time Hemingway drew out $780,
and turned up missing. After two or
three days, when inquiries began to be
made, Lis wife exhibited a letter
which he had written on the day of
his disappearance. In it he said that
he had had a falling out with Staples,
his partner, and that Staples had
threatened his life. lie had dropped
out of sight, could not be found, and
Staples was under suspicion. He de-
uied that they had ever had a word of
dispute, and soon satisfied the police
that Hemingway had skipped with the
partnership money.
The case was given to me when it
was week old, and l was soon salts
fed that the absconder's wife knew
all about it. / could not go to her for
information, but found people who
knew the man well, and had remarked
his chief characteristics. He was a
big, hearty fellow, and could hear of
only one oddity in his everyday be-
havior. When talking to any one he
always fumbled with the top button
of his vest You have noticed men
do this same thing with a watch chain,
or tumble in pocket, or mark the
ground with toe or heel.
No one could go South at that time.