Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-07-11
THE EYE THAT NEVER SLEEPS.
Allan Pinkerton. Its owner. Was Once
a Cooper In knne County. Ill.


least may claim the distinction OF having
brought out" the most famous Of all
American detectiy es--Alian Pinkerton. IL
may be said that the crafty old Scotchman
blundered into bis marvellous career OF
catching criminals at middle age. In 1854
"the eve that never sleeps" was spending
It's cunning in making barrels at Dundee
aud in taking its regular sleep, all uncon-
scous of the terrors OF its glance would
possess some time for the whole cran OF
criminals. The cooper trade was then
prosperous one. Pinkerton was thrifty
aud industrious, and had quite a force Of
men working for him, and u snug little
home close bv his shop.
one day his search for small straight
saplings from which to shave hoops car
ricd him up the Fox To n small island jus:
above whore tho little town of Algonquin
now stands Here, on the centre of the
island, in the thick underbrush, he stun
blcd on sight which seemed to arouse all
the subtle forces of suspicion which In
after life gave him so keen scent for crime
and criminals. The ground was Uttered
with the leavings of camps, which Pinker-
ton well knew had not been the meeting
places OF picnickcrs or gypsies, as neither
were common them lie told his suspicious
to Luther Dearborn, then sheriff Of Kane
county. They watched the island, and in
the right quarter Of the moon raided
1t with posse of picked men, bagging a
gang OF male aud female thieves and coun-
terfeitors, with a supply of bogus dimes
and the tools used in their manufacture
This made Pinkerton little local reputa-
ton, but he thought no more of it until
Increase g. Bosworlh and ri. T.. Hunt, who
were leading merchants of Dundee, camo
TO him with the information that they were
sure there was COuntcrfeiter in town, anu
begged him To help them capture the
"queer'' man. Ho tried To laugh them OF,
but they stuck and hung urtil he yielded
hn ttfn ft,1 f.f ~ ktt at
money mt that time, and the only scrip that
could be banked on with the certainty that
ii would be worth as much at sunset as Mt
sunrise was George Smiths money"
otherwise the currency of the Wisconsin
Marine aud Fire Insurance company, which
was owned principally bF George Smith,
with tho late Alexander Mitchell as part
ner. Smith's S immense wealth, well known
shrewdness closeuess and integrity made
his money in demand everywhere and
consequently more likely to be counter
foited than any other bills in circulation.
Boswurth and Hunt had heard there
were counterleits of " George Smiths
n-dollar bills In circulation in tho vicinity
and there was Il stranger IN town iuquirng
the way TO "Old Man Cranc's." The latter
was sort of hermit, who lived over In
Lake county, in the vicinity of Libcrtyyillc,
and was suspected universally of being a
hardened old rascal on general principles,
aud the chief distributor of "qucer" for
that section of the country. Bosworlh and
Hunt put the two things together and con-
cluded that the handsome stranger who
was having his saddle repaired at Eaton
Walkers little harness shop would bear
watching, aud Pink erton agreed with them.
Unable to resist the fascination of follow
ing out Il scent, Pinkerlon, in his shop
ovoralls, saunteTed down to tho harness
shop and was assisting Walker in adjust
ing the saddle when the stranger made
lN ton binls rfa Ia
in conversation, and finally was asked in
| N ct nhdential II tone, giving him the de-
sired information and II little more added,
in The shape of knowing wink. The
couuterioiter caught Mt this clever bait,
and insisted on meeting Pinkerton on the
quiet little later in rlvine just out of
town.
PInkorton, under pretext of changing
| his clothes, went to Bosworth, and was
furnished with $50, with which TO buy
| bogus bills II necessary. lie met tho
stranger in the raVine, according To ap-
! pointment. The stranger parleyed awhile,
| bat was convinced finally that Piukerton
was an honest rogue, and confessed that
| his own name was Craig that he was an
uncle of George smith, in Elgin, aud that
| ho had headquarters ut Fairfax and was
| West distributing his queer" He also
showed Pinkerton couple of $40 bills
| Counterfeits of those issued by the Wiscou.
sin Marine and Fire Insurance company
and bargained to sell Piukerton $500 of tha,
| counterfeit at % per cent. cash, tho do.
| livery to take place, mt Pinkorton's sugges-
ton, in the basement of the old Elgin
| academy, then in process of erection on
| the hill overlooking East Elgin.
| Pinkcrton was on hand in the basement
| at / o'clock that afternoon, and Craig soon
put in an appearance and received from
| Piukerton SI25. The latter was told t.
! leave the basement and SEQ that no one
| approached while the counter felt was
| placed in a certain place, to which Pink,
! ertou would be directed on his return.
! Craig claimed that the placing of the
| counterfeit money was done by his ser,
| want, " Nelverson, who followed him
| like a shadow, hut was socu by ne one
| Instead of watching for others Piukerton
| watched Craig through un opening in the
| wall aud saw him place package under q
! big Hat building stone,
| When CiaiC whistcd for Pmkorton tC
| return the latter was scanning the academy
| grounds. As Pinkcrton entered the bnse.
ment the crafty old counterfeiter informed
| him he thought he lPlnkorton) would find
| what he paid for under fiat stone, wher,
"Nelyerson" had placed it, Under tht
stone indicated Pinkorton found $500 it
| crisp counterfeit $40 bills of GeOrg,
! smiths" money.
! At this point in tho account tho author
| tics dillcr. George RonwiCk, now supcriu
| lehufUl hi SlltNhS OF llslh, lnbh deputy
| sheriff, says Pinkorton marched Craig from
The academy down town at the point OF hi
revolver and turned the prisontr over /,
! him, who, uS deputy sheriff, had the haY
ardOus task of taking Craig to Geneva
| RcnwiCk kept Craig over night at Tibbtti
| tavern, which stood where the new Con
| grcgutiOuAl church now stands. Instpa(
of taking Craig down to Geneva or
| the cast side of the river-his usua
| route with prlsuncrs--ho took the wcs
side, ami Cold Craig that at the first symp
| tom of an attempt to escape he would put
| ball through him. RenwiCli landed Graf,
| safely III jail in the basement of the ole
| court house in Geneva, now owned by tina
| city. Another account of traig's capture
! purpOrtiug to have been written by Pin
| korlon, states that Craig WAS captured at ,
! subsequent meeting AT the Savannah house
! Chicago, but the narrative is full of geo
! graphical errors that PiukprtOn or anV ON,
acquainted with Kane county would no
have made, and Renwicls version is un
| doubtcdly the correct one.
Craig had been in Jail soIuC months whcr
Geneva was shocked To find one mOrnin,
that the contoderates Of Craig had save,
the bars of the iail windows and let out tn
handsome, dignified and lorily old rascal
| who lost no time in getting into Canada.
Plnkerton's capture Of Craig entitled hin
the appointment as deputy sheriff unde
| Luther Dearborn, and from that time oi
devoted his life to the capture OF criminals
Luther Dearborn also became one of tn
most prominent men in the state, serving
eight years as senator from Mason county
Result of Base Ball Games.
The games of yesterday resulted as fol
lows
National League Philadelphia II, Cleve
land .; brooklyn ., Cincinnati 5 Nov
York Ii, Pittshurg 8 Boston :, Chicago 3
Players League-Philadelph II, Cieve
llnl Ii In.tnnh II. L.. :