The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-04-11
Deputy Marshal sterlIne's Pursuit OF
a Portland Forger,
When Yellow Jack Held Sway In
Florida Years AGO.
A Journey Which the officer Would
Not Care TO Repeat.

criminal has never been printed. The other
evening reporter for the PRESS, who was
connected with journalism at the time the
arrest was made, happened to recall the
event, In conversation with Mr.. Sterling
now re-appointed deputy marshal-and In
duced that officer to recall the particulars Of
the chase.
The parties In Portland. who were suffer-
ers BY the forgery. came to Deputy Sterling
and made him an offer that he decided to ac-
cept. b ut 1t involved Mr.. Sterling's going to
Florida. re at that time. yellow fever
was repo .uepidemic. Not thinking much
of the risk attending the trip Mr.. Sterling
started after the f0rger. In those days there
were no vestibule trains with "all the COM
forts Of home" provided the traveller. The
trains were made up Of old style passenger
coaches. the roads south Of Washington
were rough, connections were more fire.
quently missed than made, accidents were
an every day matter. and meals were few
and far between. and when procured, poor
and not Of the cleanest.
After leaving Washington Mr.. Sterling
logged along to Tallahassee. satisfied In his
OWN mind that the first thing to do was to
get requisition from the Governor OF Fl0ri-
da. The man he was after had left New
York In sailing vessel, noted for its speed,
and bound to Havana. out Of the reach Of
extradition treaties. But the vessel was
billed to touch at Key West, within the ju-
risdiction Of the Florida authorities, and II
Mr. Sterling could get there first. there was
chance OF his securing his man.
IL was damp. chilly night when the train
bearing the officer rolled into Tallahassee sta
tl0D. Determined to lose no time Mr.. Ster-
ling called upon the secretary of state and
with him went to the Governors residence.
Ihere the proper papers were made out and
handed TO him, after which he was asked
WheIe he expected to 90.
10 Cedar Keys" he replied.
To Cedar Keys% they re-echoed. "Why
man alive, your life won't be worth q plea
ynne there; Don't you know the people are
dying of like sheep with the yellow jack?"
Il can't help that" said Sterling, 81 have
got this work to do and must do It,"
Another way was suggested to him, but
much more time would be required to ac-
complish the journey and every hour was of
value. All night long Sterling tossed on his
bed at the hotel thinking. When the sun
rose his mind was made up. He went to the
railroad station and bought a ticket for
Baldwin. AT this point another road connect
ed and enabled traveller to go to Cedar
Keys. There were steamers plying In the
Gulf that touched at the Keys occasionally.
Ii one should be there on his arrival, going
In the direction he desired, 1t was all right;
II not, all wrong. When the train reached
which nature had been lavish. The green
cry Of the sub-tropics grew dank and, lush,
the heavens above were dark blue, and the
sun poured down, even at that early hour,
its fierce, burning rays. The station was a
little one storied shanty. alone amidst all
this yerdure. Inside sickly looking tele-
graph operator sat at his instrument. Ona
bench was curled up Southerner In typical
costume. with huge broad brimmed straw
hat. who had evidently begun his carouse
the night before.
Can you tell me If there is a steamer at
Cedar KeysT said Sterling
II think not" replied the operator.
individual in the corner.
Don't pay any attention to him." said the
operator. "He's FULL"
well, 1 may be-" said the southerner,
RBut KBTt J ! know there's steamer at Cedar
That was what the deputy wanted to know
and when the train came Sterling jumped
aboard: IL was late at night wnen he
reached Cedar Keys and as he dismounted
who asked If he should take his grip. Hand
Ing 1t to him Sterling asked II there was
steamer there.
ION, yeah,'. said the colored man, "she
am down at der pier and der purser am at
der hotel. But oh, honey. de folks am dying
bury EN-"
They reached the hotel, two storied
frame bdildiDg. bare and dreary looking in
side. young girl came forward crying and
Sterling asked her what was the matter.
The girl replied that Mr.. Jones. who kept
the house, had just died Of yellow fever, and
Mrs. Jones was dying. "Well," said Ster-
ling, lis the purser Of the steamer stopping
here?" The girl replied that he was and
would be In In few moments. "Very
II cannot" she replied, there is nome"
"Well, must have something to eat." he
since morning" The girl hustled and soon
brought in a piece Of bread, so black 1t look
of coffee. more like mud than drink, and yet
so hungry was the officer he thought nothing
ever tasted better.
After supper the purser appeared and
Sterling asked him where his steamer was
Tampa and then to Key West. As soon as
he said Key West. Sterling could have
shouted. He asked for a ticket. But you
can't go said the purser: Its small boat
aRd there .a5 ~ there Sa, an a1chf1 1c OF
do with it." said the purser. "Just this"
and and sleep on the fiukes" We'll" said d'a6e he
purser, If you want to 60 as bad as that
you can."
Down the pier the two went to the steamer.
The morn was breaking, tropical morning.
The gulf waves were touched by the golden
rays OF the sun, that strove to dissipate the
land mists. Two corpses were passed on the
pier. "fellow Jack" said the purser.
ed, one OF the crew was found writhing In
the first attack Of the fever leaving the
other man to pull them aboard. The little
craft was over-crowded. Sterling could only
get place to sit on a locker, with two
negroes one on either side Of him. Eight Of
the passengers were In various stages Of the
fever and the ships doctor, with several
passengers spent the day gambling and
drinking, During the next day the two
negroes died Of the fever and that left the
whole locker to Sterling. At night the ships
ductor took the further end of
the locker and laid down with
his feet on Sterling's head. During
the night he was taken with yellow jack in
its worst form-the vomite-and when the
boat reached Tampa, the next noon. his dead
body was hoisted on to the wharf and lei {
there. The next day was one never to be
forgotten. A tropical sea, the burning sun
reflected from Its CLASSY surface. the moist,
heavy atmosphere, the shouts OF the reve-
lers over the gaming tables. alternating with
the curses and screams of those dying frem
the fever. A few hours more and Key West
| was reached.
As soon as he landed, Sterling rushed to
| the quarantine Office and there had conver.
| sation with the doctor, to whom he had let
| ters. From him he learned the expected YES
| sci had not yet arrived. He made al ar
| rangement with the doctor as soon as he
| boarded the vessel on arrival, to bring the
/ fOrger ashore. he tnen secured the services
| of the county attorney, and showed him his
| papers. He had good understanding also
| with the sheriff. A few hours after arrival
| the Judge of the court died Of yellow fever
and the only officer who could hold a couri
| was a justice of the peace. A well known
lawyer came to Sterling and told him he was
retained by telegraph to defend the criminal
If arrested when the vessel arrived, and thai
| he should get out a habeas corpus. Ster
lipg's lawyer saw the justice OF the peace
told him Sterling's papers were all right, anC
that he had a requisition from the governor
and all he could accomplish by the habea
corpus was a delay. "Well,.' said that offi
| Ger, I'll take your word and won't gran
it," That night the vessel arrived, and IN,
quarantine doctor invited the foreer. VIII,
was In excellent health and spirits
ashore. On landing the first perso,
] he encountered was Sterling. accom-
panied by. the sheriff. As soon as he saw
Sterling his whole aspect changed. H
grew, as It were, twenty years older. "GoO,
God! Sterling; you don't want me-" he said
you are the man." said Sterling. "that
nave ventured my life for. and have 90
you. The forger was placed in the Gala
poose. and there, In common, filthy Span
isn prison, with negro murderers and thieve
ior companions, he had to lie "a hours unit
the steamer City of Galveston arrived on hel
way to New York. In order to prevent thu
lawyer, who had been retained In the cast
ior the prisoner. from making trouble, tn
brother Of the county attorney got hln
drunk and kept him so until the steamer lett