Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1891-04-17
DETECTING A ROGUE.
EY LAWRENCE LESLIE.

One of the c'cvcrest fcats in the de-
lection, pursuit and capture of crimi-
mails that has been developed for years
was performed by an officer of the
New York detective police force some
wears since.
About that time the officers of the
City Bank of New York discovered
that they had been swindIed out of
$75. 900 by means of a forged check
for that amount, purported TO have
been drawn by Commodore Wander
bit. Nearly a month passed before
the fraud was discovered, and in the
meantime several other checks for
argc amounts, drawn by the same
party, had been honored; so it was
almost impossible for any of the bank
officials to remember with satisfactory
distinctness any of the circumstances
connected with the payment of tho
fraudulent document. However, it
was placed in the hands of shire wd
detective. and hc went TO work to find
clew and trace out the mystery.
The officers first suspicion was that
some of the clerks of the banks had
been in colusion with the forger, and
doubtless shared the profits of his
crime. After two weeks scrutiny of
the character, habits and associations
of the various clerks, that theory was
abandoned, and it only remained for
him to gather from them, if possible,
some clew, however slight, of the bold
operator. His first inquiry was if any
one, not in the habit of presenting
checks, had been doing so within tie
past month. Only two of the clerks
had any memory on the subject, and
theirs was of The most shadowy and
unsatisfactory character. One remem-
bercd seeing stout, elderly man
driving a strikingly beautiful black
horse and fine ca rriage up to the bank,
enter the office, and transact some bus
mess, he knew not what, and depart,
since which lie had not seen him.
The other clerk, after a thorough
examination, aad multitude OF
questions put TO assist or quicken his
memory, at last concluded that he did
recollect a strange man, who entered
the bank ono day about the time the
forged check was presented, and had
a draft cashed for large amount. A
popularity in tine mans neck-tie at
tracted his attention, and he looked
him full in the face, and retained a
vivid recollection of every feature.
He was an amateur artist, and especi-
ally expert in pcn-drawing. Taking
a sheet of paper and an old pen which
was living upon the desk, he quickly
produced a portrait, which he de-
clarcd to be a good likeness of the
man he inspected.
The officer did not look upon these
clews, if such they might be called, as
promising much hope of success. lie
first exhibited The drawing to the clerk
who had seen the suspected rogue
drive up with the fine black horse, and
lie confidently identified it.
Here at last was some encourage
ment. The first attempt was to trace
the horse and carriage, and discover
who owned or who had hired such a
rig. The effort was unsuccessful; the
officer, however, was convinced that
the man, whoever he might be, was an
admirer of fast and stylish horses, and
nc therefore commenced a search
among the establishments devoted to
the stabling and sale of such animals,
hoping that he would find some one
who could identify the parties.
After going to nearly all such cs-
tablishments, exhibiting the portrait.
he came upon man who recognized
in the drawing one Willisdig 11iyide-
ston, whom he had known year or
two, but who had disappeared within
the past month, after paying up some
old debts and buying ono or two fancy
horses. Further inquiry brought out
the fact that Livingston was in very
Strengthened circumstances but a few
months previously, and how he could
honestly obtain the means to pay his
old debts and crafty his love for
horseflesh was not so clear, and gave
fresh encouragement to the persever-
ing detective.
To follow Livingston was necessary.
but how could he be traced? lie had
disappeared, and no one knew when
or whittier. What, then was to be
done? Should to trail be abandoned
and the case given up as one of the
mysteries that baffled solution?
Never, said the interchangeable officer,
and he went to work with desperate
energy TO unravel the tangled skcin.
lie finally reached tie following