Los Angeles herald., 1891-12-26
CLEVER CUSICK.
A Crook Pinched After
Months Of Pursuit.
A Fine Capture by the Los
Angeles Police.
Officer Steele Catches an Escaped
Burglar from Arizona.
The History of Detective Keenan's
search-A Criminal Tale of Five
Cities and How 1t
Ended.

its contamination here yesterday alter
noon in the arrest of John Cusick, a
man whose whole life has been one OF
vice and law breaking. The officer to
achieve this latest success of our police
department was Patroleman Steele. The
story of Cusick, of the pursuit and
eventual capture is stranger than fc-
tion.
About July 1st of this year, John
Cusick was brakeman on the Atlantic
and Pacific railroad, running between
Albuquerque and the Needles. He
used his position for months to gain ac-
cess to freight cars at isolated way-sta-
tions, where he would break the seals,
and haul away dozens of cases Of all
sorts Of merchandise. He stole so much
that at times, when unable to store his
booty, he would burn what he could not
hide. His last robbery before the thefts
were fixed on him included
several thousands of the best
cigars and dozen cases
OF shoes OF the finest quality. He was
smart enough to ascertain that he was
suspected and therefore in danger, and
suddenly disappeared on July llth, the
very day that a warrant for his arrest
was issued in Williams, Ariz.
The warrant for Cusick's arrest was
placed for service into the hands of
John G. keenan,, now detective OF the
Atlantic and Pacific, but formerly for
ten years member of the front office
force of Chicago. Mr.. Keenan's work
in this case shows him to be one of the
keenest and most energetic detective
officers in this country. Within a day
after he had been placed in charge of
the case, he found out that Cusick had
come to the Pacific coast, and at once
traced the criminal to this city. Here
he introduced himself to Chief Glass
and the local detectives, who instituted
a most careful search of the city. 1t
was then found that Cusick had left,
but whittier he had turned his fu-
gitive steps was not ascertained for
some days. In the mean time De-
tective keenan, had become acquainted
with personal friend of Cusick, and
had secured from him a photograph OF
the car burglar. This picture was at
once multipicated, and copies of it, as
we'll as most accurate descriptions were
sent by Detective Motfatt, OF the chiefs
Office, to all parts Of the country. Two
hundred dollars reward was offered
simultaneously for Cusick's arrest by
the railroad company.
The indeiatigable Keenan, never lost
moment in his work, and discovered
two more clues before leaving Los An
geles. The first was that the criminal
had friend on the Northern Pacific
railroad running out of Tacoma, Wash
ingtou and the second that sister OF
Cusick lives in Omaha near the site of
the old fort. Photographs and descrip
tions were dispatched post haste to the
police authorities of these two cities
and the towns in their vicinity, and in
addition letters were sent urg
ing the officials to make
every possible effort to apprehend
Cusick. Then keenan, went north
himself and struck his mans trail first
in Portland and then in Tacoma. The
burglar had gone east over the Northern
Pacific and the detective promptly went
after him, tracing him through the Da-
kotas down to Omaha. Here the officer
was overjoyed to learn that the local
police had arrested Cusck, who had
really visited his sister at the fort. Gu
sick was taken back to Flagstaff, Ari-
zona, by the detective, was arraigned
and committed in default Of $4,000 bail,
Tor trial.
That ought 10 have been the end OF
the story, but the villain in this yarn is
made OF tenacious material. On De-
cember lst, Cusiek broke Jail by cutting
through the bars Of his cell with a saw
constructed from fragments of tin
bucket. He left Flagstaff on loot and
plunged into the forest surrounding
that picturesque little town. On De-
cember I'd he iell in with q prospector
who, with true western hospitality shared
his bacon and blankets with his
scoundrel guest. During the night,
Cusick managed to steal his hosts
Winchester, and held up the owner OF
the rife with his own weapon. He then
made the prospector divide provisions,
packed hall of them on the prospector's
mule, and set off westward, taking the
rifle with him. A couple of days later,
he ran across an Indian scout on the
range, and, according to his own state
ment, "made a dead Indian OF him"
stole the weapons AMI pony OF the dead
buck.
Exactly at what time Cusck arrived
here is not known, but it was probably
about two weeks ago Some Of the
cciisver burglaries committed here, among
them the cracking of two SAFES, are at
tributed to this ingenious crook.
Even 60 depraved an individual as
this villain found it to his taste to cele-
brate Christmas, and his ruin was the
consequence. He took several drinks
to begin with, and then, feeling de-
sire for breath of fresh air, looked
about ior some vehicle in which to take
a drive. Street cars were too plebeian,
and the chevalier d'industrie had con-
stitutional sntipathy to paying horse
hire, SO that it was extremely opportunee
that he should discover the horse and
buggy of William P. Rowland OF Uni
yersity, standing on Banning street, OPP
posite the Welis-Fargo stables: Gu
sick coolly jumped into the buggy
and started to drive away, but
was discovered by several stablemen
who knew Mr.. Rowland. The alarm
was given so promptly that Mr.. How
land succeeded in overtaking Cuslck
within couple of squares. Even that
little circumstance did not disturb the
equanimity of the thief, who, with an
air of jolity declared that he had only
been fooling, and invited the proprietor
of the rig to get in and take ride. The
two then drove back on Banning street
until they reached Officer Steele, who
had heard of the theft, and was on the
lookout. As soon as Steele saw the two
men in the buggy, he recognized Cuslck