Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1892-02-19
ED. MAHAN'S ADVENTURE.

ED. MAHAN's ADVENTURE.
He Assists In Chasing Down Some
s'Green Goods' Swinalers.
Some time ago Ed. Mahan OF this
city made rather sensational trip
to New York, the particulars Of
which he soon after contided to a few
OF his friends. The first public &C.
count Of the exciting and successful
journey was given in the following
article from last weeks Brainerd
Dispatch:
Edward Mahan, q gentleman who
formerly resided in Brainerd, but
who is now located at Little Falls,
received one of these circulars and a
sho TT time ago concluded to answer
it out of curiosity. Accordingly he
telegraphed in cipher to J. s. Stone,
10S E. 10th st, New York, as direct
ed, and as soon as the mail could
bring it came the answer enclosing
a IS, 81 and$1 bill. The instructions
told Mr.. Mahan to come on immed.
lately and he would be met at New
burg, N. Y, where the business
would be transacted in certain
room at hotel named In the letter.
Mahan was to telegraph to the New
York address again as soon as he
reached Buffalo, and when he reach
ed Newburg he was to know the
man by his his hat and a telegram
which he was to have in his hand
with large characters written there
upon in green ink.
After getting this letter, his curios-
ity was greatly aroused, and thought
that he might be able to run these
thieves down for the public benefit.
He took the IS bill to national
bank, and with his days deposit he
showed it under the window, but the
cahsier did not detect anything wrong
with 1t, and Mr.. Mahan called his at
tention to it, saying he was a little
suspicious Of the bill, but it was
thoroughly examined and the bank
expert pronounced it genuine, How
ever, he did not leaye it. That night
he telegraphed the Pinkerton detect
i've agency at Chicago the facts, and
received word back to come on there
Immediately, which he did the next
day.
. Stopping only between trains in
Chicago, where he was Joined by a.
detective, the two journeyed east.
At Buffalo Mr.. Mahan followed In
structions anu telegraphed ahead
that he was coming, and the detect
i've disguised himself, it being under
stood that they should keep apart
from that time until the final wind
upcame. AtNewberg, he got OF the
train and walked along the platform
when he was suddenly jostled and,
looking around he saw q man who
said, Excuse me, thought knew
y
gram with the "green ink" charact-
ers, by which he was to be recogniz-
ed. The two walked along and en-
tered the hotel together and the iel-
low said to him: "I'm sorry, but the
old man couldn't get away and you
will have to go down to New York
and see him, if you have the money
and are prepared to do business.
They ate breakfast and the capper
paid for it and also for the tickets to
New York, to which place they jour-
neyed together, but without speak
ing, the instructions being for Mahan
to keep 100 feet behind on their way
from the car to the "business" place.
In the meantime the detective was to
keeping1a reasonable distance behind
the two.
The capper wound around among
the buildings in the vicinity Of the
river and finally started down q mar
row alley, and here tho detective
hailed two policemen, who were
given the tip. Mahan followed his
man down the alley and when he
saw him walk up plank and un-
lock the door OF q warehouse, which
rested on piling over the river, his
heart almost failed him, but as he
saw the detective in the vicinity he
went in and the door was shut be-
hind hind him, and he found himself
in a large unlighted room. His sit
uation was not an enviablc one, but
with a gun in each coat pocket he
thought he would pc able to hold
his own for short time.
Just as the capper called to his
confederate in another room, the
policeman broke open the front door
and the two men tried to escape,
but were captured. There was moth
ing in the building that indicated a
"green goods" establishment, neither
of the men having any money on
their persons, nor could any trace
of such a thing as counterfeit bill
be found. Each Of the men had g.
good-sized slungshot, which was the
only weapon they possessed. The
men were tried and sentenced to FIVE
years in the penitentiary ON the
charge of using the mail for
swindling.
Mr.. Mahan fully thinks that their
game was to get him into the build
ing and there he was to be knocked
down and robbed, as he had tele-
graphed them he had $500 to invest,
and he feels b certain degree OF salts
faction to think he got out of it as
he did alsn that no didn't undertake