The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1892-11-16


"You had better not go back there"
said the cautious lawyer.
But / must" rejoined the check
raiser. II want to make little girl,
who brought me my food, a present."
Let me have your present and
will give it to the child" suggested Mr..
BLUR.
well, that will do, was the answer.
"Hand her this ten-dollar bill with my
compliments. Tell her Mr.. Mcdonnell
will never forget her kindness. l do
love little children. Their honest SIM
plicity charms me-" This is told be-
cause it gives perfect illustration OF
McDonnell's style of generosity.
The two men walked over to Fourth
and Market streets. There Mr.. BLUR
left his client, who boarded car for
the Fourteenth street station. A
square below the car halted, and a
minute later the burly form of a
large man dropped into the seat beside
Mcdonnell. He was Detective Bligh.
81 am going to take you back" said
Bligh.
"But, my dear SIR" somewhat warm
| ly replied Mcdonnell, you impose on
| good nature. am free man until my
case is called"
Come along" was Capt. Bligh's
answer, as he pulled the car bell and
helped the man off. He took Nc
Donnell by dark streets back to the
station, where he remained until
Hazen arrived. The Cincinnati man
did not recognize the check raiser as
anyone that he wanted, SO Capt. Bligh
had to let the man go, though he did it
very reluctantly. Mcdonnell left the
city, and, of course, never returned.
Capt Bligh was very anxious to
keep trace of Mcdonnell. He soon
found way. The check raiser had
left his trunk behind. The detective
knew it would be sent for and resolved
to keep q close eye on it. True
enough, in week or two an order
come that the trunk be shipped by the
Adams express to New York city. Mr..
Bligh sent the number of the package
and a description of the trunk to the
Pinkertons, in New York city. Find
who receives this trunk and where it
goes" he ordered The Pinllertons
spotted" the trunk, and found that 1t
was taken by man who did not
answer McDonncll's description from
the Office of the express company to a
steamer bound for England Capt.
Bligh was notified OF these facts. Then
he knew that Mcdonnell was in Eng
land
He had a number Of McDonnells
photographs made, and sent them to
England. One he directed to Scotland
Yard.
As Capt. Bligh afterward stated, he
felt by intuition that Mcdonnell was
an extraordinary criminal, and it was
from this feeling that he took such pre-
cautions. None of the English detec'
tives even sent "thanll you" for the
photographs and the warning.
About two years afterward the whole
world was startled by the announce
ment that the Bank of England had
been robbed OF an immense sum OF
money. Who were the guilty men?
Hundreds of detectives were put tc
work on the case. For time nc
progress was made. One day Scot
land Yard detective happened to re-
call the photograph which some "back-
woods sleuthhound, as he put it, had
sent to the office. The picture had
been carclessly thrown aside, after
probably being the butt of some heavy
English joke. BY rare good luck the
photograph was found. 1t was taker
by the detective, who thought, how
ever, that he would not be paid fol
his pains, to the cashier who mad paiG
out the money on the forged checks
THAT is the man." exclaimed the
Bank of England official when he saw
the photograph. Then the world was
flooded with those photographs. Nc
Donnell and his partners were cap
tured. Mcdonnell was caught through
the photographs and Capt. Bligh's &C
curate description of his person and hi:
habits, and the check raiser's arrest
led to that of his pals" Singularly
enough, they were caught in different
parts of the world, having separated
as soon as the crime was committed.
The Bank of England, when it learned
of Capt Bligh's part in the case, sen
him a checl-not one of McDonnelfs-
for fifty pounds and letter of thanks
The detective priced this letter very
highly, and his family still have it il
their possession. Capt. Bligh regarded
Mcdonnell as the "smoothest," shrewd
est criminal he ever came in contac
with. And Yankee" met a good many
in his lifetime.