Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1892-10-26
WHATS HIS BUSINESS?
A Detective, Train Robber or
a Liar.
An Alleged Sleuth Hound Traces
Sontag and Evans to Phoenix,
and Becomes laxative.

w. l.. Ward is Wickenberg miner
who came to this city recently and Incl
dentally formed the acquaintance OF G
gentleman who will bear watching
Mr.. Ward observed that he was
"shadowed" by stranger, who one
night called him aside and asked HIM
impertinent and mysterious questions
concerning his whereabouts last July.
The stranger succeeded in eliciting nc
information from Mr.. Ward which ap.
peared to throw any light on the object
OF his inquiries, and later he confessed
to Ward that he was a deputy United
States marshal and detective of abil.
ity. His name, he said, was Casey, and
he had been employed by the Southern
Pacific railroad and the Wells, Fargo
company to run down the Coils train
robbers. He had discovered what the
other detectives hadn't. and that was
that Evans and Sontag had not fingered
in the vicinity of Visalia, but had
headed for Arizona Immediately after
the last encounter with the officers.
He believed they had come to Pho.
nix and were either now in the city OF
somewhere in the vicinity. He had
for some reason suspected Ward ol
completely in the robbery and his pres
ence here had confirmed his previous
suspicion as to the whereabouts of
Evans and Sontag. Later investiga-
tons had shown him he was off as to
Wards connection with the case, since
Ward had told him that he was at
Wickenberg at the time OF the robbery
and surely Mr.. Ward wouldn't lie about
tritling affair like train robbery.
He still believed, though, that Evans
and Sontag were within ten miles OF
Phoenix.
Casey was an uncommonly laxative
sleuth hound and related such astound-
ing anecdotes of his detective experience
that Mr.. Ward was filled with a grave
suspicion that Mr.. Casey was a careless
and monumental liar.
The detective had had wide experience
in all lines of criminal work but his
speciality was running down those reck-
less gentlemen engageded in the peril
Gus business OF holding up trains and
stage coaches. None had ever escaped
him. He was "onto 'em," their varied
methods and weaknesses. From his
ability as a taker of train robbers it
was an easy transition to .he subject
OF his superior theoretical knowledge
OF the art of robbing trains and stages.
He could put himself in the place OF
the robbers and all the detectives on
earth could never take him.
Mr.. Casey next proceeded to the
glorious opportunities the mines of
Arizona presented to the enterprising
and painstaking stage robber Thous-
ands of dollars worth of bullion were
being daily carried along the stage
routes leading to the railroads and it
had been so long since the knights OF
the road had been in business that
drivers and mine owners had grown
careless. Mr.. Casey painted a picture
of a stage robbery in hues so roseate
that he almost wished he had chosen
that profession instead OF the more
hazardous, less profitable if more honest
one of detective.
Mr.. Ward began to believe that Mr..
Casey was really recruiting officer for
gang OF train robbers and had designs
on his integrity as an honest miner.
tie believes il a robbery should occur in
Arizona within the next two weeks Mr..
Casey will be engaged in it. lie also
believes that il some one is struck dead
for lying before Mr.. Casey reforms, that
gentleman will become subject for in
torment