St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-10
ARRESTED THE DETECTIVE
RsiGcS' CUNNING DEVICE TO ESCAPE
- HRREST.
r,rs TEAL BEGINS MONDAY.

Etory of the Chase Mciggs Gave
f'inkerton Detective in Ch;ca-
ego, and How when He Was
eCornered He Induced Police
man to Arrest the Detective
But He Was Landed.
The county attorney has changed his
mind relative TO the next man in the
bank robbery case to be tried, and Jonas
j. Meiggs is elected to face jury, be-
ginning tomorrow. This conclusion was
reached yesterday, after conference ID
which Chief Garyin and Chief McGinn
cut some figure. A new feature of this
trial will probably be the story of the
arrest of Meiggs in Chicago by Pinker-
ton operative. This story has never
been related. and has some interesting
points. The man who picked Meiggs up
is Andrew j. Shirk, attached to the Chi
cago Office of the Pinkerton agency. He
is man of good address, and is re-
garded by the agency as one of the best
men in the service. Meiggs was picked
up before Miller was arrested, and the
day after the arrest of Fleury. No de-
scription had been given of Meiggs at
the time more than that he was a large
man of about fifty years, of sandy com
pleXion and reddish hair. The de-
tective had no photograph of the
man at that time. A clue to
his whereabouts was secured by the
card found on searching Fleury, alias
DR.. Lamont, and which bore the address
52l West Madison street. Meiggs was
seen TO go to the room of DIR. Lamont,
alias of Fleury, in the house of Mrs.
Toomey, 3419 Latin street, the day after
the arrest of Fleury, and carry away
the collar and cuff box used in evidence
on the Fleury trial. Meiggs was fol-
lowed to his lodging. During the same
day another man was seen to 90 near
the honse where MeIggs roomed carry
ing a russell leather valiSe. This man
kept looking back every few steps to
see if he was followed. 1t was supposed
by the detective that this man is Miller.
and description of him. including the
fact that he wore an opal as shirt
stud, was furnished the detective by the
agency of the Pinkertons in this city.
Miller did not go to the house where
MeiggS was, land Detective Shirk discov-
cred about this time that he was shad-
owed by a confederate of Fleury and
Melggs. The detective then went to
a saloon near by, and, watching from
a window. saw man go up to the house
where MeiggS was, raise his hat
and make reckoning motion with his
hand. Immediately after the blind in
an up stairs room was drawn down and
Meiggs came out of the house immedi-
ately after. Detective Shirk, Meiggs
and Miller then started on a chase
through number of streets. Meiggs
finally separated from Miller and went
through analley. Detective Shirk told
park policeman to follow Miller, say
ing that he had stolen his watch, and he
himself followed Meiggs. Meeting an-
other park policeman, the detective told
him to notify patrolman TO follow to
arrest Melggs. After passing through
several more streets the detective
caught up with Meiggs and then took
street car. Meiggs jumped on the same
car and took seat without apparently
noticing Miller. After the car had pro-
ceeded some distance man drove up
q .
and, jumping into the car, asked the
conductor to show him the man who
had gotten on at Lafflin street. The
conductor pointed to the detective.
The man who had boarded the car
then arrested Detective Shirk, who
protested, and, pulling "a revolver,
threatened to use it in his own defense,
and declared that he was detective.
and wanted the man, who proved to be
an officer in citizens dress, to arrest
Melggs. After some parley the man let
Shirk go, but refused 10 arrest MelggS.
Detective Shirk then arrested Meiggs.
who protested that he should not be
interfered' with, and claimed to be a
travelling man for house in Santiago,
Cal. The officer who wanted TO arrest
Detective Shirk also protested against
the arrest OF Meiggs; but he was taken
TO police station and searched by an
officer there, who found very little on
him. Detective ShIrk then took a
hand IN the searching himself, and dis
covered s7S6.50 in money. besides keys
and number of other things which
Will probably be used in evidence at
The trial. The arrest of Meiggs, on the
clue then at hand, was a clever piece of
work, especially when it is known that
he had several confederates that were
bold enough TO throw detective off the
trail by having him arrested, and thus
allow the game to escape.
Stop at Rietzke's Pharmacy, corner