The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-10-28

wAsmvGrox. D. G., oct. 27.-But
for the alertness aud prompt action OF
Detectives Weldon and Lacey the pool
room proprietors at Jackson City would
now be mourning the loss OF big rolls
from their cash boxes.
A gang OF the shrewdest wire tappers
in the country arrived at the Riggs
house just one week ago, thoroughly
equipped with instruments and dta-
grams OF the Jackson City poolrooms,
ready to make haul OF the richest
kind at the expense OF the hackers OF
the race books. Three OF them regis
tered at the Riggs house, the fourth
man and ringleader, Charles Moncreath,
alias Charles Mann, stopping with well
connected relatives in the northwest
section OF the city, who had not the
slightest idea o! the true intent OF his
unexpected visit to them. He was made
welcome, and as matters turned out, II
was fortunate for him that he had such |
influential relatives to intercedo IN mis-
behalf when the crash came.
House were well dressed and handsome
looking. They signed themselves II. |
Summerville, W. IL. Clarke, and +. |
Cook, OF New York. They were liberal,
Jolly fellows and easily won the good |
graces OF all attaches OF the hotel. IL
was noticed by people about the house !
that they were very attentive to young |
man who frequently called on them and |
a
prominent business man OF Brooklyn. |
The frequent meetings OF the quartet |
and their close consultations in in tine |
Riggs House lobby and elsewhere Tor
several DAYS aroused the suspicious OF |
Detective Weeden, who was laying |
about the house on another case.
Observing them rather closely, he |
recognized Mann as 4 person who had |
been in some trouble before while bear |
ing his true name, Moncreath, and then
he recalled Summerfeld rs Il young |
Hebrew whose name had been changed |
to that from Sommerfeldt. He called |
Detective Lacey to his assistance, and |
for four days they shadowed the men.
Every trip to jackson City was followed |
nv one OF the detectives, and Mann or
Moncreath was followed by Weldon for |
tracking the telegraph lines out oil Jack.
son City to locate favorable spot for
tapping the wires.
Yesterday was tho time set for max
ing the raid on Monte Carlo. Summer |
field and Clarke were intrusted with the |
combined wealth OF the four, while |
Mann was to 'tap" the wire by attach
ing his pocket instrument to the tele- |
|, ,nN a
the Jackson City poolrooms long enough |
to signal his coutederates aud enable
them to place money on their sure
things" Cook was detailed to do the
signaling TO Summerfed and Clarke,
and to keep a shorp lookout" while
Mann was manipulating the INSTRUMENT. |
Had their well-laid plans been carried |
out tho jackson City poolroom proprie- |
tors would have been thousands oil dol |
lars out Of pocket last night.
The wire.tapDers had everything ar
ranged as far back as last Friday, and
simply killed time after that waiting |
for favorable day to make the kill |
ing" as it is called in sporting parlance.
Meanwhile the two detectives we're not |
idle, and their plans for the capture Of
the quartet matured as fast as those OF |
the four sports.
Only one mistake did the detectives
make. Monday they were detailed Tor
time on grand larceny case and con-
aoquently for the time being lost sight
OF their prey. One OF tho two called at |
the Riggs House later in the afternoon
to satisfy himself the three wire.tap |
pers, VINO originally registered at the |
house, were still there.
nj NIL pun no m It1t 10 a a.
shrewd fellow himself, and had noticed
the actions OF these particular guests Of |
the house and the shadow work OF the |
detectives, and the first question asked
confirmed his suspicion that the guests |
were crooked. He kept his counsel I'M
til he got Cook oil to one side, and then
quietly informed him that his bill was
due, and that the house had other use
for the room he occupied. Cook at once
settled his bill, whispered word or two
to his conlederates, and before the
clerk could recover from his astonlsh-
ment the three men walked out OF the
house and were seen no more. The
two detectives were furious when they
learned how their game had been
spoiled by the hotel clerk, and searched
high and low for the three men, but
without success. OF course the hotel
clerk could not be blamed much for
looking out for the interests OF the
house, even II his actions did not cause
the gang to flee from the city and fail
to carry out the scheme to rob the
poolroom propretors. What hurt the
Riggs House people, however, was the
TACT that Summerheld and Clarke made
such haste in getting away that they
neglected to settle their board bills be-
fore departure.
Frustrated in their plan to capture
the entire gang, the two detectives con-
cluded to find Mann or Moncreath any
way, rightly surmising that the others
did not take time in escaping to warn
him OF the impending danger. They
Swallowed him all Monday night, hoping
against hope that one OF tho other
three would show up to warn him.
Tuesday they quietly placed Moncreath
under arrest. At the same time they
secured all his baggage. Packed away
in il they found all the appliances Tor
overlapping purposes. lie was kept |
until yesterday morning, and then
closely questioned by Inspector Holm |
berger, chief OF the detectives. Mon |
creath confessed all, his story Of plans !
and operations coinciding with the re-
ports made by Detectives Weldon aud |
Lacey.
As Moncreath had done no work hero |
on which the officers could secure an |
indictment or conviction. INSPECTOR |