The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-06-08
AGENT MASTERS IN LIMBO.
HE WAS FINALLY CAPTURED N
SAN DIEGO. CAL.

cola. III. and the sherin Caught.
on 10 Him-AR Effort 10 he Made
40 Have Him brought Back 20 sa-
Vannnh for Early Trial.
J. ". Masters, the former agent Of the
International Migration Society here. Is
behind prison bars. A telegram was .e-
ceived by Chief Of Police McDermott yes
terday announcing his arrest at san DIE
go, Cal. where he viii be held subject
to orders of the authorities here. The
most pertinent question now is whether
he viii be brought back 10 Savannah cor
trial. and that is what the authorities
are working on.
The capture of Masters is an interest
ing piece of detective work. and one for
which the Savannah police department
deserves much credit. There was no place
to which he would be likely to go that
did not have his photograph and descrip-
tiOn, AND the authorities all over the
country were kept on the lookout for
him
How Masters acted as the representa-
tive Of the society which is engaged in
the business of sending negroes TO Liberia,
and how he secured the confidence Of
several of them and induced them 20
give him power Of attorney to sell their
property, and then made away with the
money are facts familiar to everyone.
Masters was appointed agent OF the In
ternational Migration Society here in
March, just after the steamer Horsa sailed
for Liberia. He kept up the Office for two
.-f ~
bers, and negotiating the sale of their
property whenever he found an opportun-
ity to do so. About a month ago he gave
out a statement 10 the effect that the so
ciety was getting ready to send over an
other ship load of negroes on May %, or
about that date. The article attracted the
attention of President ID. j. Hummer of
the society, who at once came over from
Birmingham, as no such arrangements had
been made at the main Office and Mas
ters' statement excited his suspicious. He
had been in Savannah about twenty-four
hours when Masters suddenly disappeared, |
leaving word with his clerk that he had
gone TO Tampa, on account of the serious !
illness Of his brother There was no doubt |
then as 10 his intentions, and efforts were |
at once made to locate him.
The following circular, together with his |
photograph, was sent to the chief OF police |
of almost every important place IN the |
country. GnieI MtlttIuAbAl HdcAtA TIC /
bottom part of the circular on the back of |
the photograph, and tore off the top. The |
circular reads:
Zone hundred dollars reward. Wanted, |
for cheating and swindling, J. w. Mas |
tiers, about feet II inches high, about 81 /
years old. very dark Completed, resem-
bles a Mexican, black mustache, hair and |
eve, hair cut pompRdOur. wears black |
Prince Albert suit. black SLOUGH hat, alpine |
shape; sometimes lectures on Temperance |
and Fallen Women was for two months |
previous TO his departure agent for the |
International Migration Society. Some |
time sells books, title, Save the Girls.
Send any information 20 frank McDer- |
mott, Chief Police, Savannah, Ca or the /
international Migration Society, Birming- |
ham, Ala"
What led to Masters capture, how /
ever, was a name and address given in
one of the deeds TO property which he |
sold for one of his victims. That name |
was Rosa " Wilson of Tuscola, Doug |
lass county, Illinois. Chief McDermott |
began active correspondence with |
Sheriff Frank ID. Bagley of that county, |
sent circular Offering the reward by the
society together with Masters picture, |
and Sheriff Bagley went to work on the |
matter, with the result stated. Chief |
McDermott received yesterday the fol- |
lowing telegram:
"Tuscola, Ill.-Frank McDermott, Chief |
OF G0NGe. nave j. W AdSAtI5 dlItsAtu dl |
San Diego. Cal. Wire chief of police at |
that place TO hold him for you. Frank |
u. Bagley. Sheriff"
A letter from Sheriff Bagley of Doug |
lass county Illinois, was also received |
by Chief McDermott yesterday, and this |
throws some light on the manner IN
which Masters hiding place was found. /
1t seems that he had been in correspond !
ence with a woman living at Tuscola. III. |
The name given in some OF the deeds Of |
sale of the property which passed through |
Masters hands was Rosa V. Wilson. |
Whether that is her right name or not is |
not known, but Sheriff Bagley found out |
that he was corresponding with a woman |
there, and so wrote Chief McDermott. /
In this way he located Masters finally at |
San Diego. Cal. 10 which point he wired |
and had him arrested.
Chief Mc.Derrnott answered Sheriff Bag |
ley's telegram yesterday, and also wired |
the chief of police at San Diego Cal, to |
hold Masters until he heard from him, |
In one of his letters TO Chief McDermott |
Sheriff Bagley asked about the 500 re- |
ward. Chief McDermott answered him |
that It had been offered by the society |
for which Masters had acted as agent |
and he thought it was all right The |
society has published a circular Offering !
such a reward, and of course, it viii |
have to be paid. The society could not |
afford to fall TO pay the reward, ana |
Masters when he is brought back
The main interest now centers in the
question as to whether he will be brought
back to Savannah. The matter has been
reported to Solicitor General Fraser and
he will see whether the county commits
sioners will do anything toward having
him brought here for trial. Chief McDer-
mott also wired President Hummer of the
society yesterday, to know what he would
do toward having Masters brought back
to Savannah. The society cannot afford
TO ignore the matter. as IT will be decid-
edly TO its interest to have him brought
back and properly punished.
Chief McDermott says he talked to Pink
erton when he was in Washington and
among other criminals, Masters name
was mentioned. AS soon as Pinkerton
heard Masters description, he told Chief
McDermott that he was the same man
who did up the Cherokee Indians out in
their nation about eight years ago. He
has used his dodge as a temperance lee
turer. and other similar lines, it seems, to
good-effect.
II