St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-07-18
4 FLY BOB IN HOOK
OFFICER PAT SMITH ROUNDED
HIM UP WHILE ON A HOT
TRAIL.
THE SLEUTH WAS PUZZLED
BY A CROSSING OF TRAILS OF A
CRIMINAL AND HIS
FATHER.
SERGT. HORN is ASTONIsHED,
And Detective MeyerdinG Reports
to Chief O,Connor, Who Acts
at Once.
THE SLEUTH WAS PUZZLED
sERGT. HORN is AsToNIsHED,

A small but distinguished visitor
was entertained yesterday morning
at the central police station. Pierce
Fineout, aged fourteen, member of
the National Detective agency, of
Indianapolis, Ind, and hot upon the
trail of a red-handed murderer, was
found, about 2 a. M, by Officer Pat
Smith chasing an obscure clue which
ran along the sidewalk near the Sew
en- Corners. Pierce was mistaken for
a vagrant. This gratified him ex-
ceedingly, for it is the ambition of
every noted detective to be taken for
something else. The astute young
man was therefore quite willing to
accompany Smith to the station The
latter now bitterly regrets that he
did not avail himself of the oppor-
tunity to secure valuable profession
al pointers from the very mouth
Of past grand sleuth.
Yesterday morning Sergeant Horn
heard a gentle treble voice waited
from the prison cells above his head.
The sergeant was not informed that
any Salvation Army lassie had been
1ncarcerated for pointing out the
straight and narrow path to an err
ing patrolman; yet the voice was
very sweet and mild, repeating, in
melancholy tones, the words of that
venerable hymn, Guide Me, O
Thou Great Jehovah The SER
geant went up stairs. Behind the
bars, with his arms folded, his eyes
half closed and seated upon his cot.
was the small and vocal Pierce. To
cheer him up Sergeant Horn babe
MIN good morning, and offered his
hand. Pierce at once cut short his
song. assumed an alert and watch
ful air, and extended a little brown
paw. No sooner was it lost inside
the officers fist than the latter start
ed Then he winked at the bow
three times with his left eye, and
called up Detective Meyerding. The
latter gave a hand to Pierce Tho
next moment Meyerding was pale
with establishment. Both men had
received
THE SECRET GRIP
nv 1'lleiHdlloila1 Amalgamated
bfotherhood of Detectives. Jailer
bahIz was reqested to retire and Mat
ron cummings was told that one of the
girl prisoners was climbing out of her
cell TO escape a mouse. The room be-
ing thus cleared, Pierce admitted
frankly that he was a detective in dis
gulse. The disguise had been supplied
by fourteen years existence amidst red
oI,i
and bucking plows on a farm near
wheeler, Wis. Pierce is by no means
tall for his age, and he is very thin.
He had evidently received his last hair
cut as Christmas present His elfin
locks were long, sunburnt at the ends.
and ranging in hue from straw color
to brick-dust red. In the midst of the
scorched Sahara of his eountenance
his pale blue eyes doomed I'D like two
well-watered GASES. His mouth was
partly opened, and his expression was
one of gentle, wistful meditation.
About him fluttered the remains of a
coarse pepper and salt suit His shirt
was brown cotton, and he wore no
collar. His feet moved loosely about
within a pair of cowhide shoes. His
whole air was strikingly agricultural.
With his hands in his pockets he I'M
bosomed himself to his brother blood
hounds.
Several months ago he had become
acquainted with a veritable detective
in Wheeler-one Charles Goodnow. He
had also read intelligently THE Bloody
Whisker," by Old Capt Sneak, and
other valuable guides to the art of
criminal detection. These things reused
his ambition to such an extent that by
sending 81 to the National Detective
agency, of Indianapolis, he had at
length succeeded in enrolling himself
along with Bill Pinkerton and Chief
OConnor. That is, he had secured the
promise of a silver star, and had re-
ceived variety of Autographs repre-
senting distinguished criminals who
are supposed to be far from home, and
naming financial encouragement to be
awarded to whoever induces the truants
to return. Pierce related that, reject
ing a bomb thrower, four train wreck
ers, pirate, and a dozen highbinders,
he had chosen, as his special prey,
A DROLL CRIMINAL
from Danbury, ILL.,, who had cut his
own wife into small pieces, and failed
to attend the funeral To secure the
husbands presence the mourners were
willing to pay $1,000. Pierce started
out last Saturday after the sum
named and, although the scent was
several weeks old, he had little diff
Guilty in tracing the mince-meater to
the Sanity City. Here the trail crossed
that of Pierce's father, who recently
went forth into the wheat fields of
Dakota. So when Chief O'Connor, who
had been called in consultation, ex-
planned that he might want that $1,000
himself, Detective F'inehout agreed to
take up the paternal trail in exchange.
Before starting he mentioned that he
would like to see his uncle, Orvis Fine
hout, boilermaker at the Great
Northern shops. After Uncle Orvis
had arrived, Pierce presented his litho-
graphs and printed instructions to
Chief O'Connor. He agreed to return
to Wheeler and await a prospective
vacancy in the St Paul detective force.
The Wisconsin Vidocq was escorted to
the depot yesterday afternoon and
hi a1y - It,