Omaha daily bee., 1896-02-16
CAREER OF A DETECTIVE
Frank Harris Catches Thieves and Finally
Sinks to Their Level
FIGURED IN THE BURLINGTON STRlK
Is Vow IN Missouri Jail Charged
with Robbinp bank ut
Savannah, that
state.

ST JOSEPH, Feb 15.--tSpecial) Frank
Harris, the ex-detective and saloon keeper
arrested on the charge Of robblng the State
bank at Savannah a week ago, has succeeded
in giving bond and is again at liberty. The
bond of $4,000 was furnished by the father
inslaw and friends Of Harris in this city.
Harris made reputation ten or twelve
years ago as a detective that has never
been equaled by any man in the state.
When the strike began on the Burlington
railroad, Harris was boy. living with his
parents at Nebraska City. He came into
possession Of some valuable information
about the strikers on the h. & NJ, and
went to Detective Benjamin +. Pinneo with
1t. Pinneo employed him to do some more
work and he developed such talent for 1t
that he was soon regularly employed by the
railroad company as detective When the
strike was at its worst he was employed in
this city as the chief of the deputy sheriffs
hired to guard the company's property. He
proved to be man utterly devoid OF fear
and soon won the respect and confidence of
his employers. He remained with the com
pany until the strike ended, and while much
of the good work executed by the detective
force was due to his efforts, the credit went
to Detective Pinneo.
When the strike was over Harris received
offers of employment from eastern detective
bureaua, but refused them. He found en-
poyment in this part of the country and
worked on some difficult cases.. In one case
he went to pail as a criminal and remained
several months In an effort to secure a con-
fession from a man who was suspected of
having committed crime. He succeeded
at last, and the prisoner was sent to the
penitentiary for a long term. Harris also
prevented the burning of the packing houses
ct winthrop by clever piece of detective
work. Jacob Smith was the owner of one
Of the houses and when he was about to
fail, had the plant heavily insured. lie had
planned with the night watchman to set fire
to the packing house and Harris learned
of his intention by gaining the confidence of
the watchman.
ARRESTED A FIREBUG.
Smith was arrested by Harris Just as he
was in the act of applying the torch to the
packing house, but he was never punished for
attempting the crime. His disgrace weighed
heavily on his mind and he became insane
in few months. 1t was about that time
that hogs were being stolen from the cars at
Winthrop by an organized gang of thieves,
and Harris was employed to hunt them down.
He became one of the gang and helped to
steal hogs for several months. When he
had obtained evidence against every member
of the gang he caused their arrest, and the
result was that twenty men were sent to
the penitentiary
The reputation made by Harris as de-
tective turned his head, and he began to
equander the money he had accumulated.
For time he indulged in all the luxuries
that wealth could command, and for more
than a year he lived like a prince. In the
meantime his parents removed to Denver,
where they now reside Harris at last
found himself penniless and unable to OBJ
tain employment as detective. He went
to work doing odd Jobs about saloons and
in time became a bartender. He worked
at dozen different places and finally
opened saloon for himself. Before he
abandoned detective work he had quarrel
with his old friend and benefactor, Pinneo,
and in a fight beat the latter almost to
DEATH Pinneo is now living in this city,
and asked the Savannah bank for employ
ment in ferreting out the robbers. The
work was given to Detective Locke al
Pinneo now claims that Harris was not i'm
piicated in It, Harris was married not long
ago to the daughter of w. II. Morse,
groceryman.
On the night of the Savannah bank rob-
berry team and spring wagon We're hired
by Harris at a livery stable here. The
wagon was broken down while returning
from Savannah, and pieces were left at the
roadside They were picked up by the de-
tectives and fitted into the places from
which they had been broken When Kit
of burglar tools was found hidden away N
Harris saloon there was no longer any
doubt that he had hand in the robbery
Harris claims to be a nephew OF a well
known Nebraska politician and expects help
from him in his present trouble.