The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-11-22

By the exercise of d combination OF
vigilance and astuteness that is credit
able to a high degree, Police Officer
Tom Fitzmaurice covered himself with
glory last evening and landed behind
the bars of the city jail a man whom
Chief Pratt believes is a very much
wanted individual back in Iowa. He
gave the name of Benjamin Wright
but Chief Pratt is confident his real
name is Bennett, and that he is wanted
by the chief of police of Davenport,
Ia, for unlawfully depriving another
person of about $500. Over 1925 of the
money was recovered.
Yesterday morning Chief Pratt re-
ceived a telegram from j. b. Murphy,
chief of police of Davenport, which
stated that man named B. Bennett
had left Denver the morning of the
day before travelling on ticket to
/ Portland, Or, which had been pur
chased at Davenport. The telegram
further related that the individual was
wanted for obtaining $500 fraudulently,
and instructed Chief Pratt to arrest
and hold for further instructions if the
man passed through Salt Lake as it
was : supposed he would do, being
ticketed over the Rio Grande Western.
The description of the man was COM
plete and the telegram was given to
Officer Fitzmaurice, stationed at the
Rio Grande Western depot, with in.
struetions to watch for the man.
From the time the suspect left Den
yer, according to the telegram, he wa.
due to reach here by No. 8 last nigh
which gets in about midnight. Not ex
pecting his man before that time Of
ficer FitZmaurice paid no more thar
the customary attention to the pas
sengers who alighted from No. about
5 o'clock when that train pulled in
five hours late. He was performing his
usual duty of patroling the platform
and answering inquiries of strangers
when a man stepped from the train and
inquired the way to a saloon. the
officers mouth opened to reply when it
suddenly snapped shut and he looked
the inquirer in the face and instead of
giving the desired direction he said:
Come with me and I'll see what l can
do for you"
He led the passenger TO a light and
surveyed him critically. The man an
swered the description perfectly.
"Fitz' felt sure he had his man and
demanded to be shown his Scket. 1t
was reluctantly produced and wnen the
officer read the name of b. Bennett
on the back he was certain and rang
had the fellows luggage taken off the
train and looked up Conductor King
who was running the train 10 make in
quiry concerning his capture.
The conductor furnished the irforma-
ton that the man had given 500 in
cash over into his hands to Keep for
him just before reaching Salt Lake.
The officer presented his telegram and
had the money turned over TO the sta
ton agent and when the wagon arrived
he accompanied the prisoner to head
quarters.
At the station Chief Pratt took the
man in hand and put him through
name was Benjamin Wright and stuck
to it, When asked how the name of
Bennett came to be signed TO his
ticket if that was fact, he said he
was drunk when the ticket was pur-
chased and he didn't know how the
name came on the ticket. he protested
not to know how he came by the ticket
and said he thought soma one else
must have bought it for him as lie had
no recollection of signing MS name.
During lhe process Of examining the
prisoner Chief Pratt had him searched
and found a ll-tle ove~ $25-in his pock-
cts He satisfied himself the right man
had been arrested and wired Chief
Murphy Of Davenport that his man was
under arrest.
The prisoner steadily protested his
innocence and told a somewhat dis
connected story. He said he was a
nurseryman and had been in me en-
ploy Of the Northern Nursery company
which, ne said. does an extensive bust
ness in Iowa. He said his home was at
Belle Plain and when asked TO state
how he came TO leave for the west,
said ne had gone to Meringo and there
with some acouaintances had gone on
a drunk. That the spree had been a
protracted one and that his mind was
q blank as 10 what took place after
he got we'll under way, till he found
himself aboard the train bound for
Portland He was asked how he came
by the $500 he left with. and said the
Northern Nursery company had sent
him a draft for $S46, which he had
cashed prior to the attack of mental
alteration.
Pending the receipt of further in
structiOns the prisoner was permitted
TO sir in the chiefs office and in the
meantime Detective Sheets came in and
took a look at him. Il know that fell
low" he remarked. He's one of the
slickest confidence men in the coun-
try"
The prisoner wanted to know how
he recognized him, and the detective
replied: BY these two powder marks
on your nose" Sure enough there were
two tiny powder burns on the bridge
Of the nose, which no one but a close
observing person would have noticed.
The prisoner denied ever having seen
Sheets and said he got the marks in his
nose by falling into an ash barrel sew
eral years ago, whi.e on a drunk in
Portland
He was very susve and tried to es-
tablish himself on friendly terms with
the chief. Once he remarked norcna-
lantly ''I don't suppose you'll have any
objections to my going cut TO get
some supper? You can send an officer
with me. III not give you the Sip"
mo, I'm quite sure you won't" re-
Piled Chief Pratt, just as off hand.
Then he directed an officer to remain
with the prisoner and sent another to
order his meal.
From his examination of the prison
err The chief expressed himself as con-
fident he is a clever criminal and was
unstSnted in his praise of Officer Fitz-
maurice's shrewdness in capturing him.
He is being held awaiting furthe. in
structions from Davenport.
SETTING THE RIVER ON FIRE.
Origin of This Popular and Express
sive Phrase.
ST. Nicholas: Sometimes when a person
wants to make an unpleasant remark in
v1la dull