The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-11-27

Los Angeles. Nov s-Detectlves brad
ish and Steele made clever capture =
few evenings ago Of man nanea -. ~.
Mclean. who Is wanted at pSsano on q
charge Of obtaining i've sock en- hce-tiolss
notes. Mclean. il is hes-syesa. - al es1e
head Of a gang Of sharpers VINO nave "s 81
doing quite an extensive business IN o4i-
ferent PARTS Of the state. but have man
aged 20 s3lile arrest.
Mclean arrived in Los Angeles about
three weeks ago and succseded IN pass -iis
of one Of his worthless notes on cns--
hess man on South Spring street IN pay
ment for some I've stock. In the mean
time Chief Glass had been requested 10
look up Mclean BY the netano authorities.
who wanted HIM on a charge or obtaining
property BY fraud. The matter was paced
in the detectives hands. and they sue
ceeced IN capturing their man Few
nights ago.
Deputy sheriff Gallagher. of Tusare
county, arrived here this morning and left
with his prisoner on the afternoon tram.
The officer states that Mclean 3 very
slippery customer. and would take almost
any chance TO make his escape.
Neil II. Mclean was a prominent figure
in criminal circles In this city for NUM-
Der of years. He came here from the
East before the fire. and during the land
operations. Mclean was rather a me
looking young man when he irst arrived
in Seattle stylish dresser. and n smooth
tasker. although he suffered slightly. A
large number of people who desired TO set
tie on government land. and who wished
10 take UP timber Claims. were constantly
arriving In Seattle. and Mclean went into
the business OF pretending to locate them
on government land. The price he
oh pa1 fer ln~a firc a
quarter section was from 500 10 $500. It
was his custom to take his victims out
into the country ant show them land
which was very valuable for its timber
or for agricultural purposes- and tell them
IL was vacant giving them the quarter
section, section and township numbers
Mclean would always secure his money
for locating" his victim on the land be-
fore the wou.d-be settler went to the land
office 10 make the filing. Then IL would
be found that the land pointed out by Nc
Lean had been settled on and that the
quarter sections for which he gave the
correct number and section were located,
perhaps. miles away from the land shown.
and were ysl'ue,ess for either timber or
agricultural purposes.
In This business he was associated with
the notorious Charlie Reed. who was
known all over the Sound country as the
prince of swindlers.
Mclean was very bold in his operations.
and though he was often arrested he gem
orally escaped conviction on techn.calities
and by a sav' sh expenditure of his ill-got-
ten gains. The United States officials
finally got double Nelson on him. and he
was sent To the United States pen.ten-
tiary on McNeirs island for perjury. for
a year.
After he served out his time he returned
TO Seattle. but the prison stain was upon
id not prosper as well as during the
earlier portion Of his checkered career
here.
A few mcaths after Mclean was re-
leased from the United States pen.tent,ary
he attempted 10 register as a voter in the
city hall. While doing this he was told
that he had forfeited his right 10 vote by
raving served term N the penitentiary.
With the hardshood peculiar TO men OF his
type. he took the oath necessary TO COM
piete the registration and his name was
duly entered upon the registration books.
A few days afterward he was arrested.
convicted and sentenced 10 one years i'm
pr,sonment in the penitentiary for the Of
Tense Then he took an appeal. and pend
Ing a decision of the supreme court he was
imprisoned IN the county jail The SUI
preme court affirmed the decision OF the
King county superior court. and Mclean
served out the balance Of his term in the
state penitentiary at Walia Walia.
After his return from walla Walia he
acted as kind of a go-between and fence
for thieves. Property stolen in Alaska and
IN Oregon was brought to this city. and
Mclean would dispose OF q whenever he
could.
Mclean was a sort of Don Juan among
certain type of the far sex. and this In
VOWED him In numerous scrapes. About
year ago he was twice severely beaten
by rivals whom he had worsted in the con-
test for the favors OF certain fair bu< frail
damsels.
About ten months ago the innate of Sc
attic became too tropical for him, and he
left ga1sidauly for Cal foru.a