The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1897-10-01
HE WAS HOMESICK.
80 He WAS EASILY LuREp ACROSS
THE MEXICAN LINE.


THE MEXICAN LINE.
HOW IN Amateur Detective Outwitted m
Misunderstanding - Q Eorger In Exile
Who Knew Of . Rich Deposit Of Ore
That Had Never Been Reported.
II never was in Mexico but once, and
then went as an amateur detective"
said the mining expert. cit happened
this way: A friend Of mine in Pittsburg
had his confidential clerk-to whom he
had given IN opportunity by trusting
him fully-skip with $40, 900. Heknew
where he was, just over the border
from San Diego. But he was safe, for
he kept religiously on the wrong side
Of the line. Several detectives had been
sent down there to lure him over, but
in some way he had detected the detect.
i've in them, for they often acquire a
professional air in spite Of their best
efforts to the contrary.
II knew that my only chance would
be to 80 and live there as a fugitive
from justice myself and SO secure his
entire confidence I decided to be o
forger. took up my abode in the
wretched little town and in about "a
hours was SO sick Of it that was on the
point OF throwing up the whole scheme
and going back But my friend had
done me many q favor in business, and
In decency owed him some return. Of
course l did not make the slick mans
acquaintance. I was determined he
should make mine. He held off for sew
eral days, evidently thinking I was a
detective and expecting me to make, as
they had always. done, approaches to
him. But kept away, as if were sr,s-
picious Of him. The fellow was dread
fully homesiclk, and don't wonder, in
that place. He used to go out on the
desert and look at the stars and stripes
across the border and wish he dared go
back. He evidently began to think he
was worse imprisoned than If he had
been in some penitentiary.
Finally one day he ventured to ad-
dress me. 1 replied very coldly to his
salutation, which only made him the
moro anxious to know me. He began to
inquire into my business and find out
what ! had como for l gave him no spe-
cial satisfaction until one day II said that
l had come for @ change of air. With the
same kind Of air in the United States
few miles away this was, of course, alb
surt, and he concluded, a:; intended
he should, that was there for the same
reason he was, but piled him with no
questions. Finally, i'll his impatience,
he burst out with:
WHAT'S the use of keeping up this
pretense longer? know and you know
that we are both OH the same errand
down here. It is true, as you say. We
can't live over there'-pointing to-
ward the country over the border. Let's
own up and have done with the farce.
So we confessed to each other, he tell
ing me oil about his crime, which I
knew already, and I telling him all
about my imaginary iniquity.
"That was as far as we got for
awhile, but it did him good. Fer it left
him free to talk. He was very home
sick, and wo both acknowledged that it
would be almost pleasanter to give our
selves up and serve out our terms than
to stay there the rest Of our lives. once
or twice limited that I was ready to do
So But he wasn't, and I knew that 10
ordinary inducement would get him
where he could DO taken. But he had
no opportunity Of investing his money.
and his cupidity naturally forced him
to see that he had made very poor bar
gain IT all he was to get out Of his ras-
cality was to sit and spend it slowly in
that little hole Of Mexican town.
81 had already interested him with
my stories Of fortunes that had been
made in lucky mine investments, and
told him I knew Of ono rich deposit
which had never reported to any one,
intending to invest the amount Of my
forgery in its development if could
get some moro to put with it, told
him it was i'll an out Of the way local
ity in southern Arizona, and that We
could get there without detection if we
would go on foot or burro back and
avoid the railroads Finally he con-
cluded that he was willing to take the
risk if I would and go and look at the
property. The rest was easy. I wrote
at once for al officer to be ready to head
us Off while crossing the Colorado river.
We had Travelled some distance without
being challenged or exciting suspicion.
I threw off my pretended apprehension,
declared that we were safe from all in
reference and that we might as we'll
take it easy. This proved contagious,
and saw that Iwould have no difficult
ty in getting him to the point I had
designated to the officers.
"We were riding slowly along in the
hot sun Of the desert when suddenly
from behind a butte two men on horses
shot out and rode swiftly toward us and
were upon us almost before we had time
to realize it. Although I had expected
them, confess I was taken by surprise
it was done SO quickly and success
fully. OF course they handcuffed me as
we'll as him. But before we had reached