The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-01-11

| Mission Junction, andgone on to Vancouver
BIC. Sheriff wrightlost the trail here, and
| started out after another woman and q
little girl, through California, Nevada and
Arizona, finally winding up at ogden; but
before he left Canada ne put the case in the
hands OF the Canadian detectives, and hac
about twenty of them al work.
Finally, December 8, he received a tele-
gram from IA Canadian detective that Mrs
Mercer and Maggie had been located in
Vancouver Four days later he started out
afresh after Mrs. Mercer, passing through
this city a second time, where he received
a telegram from Vancouver, saying that
Mrs. Mercer had left for Victoria on his
way he received second telegram, saying
that she had returned to Vancouver.
Upon his arrival in Vancouver December
10, he wasinformed that the woman, who
was then going by the name of Marcier,
was STAYING at the Frazier Hotel. He went
there, and after travelling thousands OF
miles finally found her. Mrs. Mercer and
Sheriff Wright had known each other back
in Ogden, and she received him without any
appearance OF alarm. She knew that ii
would be impossible for him to take Maggie
from her legally, and she told him so
and, moreover, added that she had bull
dog revolver, and il he attempted TO use
force she would make him bite the dust "
After leaving her Sheriff Wright found
out that she was right on her legal aspects
OF the case, the Vancouver magistrate re-
fusing to issue a warrant OF arrest upon his
extradition papers.
Ia cai pa1 nv III w
when | asked for a warrant" said Sher
iff Wright We'll. was determined to have
Maggie if / had to resort to other than fair
means to get her across the line, SO 1 char
tered a steam launch and made arrange
ments with the skipper 70 lie at the wharf
that night with steam up, ready to cross
over TO Blaine, the nearest American point
But Mercer had wired on to friends, one of
whom was a prominent attorney and law
partner of queens counsel, and from him
/ learned thai stood chance Of going 70
the pententiary if | stole Maggie away
from Mrs. Mercer. Then he told me that
while | could not seize the child, yet by
the Canadian law Mr.. Mercer, her father.
could take her wherever he might find her,
even if it was in private house, proyid-
ing he did not break down any doors. That
night wired for Mercer TO come, and he left
Ogden for Vancouver the next morning.
81 saw Mrs. Mercer every day and talked
with her, and generally kept an eye on her
movements. She did not worry and showed
no incli nation to leave. I afterward learned
that she was arranging 10 take passage for
Japan on one of the Empress steamers.
But Thursday, the day before Christmas,
she must have got wind that Mercer was
coming, for she left on the o'clock boa for
Victoria. That evening Mercer arrived,
crazy to see his daughter. He was terribly
disappointed and never quoted down until
the next day, which was Christmas, when
we took the boat to Victoria and that
evening we located her in the Brunswick
Hotel
"A man named Eldridge, clerk of the
Brunswick, nearly done us up. Mrs. Mercer
had fixed hin to throw us off, and when we
went into the hotel he told us ocome around
about 8 o'clock the next morning Sa wing
that that was the time when Mrs. Mercer
and Maggie would go out for brea kfaSt 10 the
Globe restaurant. which is attached to he
hotel. We were on hand the following morn
ing in time to see Mrs. Mercer leave the
hotel for the restaurant, Maggie holding
on to her hand. When they went into the
restaurant / wanted Mercer to go in and
get his daughter, but he said no, he would
wait till they came out. We were arranging
to catch the boat that left at 10 O'Clock
with Maggie, never thinking that we would
not be successful, so | went back to the
Victoria Hotel and paid our bills, and had
our valises sent down to the wharf, leaving
Mercer on the watch in front OF the reStau-
rant. When / came back he was still
standing there.
Hasn't she come out?' I asked. No
he said. Then knew something was rot
ten, and inside L found that Mrs. Mercer
had given us the slip, with the help OF the
clerk, who had wheeled Maggie out in a
baby carriage.
THAT night the hotel clerk came to me
and said ne would show us where the wo-
man and Child were if we would pay him
S25. We agreed to it, but he kept putting
us off from day to day, and raising his
price, until Tuesday night he said he would
take us to The house where she vas hiding
il Mr.. Mercer would give him $3.50.
Yes, and | gave it to him" interrupted
the millionaire plainsman. bought him
like would a glass of whisky"
Well" continued Sheriff Wright, 1--WE
all got into a hack and drove to the residence
of a Mrs. Coulter. at No. 81 Kings road and
Second street That's the house." said
the hotel clerk, and if you don't find the
little girl inside, I'll give you back the
ST So We went to the door; it was after
O'Clock in the evening, and dark, and
knocked, and at first nobody answered.
Finally, we heard some one coming, and the
door opened a little bit, and 1 gave it a
shove that threw it back, and Mercer and
rushed into the hall past the woman saw
Mag gle standing at the head of the stairs,
and said, Hello, Maggie and when her
papa heard it he gave one jump
up the stairs and picked her up in his arms
Mrs. Mercer was up on the second floor,
and, remembering what she said about
making me bite the dust, rushed up the
stairs and held her until Mercer got into
the hack, and then let her go and fol-
lowed him into the hack, telling the driver
to drive like blazes
That's the story, excepting, while we
were waiting for the boat to pull out, the
provincial police came aboard and wanted
us to wait over until the next day, rs they
thought it was irregular. 1 took them
downstairs and showed them a valise full
Of documents and court records to satisfy
them that we were all right, and when
cry OF all ashore was given they
went down the gangplank satisfied. A few
minutes later the boat pulled out from the
wharf, and we bid good-by to Canadian
SOIL"