The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-03
CHASED 10000 MILES
DETECTIVE PERKINS, STORY OF HIS
CAPTURE OF A MURDERER.
Exciting and Hazardous Trip to the
KIOndike, Where His Man Was
Found-NOw in Jail al VintOn, Ia.

vINTON, Ia, Sept. Prank A. Novak,
the Wexford murderer brought back from
the Klondike, was turned over to the Ben
ton county officials by Detective c. Z. Per-
rim at 2:3O O'Clock this morning. There is
no excitement or anticipation of trouble.
Detective Perrin tells an interesting story
of his pursuit of Novak. He had chase of
10000 miles before securing his man. A
wrong clew first led him TO Germany. Then
he heard that his man was in Nebraska. 1t
was with the greatest difficulty that the
trail was found, but patience and shrewd-
ness We're rewarded and Perrin discovered
that the murderer had fled to Omaha. From
there the trail led to ogden, where again
the scent was lost. The murderer had con-
tinued his flight west-bound. but to what
definite point no one could tell He had dis
appeared into the great Northwest Step
by step he was followed. The evil places of
every important city in oregon and Wash
ington were searched and at last success
crowned the efforts of the man-hunter
Novak had gone to Seattle under the name
of j. A. Smith and had spent few weeks
there. Under that name he sailed to Port
Townsend, and few days later was off to
Juneau to begin the long journey to the
gold fields, where in a new land of lawless-
identity.
The machinery of law moves slowly ana
the impatient detective was forced to wait
for extradition papers The signatures of
the President of the United States and of
the British authorities were finally OBJ
tanned and Perrin started north. He was
determined to follow wherever Novak led
until the murderer was placed under ar
rest. While the necessary steps for extra
dition were being taken another detective
had been sent to st. Michael's to guard
against the possibility of escape in that
direction. PERKINS, adventures in the land
of snow and gold are best told in his own
words.
Il left Juneau" he said, ION June H.
; The little town was busting with the eager
activity of prospective miners waiting for
the boat to carry them to Dyea. Wild
rumors of the dangers and distress that
were sure to come fioated IN from Chilcat
pass with every returning miner who had
abandoned his search for gold at the
threshold of the new Eldorado. l couldn' t
wait for the ordinary boat. The man l was
seeking was far ahead of ME. 1 could not
risk the chance of losing him in the terri
BILE region that surrounds the Klondike. l
chartered a tug and was soon at Dyea.
4ueI0 LlSl d CIONQ VI IIllHcIS, Dul the
murderer was not among the gold seekers.
My journey to the pass was soon begun.
1t has all the terrors that have been
ascribed to it. He who ventures over it
must have both mental and physical cour-
age to face and endure sufferings that are
keener than most men care to meet. The
ascent is slow and perilous, and even the
Indian guides and packers show the distress
| nf ha summit
reached we were forced to cross six miles
of ice on the way to Lake Lindermann.
There we made our camp and built our
boat, whipsawing the lumber from the
dreary forest.
THE trip down the lake was without
noteworthy incident. We had our share of
adventure, however, on Lake Bennett. We
crossed that body Of water in storm.
The wind was gale of icy GOODNESS, and
the end of the trip we We're chilled to the
bone. Thus far it had been a gloomy
progress into the frozen north. Few men
mad we met on the way, and seldom did we
stop to exchange even a greeting of good
will. My eyes were keen enough to see that
| had not yet met the murderer for whom
l was seeking.
ION the way across Lake Bennett we saw
three men making their painful way toward
the mines in ScoW. The shadows of grow
ing darkness, the wind and the storm made
it impossible for me to stop or TO distin-
guish more than the outlines of travellers.
We saluted each other with noisy greeting,
made low by the roar of the elements. In
passing we wished each other well, but
did not know then that my message of
good will was given to the murderer after
whom l had already travelled over 5000
miles in desperate chase across the CONT
nent and into the dread north
After that 1 led and the murderer fol-
lowed Little did he know that at the end
Of his desperate journey he was to meet
one waiting to carry him back to the foot
of the QallOWS. The story of Journey
from this point to the Klondike is not a
new one. Hundreds have made it in an
related to me and again to all the rest of
the world was mine. He who makes the
must be hazard in the uncertain game that
may mean wealth or nothing.
Wherever found a settlement / stopped
and searched, but Novak was not there
He was toiling behind me, coming slowly
but certainly into the trap that had been
laid. AT Fort Selkirk and Sixty Mile we
met few miners, made an investigation
and passed on toward Dawson. One can
hardly describe the deathlike monotony.
The dreadful deSolation of the way and
the travel are appalling More than phys
zeal courage and strength are needed by
| those who seek for gold in the Klondke
placerS. Ones brain must be we'll poised
for the danger of insanity is anything but
remote.
ION July IA 1 reached Dawson. When I
arrived there the city had a population of
between 1500 and 1000 persons. 1t is a
typical frontier mining town, a city of tents
anu Tuue CABINS mere are rev Americans
who need to be told what sort of place
Dawson is and what manner of men and
women give it life. Dance halls and saloons
gambling and drunkenness, noise, excite
ment, license tell the story of the town
| The men have money and spend it, 1t flows
like water. and those that give 1t up have
the fever and the hope that go with money
easily won and lightly lost.
Il discovered that the man whose life be-
lOnged to the State was not in Dawson
Then I went out to the creeks where the
seekers after gold were preparing for their
winter diggings. The stories of Yukon
wealth have not been exaggerated on
July Il 1 left the creeks and returned to
Dawson AT that time there were about
200 men in the diggings. When | returned
| renewed the search and next day Noyak
was my prisoner. On the evening of the
day that / returned he reached Dawson
where he hoped to be lost, but where he
assumed z manner that stamped him as an
outlaw carried my prisoner down to
Fort Cudahy, where he was placed in a
cell until the steamer ]. j. HeaIy was
ready to commence the long trip down the
Yukon to st. Michaes. On July Is we left
Dawson and on the 25th were at ST
MichaePs. On Aug. 6 the murderer and /
had started back to civilization"
Bellamy's Health Poor.
CHICOPEE Mass Sent 2-Edward POL