The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-08-08
THE MINER AND HIS PAST.
Criminal Records in New Gold
Lands.
From the New York Sun.

From the New Ofk sun.
Washington-'If within the next two
years or so all of the detectives
in the United States who have made I'M
successful searches for embezzlers, alb
sconders, and other high-class fugitives Of
a similar sort" said an old Forty-nner
down the river the other day, were 10
make a run to the gold fields of Alaska
I'll wager they'd make a roundup that
would astonish them. 1t was shown dur
ing the earliest years of the gold excite
ment in California that newly discovered
mining regions have an Undesirable fas-
cination for men who, having stolen large
sums of money in their own communities
have been compelled to make run for
it. If the fact had been sufficiently well
known then, there would have been
whole lot of vacant claims if men who
struck California during the very best OF
it and took out of the ground, many OF
them. enough gold to repay their obHga-
lions ten times over-which some of them
did, and some didn't. The Klondike coun-
try will be filled with money takers from
every corner of the United States, whose
double purpose in going there will be to
get enough dust out of the placers TO
square themselves with the people they
have stolen from, DeslueS 6ulIcHliS t4lIlH-
selves legitimately.
There were not a great many appre-
tensions of embezzlers from the east in
California during the gold days, but there
were some. The most notable was the cap
ture of the bank embezzler, John 5. De
sire, who had stolen in the course of years
nearly 100000 from a bank in Charles
ton S. c., and who, when he saw that
his discovery was drawing nigh, made a
l.. nj nd arp41p6 ltgIifOT-
MIA by way of Panama. He was caught
at Sacramento in 1861 by a lawyer from
Charleston, who had been armed with po-
lice powers by the governor of South car
DINA, and Desire was certainly the hard
est loser when il happened that ever came
over the hills. Ii was not such a wonder,
either. that he felt like a hard-hit man
when the lawyer from Charleston APP
peared with the warrant and requisition
papers for his arrest. for Desire was one
OF the first men to strike il rich early IN
1850 in the Shasta country. He had taken
out something like $4,000 when his cap
tor turned UP, and he had hundreds OF
thousands more in sight. We all thought
out there that Desire got rather the worst
of it when every offer he made his law
yer cantor for compromise was reject
ed 1t appears that the money he had
stolen from the Charleston bank while he
was its cashier had been the savings Of
a large number of small investors, ana
the bank was so done up by the theit
that il had to quit when the discovery
came after Desires fight. This had SO
emblttered the plundered depositors that
when 1t was learned that Desire was IN
california under the name OF Matthias.
they sent the lawyer after him with IN
structions that at any cost Desire was
to be brought back to South Carolina for
heavy punishment. The lawyer was
stubborn and an incorrupuble man.
see here said Desire when the law
var apneared at his place In Sacramento
ana showed his papers, I'm In the hole
I'm Charleston to the extent OF a little un-
der 100000. That's right, isn't itY
The lawyer nodded.
Very WELL said Desire; here's
check for the amount. That squares IT,
doesn't a.?
NO said the lawyer: I'm under In
structions TO take you back; I'm going to
do IT,
"'But you are going 10 be sensible
man. / suppose? Now, here's a check for
O0oD-it viii be honored at that bank
right across the way-ln satisfaction Of
the money OF the banks mat ! appropria-
ted for cotton speculation; and here's an
other check-also 20 be cashed immediate
Ia across the way-for $4,000 for the IN
diligence with which you have or are go
ing TO treat my request
"'But I'm not. I'm going 10 take you
back by the next steamer
'Dnmnatlon. man. are you crazy, or
what?' exclaimed Desire But, once again.
An OF the money that ] yet have beside
the gg0O.OlO ! have already offered you l8
another $4,000 Take u al, 80 back 40
Charleston. aud make "a settlement 81 my
affnlrs with the bank-nnd you need draw
no more brlef1.'
Desire. you must gee ready 20 come
back with me-. replied the lawyer.
Besides The $4,000. lll g'ye yOu half
interest ln my digglngs' persisted Desire.
'The steamer alilH On three days. ana
tho coach lsHVfs tomorrow morning for
San ffaueisro. rrt ready. loHllf'
'MY friend. 40 you know that ! could
employ men 10 Kan you bcfore sunset. and