, 1897-11-03
HE WAS HOMESICK.
so HE WAS EASILY LuRsp ACROSS
THE MEXICAN LINE.
How an Amateur Detective Ou,wIttcd an
Notwithstanding ~ . Forzer In Exile
Who Knew Of = Rich Deposit Of Ore
That Had Never been Reported.

That Had Never Been Reported.
Il never was in Mexico but once, and
then went as an amateur detective"
said the mining expert. at happened
this way: A friend of mine in Pittsburg
had his confidential clerk-to whom he
had given an opportunity by trusting
him fully-skip with $40, 900. He knew
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
i'll 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.
Il knew that my only chance would
be to go and live there as u fugitive
from justice myself and so secure his
entire confidence. l decided to be n
forger. l took up my abode in the
wretched little town and in about 81
hours was so sick of it that | was on the
point of throwing up tho whole scheme
and going back. But my friend had
done mo many a favor in business, and
in decency ] owed him some return. OF
course l did not make tho slick mans
acquaintance. l was determined he
should make mine. He held off for sew
eral days, evidently thinking | was a
detective and expecting me to make, as
they had always done, approaches to
him. But l kept away, as if | were sus-
picious of him. The fellow was dread
fully honcsick, AID | don't wonder, in
that place. He used to go out on the
desert and look at tho 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 vcnturcd to adj
dress me. l replied very coldly TO his
%salutation, which only made him the
more anxious to know me. He began to
inquire into my business and find out
what l had como for. | gave him no spe
cial satisfaction until one day l said that
| had come for 4 change of air. With tho
same kind of air in the United States Il
few miles away this was, of course, alb
surd, and he concluded, as l intended
he should, that l was there for the same
reason he was, but 1 piled him with no
questions. Finally, in his Impotence,
he burst out with:
WHATS the use of keeping up this
p%retense longer? l know and you know
that we are both on the same errand
down here. 1t is true, as you say, we
can't live over thcre'-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 all about his crime, which l
knew already, and l telling him all
about my imaginary iniquity.
THAT vas as far as we got for
awhile, but it did him good. For it left
him free to talk. He was very home
sick, and we both acknowledged that it
would be almost plcasantcr to give our
selves up and serve out our terms than
to stay there the rest of our lives. | once
or twice limited that l was ready to do
so. But he wasn't, and l knew that no
ordinary inducement would get him
where he could be taken. But he had
III oplti tliiilN VI llNtSllllS HIS lliolitN.
and his cupidity naturally forced him
to see that lie had made Il very poor bar
gain if all he was to get out of his ras-
cality was to sit and spend it slowly in
that little hole of a Mexican town.
II had already interested hin, with
my stories of fortunes that had been
made in lucky mine investments, and
told him l knew of one rich deposit
which | had never reported to any one,
intending to invest the amount Ct my
forgery in its development if l could
get some more to put with it. l told
him it was in an out of tho 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 tho railroads. Finally no con-
Guided that he was willing to tasc the
risk if | would and 20 and look at the
property. The rest was easy. l wrote
at once for an officer to be ready to head
US off while crossing the Colorado river.
We had travelled some distance without
being challenged or exciting suspicion.
| threw off my pretended apprehension,
declared that we We're safe from all in
reference and that we might as well
take it easy. This proved contagious,
and l saw that l would have no difficult
ty in getting him to the point l had
designated to the officers.
We were riding slowly along in the
hot sui 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 ! had expected
them. | confess ! was taken by surprise
it was done SO quickly and success
fully. OF course they h%andcutfed me as
we'll as him. But before we had reached
the railroad station they had released
me, and he understood how he had been
fooled. l expected he would burst out
in cures and reproaches, especially
when they confiscatcd what he had left
Of his stealings. But he didn't. In fact,
it was 81 great q relief that he made no
defense ut the trial and took his sen
tence with great Indifference. would
hardly have been surprised if he had
thanked me for the favor-he was 50
thoroughly sick of exile. Chicago
Times Herald.