The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1898-06-30


from the line and scale 1t with cat-like
dexterity. although the work Of but few
seconds, he well knew would be futile.
possibly fatal Bullets travel faster than
legs, and the guards were not bad shots.
But desperate deeds demand desperate
means. Some minds may work with an
ingenuity born Of despair but Steadman's
was Of q different calibre- His plans were
the outgrowth of steadfast optimism. He
never ceased to scheme. as he never
ceased to hope for liberty.
Zone day there came up to him. as II by
Inspiration. the thought that the big belt
might be the means Of CO FRYING him to his
goal. He found that it was impossible to
count the revolutions of the driving wheel.
but there were lacings in the broad belt
which he was able to distinguish as sort
Of blur as it passed given point For
days and days he counted. and In his cell
at night he spent his time in calculations.
He discovered the exact number OF reVo-
lutions the wheel made per minute. He
learned. also. by constant observation
just how many times the belt went round
after the engine was shut down.
"One evening. when the line had been
formed as usual. at the close OF the days
work. and as the big wheel began to lose
its momentum. suddenly a convict sprang
from the line, leaped TO the belt. with
outStretched arms graphing both edges
of the broad leather. He had calculated
Wei the StEcuSlH tIidl ~Ouku oS ASQuiiSu-
for the terrific wrench did not loosen his
grasp. Outward and upward he swung
until he reached the topmaSt point OF the
circumference. The nicely OF his calcula-
ton had reaped its reward The belt
stopped. He leaped to his feet, sprang
through the window and was gone before
convcts or guards had recovered from
their establishment. He caught up a
guards coat and hat. dropped from the
wall and got away in the dusk OF the
evening. l am inclined to believe that as
mathematical proposition that was
about perfect a piece OF work as any
man ever accomplished.
And did he get away without recap
turer' some one asked.
No l am almost sorry 10 say. he die
not" answered the Los Angeles chief
| flor that ought by rights TO be the denoue
| ment of such a story. which combines
SO much Of daring and cleverness. Stead
man was taken again in a short time anG
nut to work on his old job. There are
bars over that high window above the big
drive belt now. Not long after this Stead,
man cut and nearly killed one of the
other convicts, and is now serving OUT
an additional sentence for attempted
murder at the Folsom prison. which Is
situated some twenty-eight miles from
Sacramento.
Sometimes you hear of one man sim
gle-handed and alone arresting four or
five people" said a superintendent or an
Eastern city but that slender man over
| there with the black mustache and
| brouzed face Ought to hold the record.
and | am inclined to believe that he does.
Tina, is W. c. Baldwin OF Roanoke, Va.
and he is chief of detectives for the Nor
| folk & Western railroad, and chie1 OF
| the iron and coal police of West Virginia
H, took seven men with him at one
| time and brought back an average OF
| thirty-nine prisoners for each man. About
| two wears ago there was established at
Roslyn Va a big gambling joint. Being
| situated just across the river from
! GEORGETOWN and easy or access from
| Washington. the plant waxed strong ana
| the syndicate behind il grew so power
| ful as TO laugh at all attempts at inter
| ference Baldwin had made reputation
| i'm his country. having been mixed up
more or less with the celebrated Hatfield
| Mccoy feud He had arrested five OF the
| leaders in that trouble. one of whom was
| hanged and three were sent over the
| road for life He heard of the Roslyn
| layout and declared that were he given
| the opportunity he would arrest the
| whole outfit and break up the gang He
| was given the chance. But he went at II
| in a different way from that which any
had anticipated. With seven men he de-
| liberately attempted and successfully ac-
| complshed the arrest of over JU he
| quietly stationed one detective at each
| entrance and exit. Then he walked TO
| the center Of the big hall and with gun
| in each hand announced to the aston
| ,shed gamblers that every man within
| sound of his voice was under arrest
| The majority of those present were bar
| tenders and butchers. and they fell over
each other and rolled and tumbled on
the floor in their efforts to reach the
| doors. When they got to one and found
| two gun barrels barring the way they
/
| worse COMPOUNDED. There were irrespOn-
sib,e ones who wanted to fight The de-
| tectiyes did not finch. Two of the gam
blers were shot and killed in the first
| impetuous rush to get away. The 3l2 re-
| naming decided that they had really no
| desire to go across the Potomac in pine
| boxes The coup was complete sue
| cess After Baldwin had arranged for
/ the care of his small army Of prisoners
| he and his detectives demolished over
x12. 600 worth of gambling utensils"
This is a progressive age. and the
| criminal classes are not falling behind the
| procession" said a chief of city whose
| inha bitants number several hundred thou
! sand and whose name is not given for
| obvious reasons. The thief Of to-day has
more daring and will take greater chances
| than the man engaged in the same line
| Of work would have dreamed OF twenty
| years ago. The police departments have
| got to keep moving. and at a rapid rate.
| too in order to keep abreast of the null
| tiplying methods of the criminal class
| We have to hold just as many cards in
| the game as the other fellow, and il We
| want to be sure TO win. il is a good plan
| to have one or two cards UP our sleeve.
| l have in operation at present what call
my fly cell II is something l would not
| exploit the location of through the news
papers for the world. for that would Kill
| its effectiveness. One of the great trou-
| bles every police department experiences
| is in getting men to talk holdup O.
| ours in a certain section We know Just
| what characters were in the locality
about the time il occurred. By the time
the affair is reported TO headquarters
| ard officers are sent out to make the ar
! rests the plumber has been slowed away
| somewhere out Of reach. TIE men ar
| rested refuse to talk. They say We have
| nothing for which We can hold them.
| We run the heaviest sort Of bluffs as &c
| the dead-sure case we have against
! them but without success l had racked
my brain over the proposition as to how
! to get such men 20 give UP. and without
| much success until I hit upon my ny
! cell scheme. II is merely a small double
| cell Of the most ordinary kind. and thers