The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1898-06-30
STORIES ABOUT CROOKS.
Told 1t q Recent Gathering of Chiefs
of Police.

Chicago Inter-Ocean: 1t is one thing to
catch a thief and it is another to hold
him. During the meeting of the chiefs OF
police of all the larger cities of the United
States and Canada. which occurred at
Milwaukee the past week, there were
"reminiscences without number of remark
able captures and of escapes which Dor
dered closely upon the miraculous. Tones
Of criminal history were taken from the
shelves Of memory and opened at chap
tiers of thrilling interest by the men who
had been themselves the principal actors.
History? Yes. that is the proper word.
but most men would pronounce it ro-
nance.
THE most remarkable escape from
prison that l can recall" said William A.
Pinkerton to a group of chiefs and super
intendents was that of Frank Steadman
from the San Quentin prison. But III
not tell you about it, for here is John
GLASS; who caught Steadman and sent him
back to San Quentin
Chief Glass Strengthened his six feet
three inches. and pinched the brown i'm
perial on his under lip refiectively for
moment before he responded TO the looks
Of inquiry bent upon him by those not ia
miliar with the story.
'.The escape to which you refer. Pinker-
tOl, was made after l sent SteadInan TO
San Quentin. and not before. l was not
the fortunate one to get him after that
last wonderful break And to tell the
truth. l have never taken to myself much
credit for taking him the time 1 did. for
il was to a considerable degree a matter
of good fortune. You see. we were just
at that time keeping our eyes open for a
bank robber by the name of Barnes. who
had gone into one of the banks out there,
covered the one man who happened 10 be
alone in the place at the time. locked him
xha N
out of the bank and out of sight with
all the funds he could get his hands on
Zone day a man answering closely the
description of Barnes stepped on the train
at Los Angeles. We took him in tow at
once. but found We did not have the bird
we were after. However, We managed 70
hold him long enough to nd out that he
was Frank Steadman. who had become
notorious even at that time as success
full iail breaker. He had four or five es-
canes from prison in Southern Indiana
credited to him. had got away from joliet
and had still seven years to do at the
Illinois prison, had also been at San
Quentin and had escaped from tnere Win
five years unfinished.
'Steadman was a machinist bf pro-
fession, ana a burglar by Inclination
When he was sent back TO San quentin
to finish his time he was put to work with
other convicts in the -ngine room IL was
here that an idea came into his brain that
for absolute daring and feariessness was
typicaI of the man. He had noticed that
every evening at the time the men work
ing in the engine room were lined up 10
be marched away the machinery was
stopped at exactly the same moment. he
had observed as well that window lead
ing to an adjacent roof was not far from
the top of the big driving belt of the
engine. From that roof 1t was possible to
reach the outer wall of the prison Be-
yond the wall was freedom. He had es-
caped so many times that his mind re-
verted again and again to the window
high up on the wall Of the engine room.