The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-18
LOOK At A $4,000 CROOK
Story by a Chicago Detective of a
Ghost Seen in Broadway.
MYSTERIOUS ROBBERIES
In a Colorado Town, Clue Given by a
Button the Criminals Last Stroke
and Long Hunt After an
Unfaithful Wife.

bule of a Broadway restaurant one
against the glass door gazed hungrily
in at the throng around the tables
About three tables from the door sat
man with black mustache He was
handsome fellow, with firm jaw
and keen eyes, and was we'll dressed
although, like the majority of the male
| diners didn't wear evening clothes. He
was in earnest conversation with an
other man at the table. when he nap
pened to glance up and see the haggard
face pressed against the pane. He
started, looked intently at the face, and
then jumping from his chair ran to the
door. He grabbed the arm of the gray
haired man, who had started to 90
away, whispered a few words to him,
came back and got his hat and coat,
and then left the restaurant.
His friend sat at the table patiently
awaiting his return. The man who
went out was Chicago detective, who
had come to New York to take back to
Illinois a fugitive from justice, and the
man who sat waiting for him at the
table was New York officer who hsd
been entertaining him. The latter was
NV III lilt least SUI pl lSNd dl Ills GULL
panion's sudden departure, for de.ec-
tives frequently have to act suddenly
So he just slipped his coffee and pulled
at his cigar. It was almost an hour
before the Chicago detective returned.
He came in looking very much per
turbed, threw himself in his chair and
said: ,'-..,
Talk about seeing ghosts. I thought
I'd seen one then. That man there has
just risen from the grave. The dead
live again, or, at least. l know several
hundred people who'd think so if they'd
seen that man as I saw him, looking
through that door an hour ago. But
he's flesh and blood, and, would you
believe it, he's worth $4,000 in the mar
ket to-day"
Where did he go?' demanded the
New York detective, rising. Say, real
ly, you don't mean to let man with
$4,000 worth of rewards out against, him
walk off. do your"
IF there was $4,000 reward out
against him I wouldn't take him in"
said the Chicago man. I'm partially
responsible for the changing of
strong, handsome, merry young man
into that wreck you just saw. For 10
years the American continent and Eu-
rope have been dragged for that man.
They want him especially bad out in
Colorado. Why, there wasn't a ques-
ton but what he was dead. That's why
I called him a ghost, and he lis but a
ghost of what he was few years
ago"
Well said the New York detective,
"evidently I'm not in for part of the re-
ward for that mans capture, though I
declare l can't understand how you can
conscientiously let him go, money or no
money. So let me hear the story, for
there's story in it. no doubt"
There is said the Chicago man. "a
long one, but / won't tell it all to you.
Ten years ago there was series of rob-
berries in a city in Colorado, which /
won't mention, that We're so evidently
the work of an expert craftsman that
we We're hard put to it to get any clue
to the identity of the man. / was a de-
tective in that city then-was starting
my career there-and when | was put
in charge Of this mystery | went at it
with an energy and enthusiasm that !
have never got up over a case since.
Il started on the theory that no local
crook could do such work as had been
done in these cases, and that some Chi
cago or New York man had come to
town to tap us bit. Burglar alarms,
safes and Watchmen We're alike of no
avail against this individual, and in
not one instance was a job of his dis
covered until business hours the fol-
lowing day.
Nov. about a month before these
burglaries began, a young lawyer had
moved to our town. opened an office,
took house in a fashionable part of
the city, and with his wife began to cut
quite figure in local society. ! Shall
call him James Wright He seemed to
have plenty of money, and his wife,
who was very pretty, became very pop
ular. AS for Wright. he was a hand
some young fellow, with. the figure of
an Apollo, and knack of attiring him
self in becoming clothes that speedily
won for him the reputation of being the
best dressed man in town | never
knew him to have case of importance
but thought nothing of this, for there
are scores of rich idlers in the world
who have smattering of law or medi-
cine and make pretence of doing
something at one profession or the other
for a time.
[ went to my. room at : o'clock one
morning, having worked all night at
one of these mysterious robberies. An
hour later / was reused by newspaper
reporter, who had assisted me in seye-
raj of my cases. and brought me the
news that Blanks bank had been en-
tered during the night, the vaults OPEN
ed and $4,000 stolen. When | got to
'HS Jain anu ltDhtu over the ground |
realized for the first time what a clever
man was up against in the work Of
running down the author of these rob
berries. Here this man, who must have
been treading on strange ground, had
made his way through a network of
burglar alarm wires without touching
one of them, and had opened the door
of modern vault without the aid of
drills or gunpowder 1t was clean-cut
job and | was completely bafled. I
realized that ordinary methods would
never bring this man to justice; that T
would have to adopt new line of in
Festigatton if I hoped to accomplish
anything.
For week I frequented all the low
resorts in town, hoping to get a clue
but it was all in vain. The tough char
acters in town We're as much mystifie5
over these robberies as / was Ever
since the robbery of Blanks bank I had
carried with me a small brass button
that | had found in the bank there, I
hadn I much hope of ever getting hold
or my man through it. but il was a
cue and without saying a word about
my nnd TO anybody I carried it with
me always and just waited for some
thlhS to turn up. And something final