Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-09-06
CROOK TURNED THE TABLES.

New Orleans Times-Democrat: THE
question that has been raised about en-
tradltlng fugitives from Havana reminds
me OF some queer experiences. said an
OLD police official. 1T is necessary to
nave a requisition. YOU know. to take a
prisoner legally from another state. but
sometimes it is unhandy to get. and an
officer will run his chances without it,
winch Is always foolish. I'll tell YOU, for
instance. of something tina happened to
a detective who is very well known IN
New Orleans, and who was on special
duty here last carnival time. Some years
ago lie undertook to carry a crook from
Los Anlmas. Colo, to jefferson City. Mo-,
Where he was wanted for a big burglary.
The detective had no reuuisition, but his
prisoner assured him he would go any
how, pre- ided he wouldn't shame him by
letting Their fellow passengers know he
was under arrest. This was promised,
ana they started. While passing through
Kansas the crook managed to bride the
porter to send a telegram ahead to the
sheriff at a small country town. request
Ing hum to meet them at the depot. When
they arrived the sheriff and four or five
Withholding deputies boarded the train.
ana the crook Immediately demanded
thelr protection. He told a plausible
story he had concocted en- route, declar-
ing he was being kidnapped. and the
whole thlng was to rob HIM of some prop
efty. The detective was SO %astonished
and excited that he couldn't tell a
straight story to save his soul. and when
ne tried to hang on to his prisoner by
force the wild deputies dragged him u
ana beat him over the head with six
shooters.
Search him. said the crook, and
you'll find he has no papers,
.Ihey did so. and lost nc time locking
MN up in Jail. To cap the climax, they
gave his, gold watch and money to the
crook. who claimed them as his personal
property, and said they had been taken
away from him on the cars.
'Ihe detective has often told me the
story HIMSELF continued the officer.
and he says when they took his watch
ana money and gave them to the burglar
ne burst out laughing, and thought he
would never stop. You see the thing had
reached a point where raving and cuss-
ing dldn't relieve his feelings. There he
was. locked up in Jail, without a cent. his
head broken and his prisoner walking
around outside wearing his watch. 1t
was certainly pretty tough. That night
the crook took the train for Kansas CITY.
telling the sheriff he wanted to consult a
lawyer and would be. back in a couple
OF days to prosecute the kidnapping ease.
His story of his wrongs had greatly in
cehsed the cowboys of the neighborhood.
ana they talked seriously of taking out
the detective and strlnging him up. but
the burglar begged them before leaving
TO keep cool and let the law take it's
course. The detective heard it all Through
tne window of the calaboose, and it made
MN so mad he couldn't articulate. An
ne could do was to shake the bars and
below like a bun, and the sheriff natu-
RAINY came to the conclusion that he had
lost hls mind, which was pretty nearly
correct. Consequently he got a pair of
leg irons and shackled him to a ring in
The floor. 1t is scarcely necessary to saw
lna' me crook never came back. and it
was fouf or five years before the deter-
tlVe'S friends traced him to the town
Ihey found him still in the Gala boosp,
and what he said when they turned him
loose would have shocked a Malay pirate.
The story was hushed up at the time, but
now ne tells 1t himself among his friends.
No. the crook was never caught"